Journey - Clue 7

Woah!!  I'm still out doing a bit of my own journey and enjoying time with my sweetheart.  Have you figured out where I am?  All I can say is that nature always provides eye candy to us and we are soaking it up.

Can you believe how far we've come on this journey?  I hope I've kept it low stress for you.  I LOVE seeing your progress photos.  They just make my heart happy.  We're about to begin week 7 and, as always, PLEASE READ ALL THE WORDS before starting.  It's a lesson I have to remind myself of quite often as well.

Sometimes, on our journeys, we come to a "Y" in the road.  Which way do we go? 



Well, this time, we go both ways to achieve our lovely unit.  The Triangle in a Square is either feared or loved, depending on past experience.  I work with the Tri-Recs Tool and, as a result, I LOVE this unit.  It adds so much to a project and the rulers make it a snap.

(If you have another preferred method, feel free to use it, just know that it may use up more fabric.  Make sure that your finished unit is 3 1/2" square.)

Unit 6 - Make 160

Starting with 3 1/2" neutral strips, we will cut the centers.  Using the TRI TOOL, simply lay the ruler on the strip as shown.  Make sure that the 3 1/2" line is on the bottom of the strip and the flat tip is at the top of the strip.  The first cut is waste, can't do anything about that.  Cut both sides.  HINT:  I lay four strips on top of each other and cut four at a time.  Goes so fast.

Flip the ruler upside down and repeat the step (only no waste anymore).

Keep going down the strip and onto the next one until . . .

You have 160 of them.

The next step is to cut 3 1/2" black strips.  This time we will use the RECS Tool.  This is where the magic happens.  You will need AT LEAST 2 strips placed right sides together for each cut.  Just like wings on flying geese, you are cutting mirror image pairs for each side of the triangle.  (I use 4 strips, each two right sides together and am able to cut 2 pair each time.)

Place the ruler as shown with the 3 1/2" line right on the lower edge of the strip and the flat tip on the top of the strip.  Do you see where I am pointing?  There is a tiny notch there.  IT'S CRAZY IMPORTANT!!!

As you cut, make sure to include the notch.  Your pieces will look like this.

Flip the ruler upside down and repeat the process, noticing that the notch is near the base now.  Ya still gotta cut it - honest.

Continue down the strips until you have 160 PAIR.  (Yes, all those little bits of black are the remnants of my notch cutting --- it's messing, but necessary.)

We are ready to lay out the unit.  One mirror image set of black and a white center.

From the above layout, simply flip the right side onto the white with right sides together.  At the very bottom of the picture, notice my fingertip.  Do you see how the notch is laying flush with the base of the triangle.  Ya gotta do that.  DON'T fret about the top, just make the edges even and the notch in the correct place.

Stitch

Press to the black.

Repeat the process with the left side - watching that notch so carefully.

Stitch and press to the black.  MEASURE.  Is it 3 1/2" square??

Trim dog ears and you are ready to go.  Yep, my sample slipped a little at the left base, but it's in the seam allowance, so no worries.

Now go --- Yes, I chain these just like the flying geese, setting the other "wing" to the side.

Snip, press, and start in on the other side.

So much fun.  I really do like this unit.  Keep going until you have all 160 made.

A little bit of time with the snips to remove the dog ears and these are ready to use.  Fun times are ahead -- we're getting closer all the time.  Please share your progress in the Facebook Group and if you haven't joined yet, here is the LINK.  Until next week, happy sewing y'all.