Chevron Triangle Process Continues

jill here....While Marny makes decisions on her chevron/triangles I explored the chevrons utilizing all quarter square triangles.  I didn't have the scraps so I started with squares in a "controlled scrappy" version.  If you start with a square, you will need to add 1.25" to the desired finished size for the seam allowences.  OR,  you can start with an easy square measurement ( 6.5" because my ruler was that wide) and I will take whatever size that generates!  This is an exploration, not perfection.  I cut the squares in four values.  2 dark patterns (total of 4 squares each), 2 medium patterns (4 of each), 2 medium-lights ( 4 of each) and 1 light valued background (8 squares).

I paired the 8 light backgrounds with 4 mediums and 4 medium lights.

I paired the 8 darks with the remaining mediums and medium lights.

Placing right sides together, I marked the squares diagonally and sewed 1/4" away from both sides of the mark.  Just like in Marny's tutorial, I chain stitched the blocks then cut on the line and pressed.

I placed the completed half square triangle blocks directly on top of the opposite values, always keeping the darkest value on top of the medium or medium light value.  That way the darkest value would  never be directly next to the lightest.  I marked the diagonal, crossing the seam line and chain sewed on both sides of the drawn line, cut on the line and pressed.

These are 2 of the blocks with mirror images of the four values.

On to their placement...

Okay, I admit it was not what I was looking for but there must be a way to create another type of chevron!

So I staggered the blocks and continued the mid-block stagger.  They are not sewn so look a little rough but the dark and light chevron emerges.  With a bit more planning, some secondary patterns might also emerge...So my next question:  how do I make it modern?  I have some ideas but I'd appreciate any input.

Love to hear from you.  Otherwise, 'till next Tuesday...

Chevron quilt continued…

Marny here…these chevrons are a bit addicting and way too much fun to play with!  Hope you have some leftover half square triangles to experiment with!
Please refer to this previous post for specifics.

Here are a few of the snags I've encountered along the way:

• ran out of the solid green that serves as the primary chevron fabric

• used the wrong seam allowance in making the initial half square triangle units, does that ever happen to you?  I forgot to move my needle to the correct position in my eagerness to get the sixteen remaining half square triangles sewn

• was unable to predict the effect directional fabric might have

How these challenges might make the end product more interesting:

• I pieced together one 5 ½" square from my scraps to get a total of fourteen squares.  I need sixteen squares to completely use up my half square triangle piles.  I personally think whatever blocks get the little extra seam in them will become my favorites.  Perfection can be boring. 

• Instead of taking out all sixteen incorrect bias seams I just moved my machine needle to the correct position and sewed a larger seam.  These units were pressed differently than the units in the previous post.  I generally press all seams open for a flat finished look.  This time I pressed the seam allowance to the darker side.  The resulting little bump in the fabric will provide a surface texture and shadows that I don't usually have.  And since some will be pressed open and some will be pressed to the side it is good I think perfection is not all it is cracked up to be!                                

                                                        

• The directional line in the "kelp" sort of fabric gives a little more variety to the texture of the overall quilt.

You can see the directional line runs both ways in each of the two orientations.

Here are my six piles of blocks.  Each of the three starting fabrics is represented in two orientations.  There are eight in each of the top piles (from last week's post) and six in each of the fabrics from this week.  Stacking them in these piles made it much easier to create different designs up on the design wall.

Chevrons placed side by side.  The design wall itself represents the negative space (background) of the quilt.

Chevrons separated with background.  I think this is the direction I will continue with…

but two solid squares and four half square triangle units remain, so who knows?

Till Tuesday…

Repurpose leftover fabric into easy chevrons

Marny here…I've been working with Flying Geese units lately.  Lots of them!!  My method of choice is to mark appropriately sized squares on the diagonal, orient them correctly and then place them on either end of the rectangle of the goose, stitch on the diagonal line, and cut away the unnecessary portion.  Unfortunately this "wastes" what is essentially an unsewn and imprecise half square triangle unit.  But maybe it isn't so unfortunate afterall…

Here are 24 good sized sets of the aforementioned units.
They are pairs of matched triangles with a 90 degree corner
and a wobbly diagonal cut across them.  
(Unhappily I have 96 small ones waiting to be dealt with too.)

The pieces aren't really precise because they were trimmed an approximate ¼" away from the original stitching line when making the flying geese unit.  The plan is to trim each pair with a single slice.  
(Sewing them together first and then trimming would require more slices using a square ruler and the diagonal seam wouldn't really be a straight one anyway, leading to more problems.)

Chosen corner on the ruler marked with blue painter's tape.  Relying on memory from pair to pair would surely lead to mistakes.

Trimmed each pair.

Chain pieced.

Pressed seams open gently.
Amazingly enough they now measure 5 ½" square.  

Cut a 5 ½" square of a coordinating solid in a different value for each unit.  Drew a line from corner to corner.  It works well to have a light, medium and dark value for this idea to work.

It is important to place the square with the diagonal line on top of the half square triangle unit oriented as shown.

Chain piece again…

…stitching ¼" on either side of the pencil line.

Cut on the pencil line.

Two new units result from each of eight triangle pairs.  One of the units will be like those on the left and the other will be like those on the right.  They are mirror images of one another when placed as above.

Now you can play with the arrangements.  There are so many ways and patterns that might emerge, but for now I wanted to have the added fabric, which in this case is also the darkest, become a chevron.  This layout places the floral on either side of the chevron tips.  It looks ok.

This shows the cream and the floral alternating.  This is too busy and not a clean or graphic enough statement for my taste.

This one has the floral nestled into the chevron valleys.  It is my favorite of the three.  The medium value floral and the darker value green solid seem entwined.  It is only a partial illusion and certainly is not realistic, but my eye doesn't seem to care!

Hopefully I will get to the remaining 16 sets of coordinating triangles and a fun project might result.  I'll keep you posted.  Maybe you have some leftovers or stash you could play chevron with!  

(Not sure if I will ever brave the 96 small pairs sitting on my shelf, but they keep annoying me with their whispers of "waste not want not".)  

Till Tuesday…