New Baby Quilt + Fun with Triangles

 I wrote about my learning Inkscape (that learning is ongoing), and using the project of a baby quilt to provide concrete means of understanding basic concepts.

I settled on the following pattern

Here is my finished quilt top:

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  My final swap of the cornerstone fabrics to the solid v. another color might have been rethought--to the point that I should have just put a solid border around it in the peach fabric and rid myself of the "V blocks" in the diamond rows.   Basically, it is a my maiden voyage for this pattern.  I do like the movement in it...and as I type, I realize that one of my HST's is turned incorrectly!  Well that is a "one wonky block" quilt.  PFFTTT! (Update:  New skillbuilder:  ripping out a block and reinserting.  It was not so bad!) Besides learning Inkscape, this quilt was a skill builder for me in nailing the diamonds and the triangle in square.  I'd like to write a bit about both of these blocks.

Diamond in Rectangle:  I see many patterns that use two triangle in square units to make the diamond..  Personally, I don't like that look. I have Deb Tucker's specialty ruler Diamond Rects.  It gives you the ability to make several sized diamonds that you cut from prescribed width strips.  It is that easy.  The diamond is the middle part.  You then have to measure, cut sew 4 sides.  Lastly you have to trim.  I consider this tool a must have.  You will have perfect blocks, and there is very little waste.

When making the side angles, her method, again, prescribes a rectangle size.  Her ruler gives the cut lines to apply to your rectangle to cut it so that you get two mirrored halves.  You can stack your fabric layers (right sides or wrong sides together) to cut very efficiently.   You then have generous room to place side setting triangle on each of the 4 sides of the diamond.  However, this stuff only works with a full diamond.

How to chain piece:  I will share that I glue baste these in place.  I don't worry about bias because the glue will stabilize the bias on the 2 pieces.  I glue one side, (top right) and then I glue the obverse side, (bottom left).  I then chain piece all the top rights, then the lefts.  I then set seams and press open.  The work with top left and bottom right glue basting.  Then sew. Then press.

After the final press, it is time to square up the blocks.  This is easily done with her ruler.  You will get a perfect 1/4" seam allowance, and your block will be perfectly sized with very little waste. There are videos.  You will be happy.

 Tri Tool Ruler:  Again, lots of videos on this tool.   To make triangle in square, the Tri Tool Ruler is invaluable because it has the right angle for the cut (64 degrees).  HOWEVER, it does require lots of fussy notching, and your 1/4 inch seam better be scant and straight.  There is no squaring up. After experiencing the EASE of Deb Tucker's ruler on the side triangles for the diamond, I thought that I would use her rectangle cut in half (at the correct 63" angle) method as a good way to make these.  I would be able to use one part of her ruler to true up my block at the spikey tip to give a perfect 1/4" at the top and the right side.  I would then flip the block and finish off with my final measurement for this block:  3.5" square. That 2nd square up took care of bottom and the left side.  Using the rectangles that are then split into side triangles is SO MUCH EASIER than using the companion sides of the Tri-Tool for every cut.  I'd rather get twice as many with one cut, wouldn't you?  And I'm able to square them up beautifully with Deb's ruler and not worry about those little notches.

When adopting new methods, you'd better make a mock up.  I learned this after making 24 beautiful, square 3 1/4" blocks.  I was a wee bit short.  This happened because of the (1) blunt tip on the TriTool ruler paired with a different method for cutting/attaching side angles.  Always mock up or you will be mopping up tears.

My second problem, (fleeting as I tested it) is I thought I could use my 60 degree ruler.  Hah!  NO! --but I only did this for one block as a mock up.   My third problem, I had to do a mockup to make sure that I had the correct rectangle width and length to give correct coverage that would allow for (1) easy sewing and (2) optimized waste when trimming).  I found that I could use Deb Tucker's width, but I had to add about 1/4" to my length.  I was very pleased with my perfect results.  If you examine my final quilt, you will see that there are perfect points and perfect matching. And I was surprised.

