Hi all, welcome back to week 2 of FPPFTT :o)

This week, we’re introducing triangles to the mix with a square in square design:

First, head over here and download the pattern.

We’re going to be employing the same techniques as we did in week 1 as far as preparing the templates, so print 3 copies, label each section with the fabric you’ll be using, and cut 1 template right down to get your cutting guide.  Remember when labelling that your final block will be the mirror image of what is on the paper:

Using your cutting guide pieces, now cut the fabric, using a 1/2″ seam allowance all round.  You’ll notice that I often trim off the end of the points of my triangles, but I still make sure I do so 1/2″ from the point.  You don’t have to do this, but it saves a wee bit of fabric :o)

Once cut, I always lay my fabric next to my sewing machine with my template pieces on top like in the photo above.   I keep the cutting guides with the fabric to save puzzling over exactly which piece goes where, because often, the more pieces you have, the more relatively similar bits of fabric you’ll end up with – you don’t want to end up being short when you get to your final piece because you grabbed the wrong one earlier!

Now take your base piece and fabric piece 1 as in week 1 and hold it up to a light source so that you can see that piece 1 covers the square 1 completely.  Remember that your fabric and paper should be wrong sides together.

Now take your piece 2 and place it right sides together with piece 1, lining up the long base of your triangle with the edge of your square so that your triangle points are overlapping the edges on both sides, which I hope you can just about see below.  It is much more important with triangles to get the pieces lined up, because with the angles, when the fabric is pressed back after piecing, you could lose your seam allowance for the next piece if you’ve not been accurate.  This is one of the reasons why we add 1/2″ for the seam allowance when cutting, to allow for a little wiggle room!

Pin the pieces in place, so that when you look at the fabric side, it should look something like this:

Now go over to your machine, and stitch along the line between sections 1 and 2.  Remember to use a needle for paper, and to shorten your stitch length to between 1.5 and 2 mm.

Fold your paper back along the stitch line, and trim your seam allowance to 1/4″

Then press section 2 open:

Pick up your fabric for section 3, and holding it up to your light source, line it up as for section 2

Pin, and stitch in place.  This time, when you come to trim, you’ll see just at the top of the seam allowance, that section 2 is just overlapping.  Don’t worry about this, and trim as usual.

Then press section 3 open:

Keep repeating the last 3 steps until sections 4 and 5 have been added:

Now we’re going to build on this layer with the next round.  Pick up your fabric for section 6, and hold it up to the light source.  At this point you will notice that your sections 2 and 3 won’t overlap perfectly to give a perfect line up for the bottom of your section 6 triangle, however you should aim to line up parallel with the line drawn on the pattern rather than your existing fabric.

Pin and stitch in place as before.  This time, when you come to trim, you’ll also see part of your section 1 fabric just creeping in – again, don’t worry about this, it will all work out fine :o)

Keep adding on your fabrics in the same way all the way round, building up to the edge of the pattern:

As in week 1, trim back your seam allowance to within 1/4″ of the edge of the paper, then remove your paper:

Now stand back and admire :o)

Once you’re done, don’t forget to upload a photo to the Flickr gallery.  Apologies for the fact that you initially have to request access to the Flickr group, I’m new to these things, and apparently set an option that required it, and now can’t undo it…