Saturday, August 9, 2014

Thangles

Several years ago I won a package of several different sizes of Thangles for entering a miniature quilt in a contest. (I won second place and received a large box full of goodies.)  I had never tried Thangles before but I quickly learned to love them!  If you have to make a large number of half-square triangles, this method makes them easy and sized to perfection.
I recently needed to make 96 half-square triangles that finish at 1/2 inch.  I did not have a package of Thangles that finish that small so I chose the strips that finish at 1 inch with the intention of trimming them down.
You cut your strips the size the package directs and pin them RST with the light color on top (if you do this, it allows you to press to the dark easily).
Next you just sew on the dotted lines right through the paper  You can chain piece these very easily and have several strips all hooked together.
After stitching you cut them apart along the solid lines, in between two rows of stitching.  You now have your half-square triangles with a little paper attached.
Before removing the paper, press the half-square triangles towards the dark triangle.  It is easier to do this with the paper still on as it keeps the unit looking great without any stretching or distorting.

After pressing it is super simple to remove the paper.  I just hold my thumbnail along the seam and gently pull the paper off of one side of the seam, and then the other.

Then using one of my favorite rulers - the Bloc-Loc - I trimmed all of my half-square triangles down to one inch, unfinished.

Here are my one inch half-square triangles and below you can see them sewn into little Friendship Star blocks that finish at 1 1/2 inches!  The half-square triangles finish at 1/2 inch.  Pretty tedious to sew them together but the Thangles made the half-square triangles super easy.  I highly recommend them!

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