NQC Block # 6 update

I love learning new techniques and how to do things easier and better. 

I don’t know what this is called but when I wanted to make units like that for this challenge blog I had quite a time to figure out how to make it. I think I might have done it the hard way.

My friend Janet has brought to our quilting group a (not copyrighted) handwritten pattern from a person who taught her the beginnings of quilting. It too had this unit in it. The making was described with drawings. She told us that it was a "few" years old.

I wondered whether there was a formula because my unit was a different size. I tried it out and YES, THERE IS! I wrote it down so I remember what I did if I ever need it again in another challenge.

The pattern told to cut this:

The one with the yellow square is from Janet’s pattern. 

Size  3 1/2 inches square unfinished

made from (makes 2 - - - double cuts for 4 units)

yellow: cut 2 - - -  2 x 2 inches

B+W: cut 2 - - -  2 x 2 3/4 inches

white: cut 1 - - -  3 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches

And this is what you do (but the photos are from my trials):

Sew the 4 pieces as shown in photos (I finger press not to distort), snip the long seam in the middle so you can press to different sides. 

This photo shows making 4 units.

Use the 45’ line of the ruler (marked with red in picture on the left) to line it up on the left side so you can draw on the cutting edge from the upper left corner to the right side.  You will see that the line comes close to the square corner.

The line does not end at the bottom corner but on the side. Turn the piece around and draw another line from the top left corner to that side. Some rulers have 2 lines for 45 degrees angles = left side and right side. You just have to look.

Sew on the lines, cut in the middle and press. Done!

The above two were made trying a different size.

This seems to be the formula to make 2 of these units: (size 5” finished here)

Cut 2 of the corner blocks you need 

(mine cut 3 inches square for 2 1/2 inches finished)

Cut 2 for the small triangles the same size as the corner blocks but one side + 3/4 inches (mine 3 x 3 3/4 inches)

Cut 1 for the large triangles (the size the rectangle will be when the 4 pieces are sewn together as shown in the photos with the yellow squares, mine 5 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches - - - wide: 3 + 3 minus seam in middle = 5 1/2 - - - long: 3 + 3 3/4 minus seam in middle = 6 1/4)

Adding the 3/4 inch seems to work for all sizes!

That seems to be the whole secret!

If you would like to print this for your notes, HERE IS A PDF!   I don't know what this is called so I called it HST with square.

If you found this helpful, please leave me a comment.