Triangle problems

oh my goodness, been following this and finally figured it out. those are flying geese units. they usually finish at twice as wide as they are high.

i d>>> To better explain it - I'm joining two smaller triangles to a larger

I have searched all over the internet and cannot find the exact photos I want. So I made a (very) rough tutorial. I shouldn't have used cream colored fabric for the sample, so look closely to see it. I think maybe this will help. I sure HOPE so! This is getting a bit wild with so much info for poor Marie to sift thru... VBG

Marie, it sounds like you aren't leaving enough seam allowance for the angled seams. If you are doing a unit which is a larger isosceles triangle with a right angle triangle on each side to make a square then you are making a "Peaky and Spike" unit. (There are lots of different names for them, and lots of tools to help cut them out, too.) If you are cutting with templates, draw your block to size. Cut apart, attach to larger paper/template plastic/whatever you are using and add your seam allowances all around. When you sew the side triangles to the middle one, there should be a "crossover" seam above the center point, 1/4" from the edge. The seams that go through the opposite corners should intersect 1/4" from the edges too.

Half Square Triangles and Quarter square triangles are usually made from squares, either cut on one/both diagonals, or sewn 1/4" from the diagonal on each side then cut so there is less chance to stretch the bias edges.

Hope this helps some. If not please ask, or get us some sort of picture to see what is happening.

Pati, > Can someone help and explain how to join triangles to I don't lose the > tips.

Marie, remember to add 1/2" to your finished size, not just 1/4" .... so you need rectangles that measure 2 1/2" by 1 1/2"

Pati, >

The rectangle is only 2" by 1" after sewing in place or 2 1/2' by 1 1/2" before sewing in place. It's made from 3 triangles to make a rectangle. The biggest triangle is pointed up to make a dark roof and the smaller side triangles are light for the sky. Sewn together they make a rectangle. This rectangle is the top of a lighthouse. The house is part of the square with a triangle roof. But here again I run into problems with attaching other pieces to the triangle. If there's a seam allowance at the top there is none at the bottom. I need to know how to attach a triangle where it lines up with what it's attached to and the seam allowance is still there. The websites I've seen assume you already know how this is done. I haven't quilted in so long I can't remember how it's done.

It's something I saw on Google. It's a lighthouse, but there are hundreds of pics of light houses. It's on 5 squares accross and 6 up. The squares are

I need to see how to attach three triangles to make a rectangle 2" x 1" when in place or 1 1/2 by 2 1/2" raw. The largest triangle is the one in the middle, pointing up. One smaller one is on each side to make the rectangle.

well darn, i plum forgot about peaky and spike.

after read> Marie, it sounds like you aren't leaving enough seam allowance for the angled > seams.

No, when the piece is sewn on above it flattens the point. There is no seam area. The point of the roof or top of the lighthouse thing comes right to the edge of the block. It happens when the sides are sewn onto the sides of the triangle. There is no seam allowance - wither at the top or bottom of the triangles points. As soon as sides or a top row are added the points are gone under the seam. How do I attach 3 triangles together to make a rectangle? That's what I need to know since when I open the triangle (after attached to another piece of fabric) the bottoms don't line up and there's no seam allowance on the sides. If there the sides have a seam allowance than the top doesn't.

I allow 1/4" for seam allowances. But when I sew 3 triangles together to make a rectangle they don't work. There's no space above the sides, if there is, then there's no space (seam allowance) at the top.

Yes, but that doesn't work with material, just on graph paper. I've been at this since 8:30 AM this morning. I've done it over and over and it comes out the same. How are three triangles sewn together to make a rectangle that has seam allowances? I cut the pieces out on graph paper, added the 1/4" seam allowances, cut the material out, sew it, and there are no seam allowances on the sides or the top - one or the other. When another row is added it clips the point off the top or the sides of the middle triangle. Where are the smaller triangles placed on the middle larger triangle before sewing them together?

How would you divide a 2" by 1" rectangle into 3 triangles with the largest one in the middle? What would the measurements be? How would you do it?

Yes, this is what I did - about 5 times today. Then I added the 1/4' seam allowance all around them.

Don't worry about an

But that's the question!!!! Where are the smaller ones placed on the larger one to make a rectangle with a seam allowance of 1/4"? I'm not stitching them in the right place apparently. I must be placing them wrong somehow because I get a fine rectangle but with the points at the edge and no seam allowance. Do I line up the bottom of the triangles? Do I offset them somehow? How are they placed before sewing?

