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Saturday, July 11, 2020

Stash Busting :: HRT

I've been enjoying stash busting this year!  I finally got to the point where I need to unload some fabric and the easiest way to do that was to make as many quilts as I can.  Scraps, Feed Sack, Polka Dots, and now I'm getting in the cream of the crop fabric.  Fabric that I still love.  There really isn't any reason it should sit on a shelf for months or even years.  If you love it...why not use it?  That's the million dollar question!

I don't know when exactly it was, but last year I won a bundle of Alison Glass Handcrafted on Instagram.  It's exciting to win a giveaway and even better when it's a fabric line you love.  I knew I'd eventually get around to making a quilt with it in due time.  That time finally came and I couldn't be more excited about it!


A good old Half Rectangle Triangle quilt (HRT)!!  I have made HRT's before, but it was always labor intensive and frankly too much work!  I'm not ashamed to say it... the 'old fashioned' way made me have to think too hard!  Cutting, angles, piecing and trimming, it was too much!   


So, when I saw a post from Cynthia at Quilting is more fun than Housework, where she had made a HRT quilt using the Creative Grids Perfect Rectangle Ruler, I pounced!  Could it be that easy?  The answer is a resounding yes!  

I was able to cut both pieces needed at the same time, choose the size I wanted my block, sew it together with ease and not have to trim or square up my block.  It couldn't be easier!

 

I wanted to get the most out of each print so I made my blocks 3 3/4" x 7" (3 1/4" x 6 1/2" finished).  The background is Moda Pewter.  At first I was a bit hesitant about using grey, but it didn't take long for me to come to terms with the decision and ever so happy that I did!  


Did I mention I didn't have to trim my HST's?!  That's probably part of what made this such a rewarding quilt to make!  


Some of the fabric in the Handcrafted line are large prints like the triangles.  After a little strategic cutting to get the most out of the print part, I also cut HRT's that were just solids.  It gave me more variety and when it came time to layout the blocks it ended up being a good idea. 


As for the layout...when I downsized my space I also had to go with one design wall instead of two.  Thankfully with a little painters tape I could stick the blocks on the sides while I was placing the blocks.  Not ideal, but it works.  

This quilt top ended up having 187 Half Rectangle blocks in it.  17 blocks x 11 blocks, which ended up being roughly 55" x 71".  A good sized for a lap quilt.  

As strategic as I was with cutting, I still had good sized pieces of fabric leftover.  And if you know me...I didn't waste a second on using them up!  I love to use every scrap until they are gone!

21 comments:

  1. Love the look of this! Hubby got me some HRT rulers for my birthday but I'm still nervous to try - I NEED to tho!!!

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    1. Don’t be nervous, although I totally understand it! I was a bit skeptical before I used my rulers. It couldn’t possibly be that easy and accurate, but it was!

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  2. How awesome that you didn't need to trim the HRTs, that sounds like a huge win to me. I'm glad that the painter's tape helped you with the design wall and I look forward to seeing this on get finished up. :)

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  3. No trimming? I'm in! I may be stopping at a quilt shop today, so I'm going to look for this ruler. The quilt looks great. Gray just seems to compliment AG fabrics so well!

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    1. I love the grey with this fabric. At first I wasn’t sure it was the right choice. No trimming never seems to happen with me, but the ruler and method of lining up and sewing each block worked better than I thought it would!

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  4. Love the look of this quilt. I have some Allison Glass prints sitting around and should pull them out and use them. That's two endorsement for the HRT ruler. Will have to go shopping for it!

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  5. It looks great. I like the idea of that ruler. Definitely sounds like it makes the cutting and sewing process much easier and faster.

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    1. The ruler worked much better than I thought it would. It’s a little fussy cutting the corners, but it’s well worth it when it’s time to sew the two pieces together!

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  6. The pewter was SEW perfect for the background of this quilt, Jayne! It sets off the colors beautifully.

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  7. Glad you found an easy way that works for you to make the HRT's fun! Can't wait to see how you quilt it.

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  8. so pretty! and welcome to the wonderful world of gray. It took me a while to dip into gray too but I haven't looked back since!

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  9. Sometimes it's hard to cut into my favorite fabrics, but you're right--"If you love it, why not use it?" Thanks for reminding me of that. Beautiful HRTs, cool ruler.

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  10. That is a beautiful fabric line, Jayne, and I love the gray with it, too! So impressive that the ruler made trimming unnecessary. This will be a wonderful quilt!

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  11. I love the look of a HRT quilt, and yours is gorgeous! I've never made HRTs (one of the few shapes I haven't made!), but with the info you provided about a ruler to use, it sounds fantastic. Our modern chapter has a ruler library, so probably the best thing would be for me to buy it, use it, and then donate it for others to borrow. Thanks for sharing this quilt!

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  12. Great design for those fabrics. I love how it is turning out. I have that ruler and this beauty makes me want to get it out and use it. Thanks for linking up with Oh Scrap!

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  13. OH Jayne, this is beautiful and you are making us all think we need that ruler! LOL

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  14. Hi Jayne! True to my word, IG led me right over here to read about this lovely. It's even more fun to read the behind-the-scenes details. I hope you'll share more about how you quilted it! I was leaning towards just following the triangle edges, but your IG pictures suggest even higher peaks to reach. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  15. Those specialty rulers are often worth their weight in gold! I bought the full set of Kaye England's Good Measure rulers from Nifty Notions (they were called Cut for the Cure rulers at that time, but the Susan G Komen foundation sued them so they had to change the name, even though they were donating a percentage of proceeds to breast cancer research). But I digress -- point being, I am so addicted to cutting my HSTs, QSTs, squares, HRTs etc all out of the same width strip for my blocks that I do not even follow the cutting directions anymore, I just use the specialty rulers exclusively for every block I make. No more cutting squares first and then cutting them into 2 or 4 triangles for me!

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  16. No way! That easy? Thanks for the heads up!

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