Triangle bom October 2007

October 2007

Triangle Pyramid block

Are you like me and have a LOT of fat quarters of Christmas fabric? Here's your chance to use them!

For this block of the month, you'll need to cut all the squares 4 inches.

You'll want 4 dark squares, 2 medium squares, and 2 light squares.

This is such an easy project to do, why not double the numbers above, and make up two sets at once?

First, cut all four of your dark squares on the diagonal. Now you have 8 dark triangles. Put those aside, you'll use them later.

Then, take ONE of your light squares and ONE of your medium squares, and stack them. (below)

Cut an X on the diagonals. Cut exactly on the diagonal, and make your slit cuts about 2 inches long. DON'T cut all the way to the corners. I put a white bit of card under the one to the left so you could see where I cut.

If you've done it right, you now have something like the picture to the right.

8 dark triangles.

2 squares with an X cut on the diagonal, one light and one medium.

2 matching uncut squares, one light, one medium.

Now, Match your cut light with your UNcut medium and put them right sides together, cut on top.

Match your cut medium with your UNcut light, right sides together, cut on top.

Sew a ¼ inch seam around ALL 4 SIDES of your two square sets.

I find it easier to put the cut square on the top, for sewing.

The scissors are thru my cut so you could see where it is. I'm also doing several at once here, so I have three sets showing in this picture, if you're just doing one set, you'll only have two.

Repeating the important bit:

The light colored X-cut fabric square was paired and sewn with the medium uncut fabric square.

The medium colored X-cut square paired with light colored uncut square.

Last, after all 4 edges have been sewn, trim the little corners on your squares, like I did on the top two. Cut close to the stitched intersection.

NEXT, Use your scissors to extend your X cuts all the way out to the four corners. Fold the triangles out and press.

You'll have one with medium triangles on a light square, and the other will have light triangles on a dark square.

Now, sew your eight dark triangles to the 4 edges of these blocks, open out, and press.

If you've done it right, your blocks will look like these two, in the picture on the left. You'll have what LOOKS like two square in square blocks, but with one important difference.

When you sewed on your four dark triangles, your seam 'gobbled up' a quarter inch of the points of that inner square, blunting them. That's exactly what you need for the next step.

Cut your blocks into 4 pieces, on the diagonals. You should go right thru the middle of that blunted tip. That becomes the seam allowances for your new pyramid shaped blocks, insuring that the inside little triangle won't lose it's points when you sew your new triangles together. (below)

Here's some ideas of what you can do with your new pyramid shaped pieces. They make great skinny borders, that look even better if you use scrappy middles with dark triangles. (below left). If you put the pyramid points touching, and fill in with a fabric diamond, they make great thick borders too.

I also tried arranging 4 of the blocks into a basket shape and then a square. I've used the square before to make gift mug mats and pot-holders, but I haven't tried the basket as a block yet. Wouldn't that be cute with a 3 color braided bias handle sewn on? Filled with Christmas gifts?

Let's NOT sew our triangle pieces into a shape - but let the winner of the pyramid blocks decide if she wants a scrappy border, baskets, or perhaps make Christmas placemats, mugmats, or potholders. (This idea makes super placemats - just arrange as a border around a rectangular bit of fabric. Turning the corner with that triangle makes it look mitered.)

You can bring as many as 16 pyramids to enter, and if we have a bunch, we'll pull more than one winner and split the blocks between them. Each set of 4 will let you enter your name once, for a total of 4 possible entries.

You can also do this trick in other sizes - it works just as well to do it with 5 inch blocks, 6 inch blocks, etc. but for our swap, let's make the little 4 inch size with our Christmas themed fabrics.

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