Yes.

When I tried that the blocks were much larger than 2 1/2 by 1 1/2". How do I add so much extra material and still get the small rectangle I need? One was over 3" long when I added more than a 1/4" allowance.

The middle triangle is 2" by 1 1/2" and the smaller side ones are 1 1/2" by

Marie, lets start at the beginning. Okay?? If you are making a flying goose unit, a rectangle that finishes twice as long as it is wide, with a large quarter square triangle in the middle and 2 half square triangles on the sides then you need to cut the following pieces. for a rectangle finishing at 1" by 2": For your quarter square triangle, you need to cut a square on both diagonals. that square should be (if we are "perfect" sewists) 3 1/4" on a side. For the "sky" part, the smaller, half square triangles, cut one square on one diagonal. That square should be 1 7/8" (again, for "perfect" sewists. I usually cut my square for the HST a little large, so that I can trim a bit as needed. When you sew the small triangles to the large triangle, line up the straight edges at the "bottom", the corner of the small triangle will stick out beyond the point of the large triangle. Sew with a scant quarter inch seam. Press to the small triangle. Repeat with other small triangle. The point of the large triangle should be 1/4" below the cut edge. (If you use a bit larger square for your small tris then it may be a bit more than that.) The seams should go exactly through the middle of the bottom corners. I really wish we could see exactly where/what the problem is is. But maybe this will help.

Pati, in Phx

Sounds like you are trying to make the equivalent of a flying geese unit. Does this help at all?

Yes, they look like this but as you can see there is no seam allowance on the sides. When the next blocks to the "sides" are added, the side points are blunted square. They're in the seam and you lose the points. How do you make these flying Geese with a 1/4" seam allowance on the sides as well as the top? I can't see how it's done, yet have seen quilts without the points blunted. I Googled for over an hour last night and came up empty handed. These sites below are helpful. :-)

How do you make these flying Geese with a 1/4" seam allowance on the sides as well as the top? //snip//

The answer is YOU DON'T! As you sew another piece of fabric- I'm guessing another sky piece- down one side with a 1/4 in. seam allowance, it will 'move' the point over 1/4 in. Then when you sew another piece across the bottom, it will make a point! Go back to my tutorial and look at the broken lines that will be the sewing lines on the very last fabric example. You can see all three nice sharp points right at the edge of the broken lines!

I'm attaching a smaller triangles to a larger triangle for a rectangle - like the flying Geese rectangle.

Yes, with 1/4" seam allowances.

I'm no attaching triangles to squares. I have no problem with that.

A triangle to be attached to a 4.5" square should have a cutting

I always use graph paper and an engineers ruler to make my templates. I always use a 1/4" seam allowance. There are no seam allowances on the sides of my "flying geese" rectangles so the points are lost when another row of blocks are added. I can't figure our how to add a seam allowance to the sides so the points are not lost. Adding another block to the side chops off the points, the ends of the triangles. I can't get these rectangles right using 3 triangles I made with graph paper. They work on paper but not with these small pieces of fabric. I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I've been at it almost 12 hours now and have made only one lighthouse block for my quilt. I need one small 1" by 2" flying-geese block for each lighthouse top but not with their points blunted.

No, a rectangle that needs a seam allowance on all sides which I can't seem to get. I get them at the top now but not the sides.

No, the rectangle (1' by 2") was cut into 3 triangles, the largest one in the middle. The middle is dark for the light's top or roof and the smaller ones are light for the sky. I'm getting a seam allowance at the top now but not on the sides where I need them most. The point comes to the bottom, so seam allowance, and is cut off (lost in the seam) by the next block.... making it look awful.

YES!!! They look like flying-geese. They're 1" by 2" sans seam allowance. The largest rec. is in the middle, two smaller ones in the upper corners. I saw the ones below. They don't give directions on how to add a seam allowance to the sides so the bottom points are not cut off by the next block added to them.

Do you know how a seam allowance added to the sides so the next block doesn't cut the points off (on each side)?

use the patchpieces method and you'll not lose those points. make the flying geese as shown on that website. cut and sew carefully with that scant 1/4" seam we all aspire to get. make 4 of them.

now measure those. they should be 1.5 x 2.5 when you sew that to the other surround>

I add 1/4" to each side = 1/2" total.