Fifteen Orphans Find Their Place

So, there they were. Fifteen red-and-green 3-1/2" four-patches. They came from that stack of four-patch blocks I found in my stash a couple of weeks ago.

I knew they wanted to be something, but what?

So, I started playing.

Arranging. Adding a cute birdy Christmas print from my stash. And arranging again.

Holiday Place Mats or Table Toppers. Yes!

Pretty soon, six blocks were arranged into two on-point rows of three blocks. I can see it! Add a center, then . . . the setting triangles . . . dun-dun-dun. Cut squares, then cut them diagonally. What size? Math. Ugh-h-h!

Usually I don't mind quilters math. But they're orphan blocks! It's summer! I don't want to have to figure out sizes for side and corner setting triangles. And then, I wanted a little 'float'. And the math becomes more complex. It's enough to send you screaming from the sewing studio. It's summer, after all. I want it to be simple! I don't want to THINK!

Then it came to me. I reached for the Diagonal Set Triangle Ruler from Marti Michell. Triangles are cut from strips, not squares. No math required. Simple! All I need to know is the finished size of the block--3" in my case.

And so, this is what I did.

The ruler comes with great instructions. First, to make the side setting triangles and add a little float (the blocks don't touch the borders), I followed the lines on the ruler for the finished block size and added two extra measurement lines before I cut my strip. I used the ruler to determine the strip width. Then I lined up the bottom edge of the fabric with the 4" line on the ruler, and made my first cut along the diagonal.

So, there they were. Fifteen red-and-green 3-1/2" four-patches. I knew they wanted to be something, but what?

So, I started playing.

Arranging. Adding a cute birdy Christmas print from my stash. And arranging again.

Holiday Place Mats or Table Toppers. Yes!

Pretty soon, six blocks worked themselves into two on-point rows of three blocks, add a center, then . . . the setting triangles . . . dun-dun-dun. Cut squares, then cut them diagonally. What size? Math. Ugh-h-h!

Usually I don't mind quilters math. But they're orphan blocks! It's summer! I don't want to have to figure out sizes for side and corner setting triangles. And then, I wanted a little 'float'. And the math becomes more complex. It's enough to send you screaming from the sewing studio. It's summer, after all. I want it to be simple! I don't want to THINK!

Then it came to me. I reached for the Diagonal Set Triangle Ruler from Marti Michell. Triangles are cut from strips, not squares. No math required. Simple! All I need to know is the finished size of the block--3" in my case.

And so, this is what I did.

The ruler comes with great instructions. First, to make the side setting triangles and add a little float (the blocks don't touch the borders), I followed the lines on the ruler for the finished block size and added two extra measurement lines before I cut my strip. I used the ruler to determine the strip width. Then I lined up the bottom edge of the fabric with the 4" line on the ruler, and made my first cut along the diagonal.

I flipped the ruler, then lined up the bottom edge with the 4" line, and lined up the blunt top end of the ruler with the top of the strip and the first cut.

Flip the ruler to the left and cut again.

And there's the side setting triangle! No math! One more time, I aligned the ruler with the fabric corner and snipped off the bits so the shapes would fit perfectly when I started sewing.

Side Setting Triangle

Next, for the corner setting triangles, I needed to double the amount of extra lines I added for the 'float' to get the strip width. This time, I aligned the bottom edge of the fabric with the 5" line on the ruler . . . Cut . . .

Then cut again. (I flipped my fabric piece upside down to make the second cut.) Then snipped the corner of the triangular fabric.

Perfect! And the straight of grain is exactly where I want it for the setting triangles. Ready to sew.

Corner Setting Triangle

I laid out my blocks - six orphans for each of two place mats. Then sewed diagonal rows using the blocks, the center squares, and setting triangles.

Look at how the blunt corner is all matchy-matchy with the side edge. Love it! Did I say 'no math?'

Measured borders, then sewed them in place.

Once the borders were attached, I layered batting, backing (right side up), and place mat top (right side down). Sewed a 1/4" seam around the outside edge leaving an opening for turning. Trim batting and backing. And turn. I used a decorative machine stitch all the way around each place mat to make it pretty, closing the opening. Then added quilting.

Two place mats, each using six orphan four-patch blocks left three blocks to make into candle mats.

After attaching a small border to each side of the three remaining four-patch blocks, and before layering and sewing the cuties for turning, I added a little hand embroidery in contrasting Valdani pearl cotton for a little zip. 

I must say, this might be the earliest I've managed to do some holiday sewing!

Fifteen orphans found. Fifteen orphans adopted into a project. Success!

But the BEST part of this project?? The Diagonal Set Triangle Ruler from Marti Michell is the first item to go into the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge prize pacakge to be awarded this fall! Thanks Marti!!

You can't win it, if you're not in it. Better get sewing!

Happy Stitching!