Trapezoids and Triangles

Being new to machine quilting I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew. The local Brown Bag Challenge has provided an opportunity to compete with other quilters that I eagerly embraced. The chosen pattern seemed simple enough - a nine-patch surrounded by trapezoids and triangles. Yet something didn't seem quite right after all the pieces were cut.

The central  nine-patches were simple to put together using strip piecing techniques learned earlier. The problem was the trapezoids and triangles that surround the nine-patch blocks. The triangles joining the trapezoids just seemed way too large. I put them together, but there was an awful lot of fabric left that didn't match up. After a bit of help from my friend the seam ripper four blocks were completed. The extra fabric was ignored.


These blocks were supposed to measure 12 inches when completed. Mine measured 11 3/4 inches.  I suspect that my cuts were slightly off.

My original plan was to put sashing between the blocks. The blocks looked fine when laid out against the sashing and background fabric. When joined it just didn't look right. So... rip, rip, rip.

Next I tried joining the blocks together, but the points were disappearing. So... rip, rip, rip.

After two failed attempts to make the points stand out I gave up and decided to hand piece them (in progress).


Here is a picture of the blocks right now (the vertical center seam is still pinned). My question is this: have any of you had problems with trapezoids and triangles? What did you do to fix them?

Getting the hang of machine piecing triangles

If at first you don't succeed.... RIP, RIP, RIP!


I looked around for something to do while waiting for my order to come in from Jack Dempsey Needle Art so I can finish the Farm Animal Nursery Block quilt.

I get bored easily so I'm always working on something. Several something's as a matter of fact. I read books the same way - usually have three going at a time.

In my fabric stash is this lovely print that reminds me of stars. I purchased it thinking that I'd use it as a background for a dragonfly applique pattern that I picked up when a friend's shop was going out of business. Wish she was still open; her fabric selections were right in line with my tastes. The dragonfly applique piece may never be completed. It's tiny and hard to work, but I add a few stitches from time to time.

The "starry" fabric is shown below with both the deep purple and the white fabric.

There are a few different blocks I'll make with this fabric. The first is called "Ohio Star". I took the pattern from The Quilting Bible by Singer. It's one of the first projects demonstrated in the book and is fairly straightforward. This nine-patch has five squares and four triangle blocks.

I'm fairly new to machine quilting and I thought the Ohio Star would be a breeze. I usually hand piece and quilt, but I'm getting older now and want to find a way to quilt without putting as much stress on my hands.

Putting together the triangle pieces was a snap. I did as the book suggested and sewed them one right after the other leaving little chains of stitches between them. Then I sewed them together and was just so proud that my points looked so pretty.

I sewed the double triangles to the solid blocks where they were supposed to go, ending up with three strips of three blocks each. The trouble began when I sewed the three strips together. The points were no longer pointy. Oh no!

Sometimes when points don't display properly it's either a cutting or sewing problem. This was neither -- it was a pinning problem. I neglected to identify with a pin the exact spot the sewing machine needle should pierce in order for the finished product to be perfect. My daughter calls it the 'peek and pin' method. lol

Here's the finished block (not exactly perfect, but close enough).

Shown below is the in-progress dragonfly applique block. At its widest point it is nine inches across. TINY. Makes me wonder what I was thinking when I bought it.

Here is my first completed machine quilt project. It's from a kit put together many moons ago by Longaberger. A pillow with a pocket.