11/26/09

I Am Grateful For Half Square Triangles. Really.

Nine!
I tell ya, it's so much more motivating when you can actually see some concrete progress, instead of just a never ending pile of triangles.
So there they are, in all their blurry glory.
Or rather... like this. Imagine their opposites in the spaces. White "snowballs" with red corners.
And I do so love little surprises.
You know what else I love?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake.
Yes, yes I DO think it deserves the capital letters.
Chocolate. Peanut Butter. Cheesecake.
Booyah.
That's what I'LL be bringing for Thanksgiving dinner.
Hope you have a great one too!
Happy Turkey Day!

11/21/09

One

ONE!
Woo hoo!
Thaaaaat's right, one block finished.
Isn't she a beaut?
I know, some people have all their triangles finished, some have their whole top done! And congratulations, and good job! They are all turning out beautifully!
I don't want to point any fingers as to why I'm not further along, but if I did point, I'd be pointing down to about two feet off the ground.
The Princess and I had a deal.
I go to work and make money to keep her in dog toys and expensive vegetarian dog food, and she stays home and makes half square triangles.
All I can say is... one of us is not holding up her end of the bargain.
(Rolling eyes towards da pup)
As you can see, I decided to go with the red. A nod to my Mother; her two favorite colors were red and blue. When I first told her I would make her a quilt, and asked what color she'd like, she said blue. Or red. Or blue. Whichever. So I made her a blue quilt, but always had that red one in the back of my mind.
But honestly, what was I thinking?
Four hundred and eighty half square triangles.
480!
Good grief.
And because I'm cheap and lazy, and wanted to get the most out of my fabulous swap fabric, (thanks ladies!) I decided to try the technique that Nicole suggested, using 2 1/2 inch strips and the Easy Angle Ruler.
Easy Peesey.
Except......
Yeah, back to that cheap and lazy part, I don't actually HAVE the Easy Angle Ruler.
But I'm not going to let a little thing like THAT slow me down, right? So I used my Kalideo Ruler. It has a blunted off corner, it should be the same, right?
Yeah, not so much.
I ended up throwing away quite a few squares because they were too small.
I think if I use a very small seam allowance I should be able to salvage the rest of them. Which I'll have to do, since I've already chopped everything into 2 1/2 inch strips and don't want to buy more fabric.
Dang it!
But I persevere.
I think it's going to be a beautiful quilt in the end, and I'm sure I'll love it that much more for all the hard work. Right? And it's comforting to think that while I'm slaving in my sewing cave, there are forty-odd other women who might be triangling at the same time.
How do you feel about a red, cream and green quilt?
Very Christmasy.
Red, cream and blue?
Fourth of July?
We'll see. Just red is good too.

But you know what makes 480 half square triangles feel like a breeze?
More half square triangles!
Ha ha! I'm noodling with another quilt, using these fabrics.
Just call me a glutton for punishment.