Tasting Table Tuesday - Home for the Holidays

I set myself a goal this morning to finish the blocks for the Christmas quilt I mentioned earlier this week.  It's a shop sample for my LQS and my contribution to the project is the pieced alternate blocks.  They definitely took longer to make than I had anticipated, but that's the way most of my projects go.  We're probably all guilty of underestimating the amount of time things will take, but I stuck with it through most of the day (on and off, of course) and finally finished up at 9:00 tonight.

Of course, my evening glass of wine is long gone now, but I feel like I could use another now that this is finished.  But I'll stick with my usual cup of bedtime tea instead.  It's been a long day...

Tomorrow is a new day and I'll start by cleaning off my Tasting Table, to get ready to start my next project!

And if you're here looking for my free May Giveaway, click here to find it.  (Or just keep scrolling down on this page - it's the post previous to this one.)  Good luck in the drawing, if you've left a comment!

Triangulations - Product Review

There has been a flurry of Half-Square Triangle making going on in the Cotton Cellar this weekend.  The girls at Needles Quilt Shop are already working on shop sample quilts for next Christmas, and I'm helping.  Katie is busy making the applique blocks for this quilt, and I'm working on the alternate pieced blocks, which means LOTS of half-square triangles.

I've always used the traditional method of cutting lots of squares, drawing a diagonal line on the back of the light ones, then stitching on both sides of the line, cutting them apart, yada, yada, yada...  if you're a quilter, you get the drift - and if you're not, you probably don't care anyway :)...
Anyhoo - Mary suggested I try using Triangulations - a computer program that allows you to print foundation sheets for HST's.  I'm sold!!!  The ones I made finish at 1 1/2" square and I can get 24 units out of one sheet.  Talk about speedy!  And they are so accurate, it's amazing!  As long as you can stitch exactly on the dotted lines (just follow the arrows and stitch continuously) and cut exactly on the solid lines, they will all turn out exactly the same.  Don't forget to decrease your stitch length, otherwise you'll have a hard time removing the paper.  I used a stitch length of about 1.5 and the paper popped off without a hitch.  This is by far the fastest and most accurate method I've ever tried, and I'll be using this method from now on, especially when making lots of small ones.  If you haven't tried it yet, give it a shot.  Last I knew, you could buy it at Needles if you're in the Wellsboro area, or check with your local quilt shop - chances are they'll have it.

All my HST's are done, and I'm ready to start assembling my blocks tomorrow.  Ho Ho Ho!
And don't forget to check back here on Monday to see what I'm giving away for the May Giveaway Day!