Let me demonstrate through "Fun with Triangles"--or hot time with Pythagoras.  It is worth taking note of this 'stuff' as it will give you lots of confidence to measure and cut your own blocks without relying on others.  I highly recommend your going here (Math Planet) to refresh your gray cells. You will be glad that you did.

There are several different types of triangles used in quilting.  Dig deep into the recesses of your high school brain and conjure up geometry.  A triangle has 3 angles, the total of which must add up to 180 degrees.

• Equilateral Triangle:  An equilateral triangle has 3 equal angles of 60 degrees.  60 x 3 = 180.  The length of each of the sides is the same.  It is constructed using a circle v. a square (for our final triangle).  Draw a circle.  Halve it, then quarter it.  The triangle is built by drawing a line across the last  Accordingly, your 60 degree ruler will create these in (m)any sizes subject to the ruler size...except know that you can butt another ruler to it and extend your cuts.
  

 

 

 

Equilateral Triangle

Equilateral Triangle Construct.

You can see the drafting of such a triangle above.

•  Right Triangle:  As square cut on at the diagonal is ONE FORM of a right triangle.  Because all sides are equal you can rely on 1.414 multiplied by the side length to be the measure of the diagonal.  You might want to now the measure of a diagonal for your square in square in square in square blocks.  (P. S.  to calculate what to cut, measure the side that you are trying to fit, add 1/2" seam allowance and then multiply that by 1.414.  Round up to the nearest 1/8th.  Now have at it!).  You will NEVER have to rely on the kindness of strangers again for these computations. 

Tip💡 For Lemonyne/Lone Star quilt blocks. you would use this formula to calculate sides of adjoining blocks for setting in.  

 

Your friendly (and ubiquitous) HST is an example of a right triangle. Because it is a square cut in half, and we know that each corner of a square is 90 degrees, that each side of a square is equal.  Accordingly, we know that OTHER two angles must be (180-90)/2) or 45 degrees.

• Triangle in Square (TIS) a/k/a Tri-Rec but I do not know why:  This triangle has interesting attributes:  The straight line of the triangle (base) is as wide as the triangle is tall.  The straight side and height have to be the same because it is a triangle in a square. The base is one side of a square, and the other three sides must be ...the same! 

Now we have the matter of angles. Here is my TIS. The tip of the triangle is drawn from the middle of the square to the corner diagonal. 

Triangle in Square with Degree

See that angle?  It is 63 degrees.  You see, this is the evil-twinish triangle--almost the same, but slightly different!  That, my friend, is why your 60 degree ruler will not work. Sniff! (1)

 

If that angle is 63, then the other two angles must be (180-63)/2 or 58.5.  If those angles are 58.5, then the companion angle for the corner (all corners are 90 degrees) is 31.5 for the side triangle.  We already know that the side triangle has a 90 degree, now we know that it has a 31.5 degree angle, so the other angle must be 180-90-31.5 or 58.5 (and that makes sense because of some geometry rule about companion complementary angles that I don't remember looked up.)

 

It is also so elegant and symmetrical it brings a tear to my eye.

 

 

And for the grand finale, here is an overlay.  The triangle in square is on the bottom, and the equilateral triangle, is in pink on top.

Triangle in Square v. Equilateral Triangle

 

(1)Your Tri-Tool ruler gives you that angle.  Get the ruler or a similar ruler.   I saw someone go around their elbow  to get to nether regions and waste a lot of fabric to show how to do a Triangle in Square without a ruler.  That was no shortcut and create alot of waste. Get a ruler tool.  You will use it.  You will same time, effort, fabric expense. (Update:  I've elected to Deb Tuckers V Block Ruler.  Now her V block ruler does not use the rectangle method of cutting the sides, but I will adopt it to do just that!  It was $21 including shipping.  I will get a lot of use out of it.)