As I mentioned before, I'm participating in The Splendid Sampler quilt along this year. With 80 designers contributing blocks to the quilt there will be a lot of different methods shared in making the the blocks and their components. I am taking this opportunity to try some different or new to me construction methods.
When making half square triangle units, I usually cut the triangles and then sew them together with their paired triangle. When making very small hst units I start with a square and eyeball my way across from point to point.
While at the BERNINA ambassador reunion last year, Kari Carr gave me one of her Clearly Perfect Angles tools to try. It's a vinyl cling that sticks to the bed of your sewing machine. Here's how it looks when I sew one inch squares together on the diagonal. As long as you keep the point of the fabric lined up on that center line, you will stitch exactly across the diagonal of the square. The result is a perfectly pieced hst.
Sometimes quilting directions have you draw a line on the diagonal of a square and then stitch a quarter inch seam on either side of the line. Cutting on the line between the stitching creates two hst blocks. With the Clearly Perfect Angles tool you can easily do this without marking the center line.
When stitching the first line, use the marking that is 1/4 inch to the left as your sewing guide as shown below.
Then, turn the square around and stitch the other side as shown. Cut between the stitching line to get your two half square triangle units.
Here I am using the guide tool while making Lots of Love, the third block in The Splendid Sampler.
Here's the finished Lots of Love block designed by Melissa Corry. As you can see, I got a lot of practice with the Clearly Perfect Angles on this block.
Check out the videos Kari has to better explain how to use the tool.
I know I'll be using this tool a lot in the future. Thanks, Kari!
