Triangle Tutorial

Here is a quick lesson on how to sew tidy triangles without making yourself crazy.  The sample shown here begins as a four-inch square, although you may use this technique for any size.  The Robertson quilt is composed of triangles of different sizes, from two to six inches, in a vibrant pattern: one large triangle is surrounded by a grid of smaller triangles. These layers make the colorful triangles pop forward and the white triangles shimmer.  Even after one hundred years this busy pattern excites our eyes!

Step 1

If your finished square is to be 4 inches, cut two squares that are 4 7/8th inches (3/8" for triangle allowance, 1/2" for square seam allowance).

 

Step 2

With pencil or fabric pen, draw a line from corner to corner  of one square. Pin the squares with right sides together as shown, and the pins perpendicular to the line you have drawn.

 

Step 3

Sew a line on either side of the drawn line. Leave 1/4-inch between the drawn line and each sewn line.

Step 4

Cut along the drawn line.

Step 5

Press seams toward the darker fabric and trim any excess fabric peeking out at the corners. Voila!

We used an Olfa Rotary cutter and a Creative Grids non-slip ruler for this project.