“Crumb Along With Me” Crumb Quilt Along #5

Are you ready for another week of Crumbs??  This week…Triangles.

Triangles can be used in many of the blocks…They look great in a bow block, a broken dishes block or a shoo-fly block.  Once you understand half square triangles, the construction of the blocks is pretty easy.

Start out with two squares the same size.  Cut them in half on the diagonal.  Sew along the diagonal.  Press open…WA-LAA !  You have half square triangles!!

Now…what to do with the half square triangles…Make two matching triangles.  Add two squares with the same background print and you have bows.

To get the look on the yellow one, I just added triangles to each of the sides.  I love that look.

You can make four matching triangles, add them to four background squares and one accent square and you end up with a Shoo-Fly block.  If you are wondering how big to cut the squares…cut them about the same size as the finished half square triangle block.  Remember…about…not exactly.  See my seams don’t match.  Honestly the non-matching seams is part of the charm.

Make four triangles that are the same….put them together as shown and you have a broken dishes block.  I really love these!!

Using your accent color, in my case red, really makes the triangles POP!  I like to see some POPPING happen.

Even if you hate making half square triangles, be patient, and give them a try.  You can muddle through a couple of blocks.  The triangles really add to and break up the look of your quilt.  When crumbing, it’s easy to get in a rut of sewing squares and rectangles together.  The triangles really help to give blocks a little less sameness.  Come on….give them at try.  (Can you hear me cheering you on?)

So this week’s assignment:  Make blocks that have triangles.  Make about six…or if you tried and triangles are getting you down, finish up the assignment with a different block we’ve previously made.  While you are sewing along, add a couple “regular” crumb blocks and maybe a star…remember our goal is to have about 50 blocks or so.  Work at a pace that suits your schedule.

If you are looking for more ideas, half square triangles work WONDERFULLY along the edge of a block.  Check out my Civil War blocks.

The half square triangles in these are left overs from my Roll, Roll Cotton Ball and bonus triangles from another Bonnie quilt Nine in the Middle (that I need to complete). I just sewed them together and added them along the edge.  I try to be really careful when I square them up so that the whole strip of triangles is included in the block…

So have you been checking out what everyone else is working on?  Feel free to link up here and show us your progress.  It doesn’t matter what step you’re on.

Happy Crumbing!  If you’re new to crumbing and want to go back and check out step one, you can do that here where all the steps are listed.
Check out more items that feature the color red at Today is Rednesday.