Week 3 - Balderdash Quilt Sew Along
Oct 4, 2023 - 8:55pm
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Balderdash Quilt Sew Along
Week 3
Welcome to Week 3 of the Balderdash Quilt Sew Along.
This week we are making all the Half Square Triangles.
If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun!
Buy the Balderdash PDF Pattern Here.
Buy the Balderdash Printed Pattern Here.
SHARE ON INSTAGRAM
Don’t forget to post a pic of your Half Square Triangles to IG and be sure to the use the #balderdashquiltSAL and #balderdashquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.
Don't worry if you’re ahead, or you see other people sewing blocks already, this is supposed to be fun. If you feel like sewing, go for it. This sew along is all about enjoyment so there are no rules, stick to the schedule or move ahead, do what's right for you.
I have been enjoying all your photos of neatly stacked fabric. It makes my heart smile. There is nothing better than freashly cut fabrics. Check out these gorgeous piles!
HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES
Next up we need to make Half Square Triangles or HSTs. If you have your own way of making HSTs, go for it, just make sure you trim your blocks to 3.5".
If you participated in any of my sew alongs you will notice I have used the same step by step photos. I hope you don't mind, but running around after a 4 year old and organising a sew along can fill my days pretty quickly. This was a little shortcut that gave me heaps more time!!
I usually like to make all my HSTs at the beginning of my quilt but with this one I did a block of a time. I found it much easier to keep track of which fabrics go with which block, however do whatever feels right for you. I will be adding a little video on Instagram and Facebook for you to check out. It's an explanation of my method for piecing the HSTs and also working with directional fabrics.
PREPARATION
Once you’ve paired up your squares, the next thing you need to do is mark the back of half of your squares. One from each pair.
One of the best ways to get a straight line on the back of your fabric is to use a sandpaper board underneath. The sandpaper stops the fabric moving, which makes it so much easier to draw the line. How cool is that! I have a fancy sandpaper board but you can just use a sheet of sandpaper from your local hardware store.
I like to use a mechanical pencil with a chaco lead to mark my fabrics. The chaco lead marks the fabric easily and is erasable later on.
Take one of the fabric squares and mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of the fabric. Repeat for all your pairs!
SEWING TIME
Take one pair of squares with the marked square on top.
Sew either side of the marked line with a ¼” seam.
Repeat for all the pairs.
CUTTING TIME
Now take your rotary cutter, ruler and mat.
Cut down the centre of all the blocks on the drawn line from before.
Press the blocks. I like to press to the dark fabric, AKA the dark side!
TRIMMING TIME
The blocks you have just made will be a little big, they also might be a little wonky. I suppose it will depend on how much quarantine wine you’ve been drinking! Don't worry, that's where the trimming comes in.
Using a square ruler (or a bloc loc ruler if you have one), line up the 45 degree line on your ruler with the seam through the middle of the block. Trim the block down to 3.5" square.
Check out the pics below for a visual on how to trim your HSTs.
• Please note these blocks were trimmed to 4" for another quilt, just remember yours need to by 3.5" trimmed.
DIAGONAL SEAM TAPE
I have recently been using this Diagonal Seam Tape by Cluck Cluck Sew to make my Half Square Triangles. It makes the process much quicker because there is no need to mark the fabric.
The tape is stuck onto your sewing machine and you use the printed lines to make sure you sew in the right position.
You can read all about the product here - Cluck Cluck Sew Diagonal Seam Tape.
Bloc Loc Ruler
Another tool I am very late in getting on board with is a Bloc Loc Ruler. These fancy little gadgets make trimming up your Half Square Triangles so much easier. They have a little ridge that grips on the centre seam so as you cut, it dosen't slip.
You can read all about them here - Bloc Loc Half Square Triangle Rule.
Next week we will be sewing our Nine Patches, and it's at this stage you start to really see what your quilt will look like. Exciting!!
If you have any questions, you can always email me!
Once again thank you so much for joining me on this sew along. I hope you are enjoying the process and meeting some other sewers from around the world.
Emma x
