Sunday, June 10, 2018

Aurora Quilt Sew-Along Week 2


It's Week 2 of the #auroraquiltsewalong and I am so excited to see so many posts and people having started their own #auroraquilt over at Instagram.

You are very welcome to join in at any point along the Sew-Along - so if you have been inspired by seeing all the great fabric pulls for the project then it is certainly not to late to join in.



This week is all about taking your cut fabrics and making your Half Square Triangles or HST's as they are more commonly referred to.

You can take all your cut squares for the HST's (these will be the larger sized squares) and following the pattern instructions on page 5 - there is a "Fabric Combinations" chart to help you pair up and make the required number of HST in the right combinations.

How to HST!

There are many ways to make Half Square Triangles (HST'S), you only have to do a quick Google search and you will see countless Tutorials on how to do them.  In the pattern I have outlined my favourite way to make them.  


Chain Piecing is a great way to sew the large number of HST's required.  Chain Piecing is when you take one block and continue to sew the next through the machine without backstitching each block.  It is a quick and easy way to speed up the sewing process.  With these HST's - I like to run down one side of the marked line in a chain with about a dozen squares and then turn them around and sew down the other side of the marked line in a chain. Then use your scissors and snip the threads joining the blocks.


Oversizing - I really do like to make my HST's - oversized and then allow for trimming back to the correct size.  I do this for a number of reasons.  Firstly as many of my patterns are beginner friendly - I think this helps with accuracy.  Secondly after pressing your HST's - you can have some stretch from the bias of fabric and this may have distorted the HST a little.  Thirdly - trimming them back really does make for getting "Perfect Points".  I think it saves time and issues later in trying to make the seams line up later - if they are trimmed back everything should line up nice and neatly the first time around and save you unpicking later.  

TRIMMING
Bloc Loc Rulers
Most people will know I am a big fan of Bloc Loc Rulers (you can check out this post).  Having taught many students over years of Quilting I find them one of the most useful and purposeful tools to have in your kit.  I make a lot of HST's and so I always use them to trim my HST's to the correct size - they really do make for "Perfect Points".


NOTE - I am not affiliated with Bloc Loc Rulers I just really think they have a great product in my opinion.

Using your Regular Ruler
To make your HST's you do not have to have a Bloc Loc Ruler.  You can certainly trim them back using your regular square ruler.  As long as your ruler has a 45degree angle line on it you can simple line up the diagonal of your made HST along this line and trim your block to size.  Make sure the points run through this 45degree line.  



Aurora Quilt Inspiration

Image thanks to @sewstichinghappy

Image thanks to @katebasti


This week our Sponsor of the Aurora Quilt Sew Along is Ava and Neve



They are giving away an Aurora Quilt Kit in their beautiful Liberty fabrics

Post your progress to the hashtags - #auroraquiltsewalong and #auroraquilt to be in the running for this weeks prize thanks to Ava and Neve.  

Looking forward to seeing all of your progress this week.

Happy Quilting
Jemima x 

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