row 2: quarter squares

 

Row 2 of the red and white quilt is all about quarter square triangles aka hourglasses.

This is how I made them:

 

An absolute must-have/best ruler EVER is the Precision Trimmer by Marsha McCloskey. I asked C to bring me one when she went to Florida. Her DH made it his mission to find one at a quiltshow they visited and he brought one home for me as a gift. I love it and it is perfect to trim the oversized blocks for absolute accurate blocks.
The hourglasses came together pretty quick but there is a downside to this way of constructing them. I found that seams of one where not competible with the other. It was a bit of a puzzle to match them in a row with butted seams.
Played around a bit.....

...but decided I liked the 3rth option best. Ofcourse I could have used just squares, but where's the challenge in that? Now I had to conquer bulky seams and fan lots of seam allowances and that was the assigment I gave myself. Besides, the goal is to master triangles.
So, here it is....tadáá row 2

Meanwhile, Husqvarna Sven threw up it's threadcutter (again!) but this time I got it out in time. If the weather isn't too bad (we have snow again..blah)  might take a trip to the sewingmachine dealer tomorrow.  If not, I'll do without and cut the threads myself for a while.

Next row? Browsing through Quilter's Academy volume 3 I think perhaps flying geese:)

Ahá!

Finally decided it was time to actually SEW instead of reading about  it, meaning that i jumped right in the Quilter's Academy books by the Hargrave ladies.
I have been struggling with machine piecing, making points meet. So pulled out fabric ánd one of the books and followed all the "rules'
Half square triangles revisited!
Check this out: ALL points match! I'm very pleased with myself :)

 What really did the trick was the seam fanning

Unbelievable that no one ever, during all the years I've been piecing/quilting told me about FANNING THE SEAMS! It makes a huge difference in reducing bulk and accurate points.
All I ever learned was pressing half of the seams to the right and the other half to the left, butting them together and stitch. I tried fanning once but didn't know how. Quilter's Academy taught me:) and following line by line in the book, turned on a lightbulb. This is really an "aha-erlebnis"
Ofcourse I decided on red and white, totally inspired by all the red/white solid quilts popping up on several blogs ánd on Pinterest.
I'm adding borders,making them up as I go

Next chapter is quarter square triangles. It IS a painstaking process of constantly measuring, pressing, cutting etc etc, but it's well worth the exercise. I feel I'm finally starting to learn :)
Needless to say that there are red and white threads everywhere in  my house. DH even found one or two in his dinner *lol*

I also finished the hearts top. Not as bright and cheerfull as  imagined it would be, but ah well, love is sometimes hard work and not always bright either.

Off to order some more red fabric!