Triangle in a Square Rulers

Disclaimer: Let me just start off by saying that I am not that great a piecer and all y’all might have better ways of doing this than I do. Please leave comments letting us all know what works for you because that’s what this here blog thing is really good for.

One of the more challenging piecing “units” is something that people call the Triangle in a Square. I find these really tricky so I have two rulers for this. I like each one but they both have their drawbacks. The first one I’m showing here is the Tri-Recs from Wrights.

This ruler is really great because it allows you to make this unit in several sizes and has a “magic angle” cut that helps you align your pieces very nicely. It also has awesome instructions.

Here I am using this to make a 3” (finished) Triangle in a Square unit. For my large triangle I cut a 3 ½” strip of light fabric. I lined the ruler up and made these two cuts.

For the smaller triangles I used two 3 ½” strips of fabric layered right sides together.

I made the first cuts to get the triangle.

Then I cut the “magic angle” which really helps when you align to sew.

To sew I lay out my pieces.

I flipped the left smaller triangle onto the large triangle

And aligned the corners like this.

From here I just sewed and pressed and repeated on the other side.

Along with five other 3 ½” blocks I was able to make this star.

If you look really close you can see that I wasn’t too accurate with my Triangle in a Sqaure units. Even though it was easy to align the triangles for piecing I found it hard to be consistent with getting a good ¼” seam along the top. Tomorrow I have a ruler to show you from Quilt in a Day that I also like for these units. I think it is more accurate but it only comes in two sizes…

Maybe I just need to learn to be more careful….sigh.

Comments

[Mishka]

I loved using the tri-recs ruler for a charity quilt I made:

http://quiltinggallery.com/2010/02/17/two-charity-quilts-delivered/

Great for using up scraps. I love the scrappy border made with the smaller piece only and plan to use that again in another project.

[Brita]

Yeah, that accuracy thing tends to bite me in the butt :-( It does help, however, to cut it right, and this ruler seems to do it well. Thanks for the review! I'm always looking for notions that will make me a better quilter. Then there's that accuracy thing.

[Kat Stewart]

I've had better luck with Eleanor Burns rulers than Tri-Recs.... I guess I'm not accurate enough... I appreciate Eleanor's method of making slightly oversized blocks then trimming them to perfection.

[Tonya]

I am so wishing that I could hug you right now!!! I actually was given the tri-recs rulers A family member had bought them and wasn't using them. They have hung on my wall for 5 years, unused because I couldn't figure out how to use them. I sure wish that I could get my hands on that instruction booklet. I didn't know that the rulers worked hand in hand. Maybe I can google the booklet and find a download copy or something.
Anyway you are always so good at tute's. Keep it up and thank you!

[Michelle]

I love my Tri-Recs rulers! I just wish I had the original instructions with them. I bought EZ Quilts Make a fish quilt set and it only came with instructions for creating the fish blocks. I've searched the internet but as far as I know you can't find the instructions you've pictured.

I think your block looks great! You're being too hard on yourself. How are you going to get better at piecing if you don't practice? If you need 1/4 inch seam allowance tips there are a ton of them online, just Google it.

[Camille]

These rulers are news to me... as a beginning quilter, I have yet to learn about all the rulers and gadgets out there to help with this type of piecing. Thanks for the info!

[Niki Vick]

Erin,
I paper piece mine. Draw them off on EQ, print foundation pieces any size I want and they are pretty close to perfect.
Niki In Austin

[Bev]

I'll say you are being too hard on yourself because it's true, but I have to admit that I tend to be a perfectionist too. Oh the hours I have spent unsewing!

Look at it this way: it's not too hard to learn to do square corners. (Butt the seams pressed in opposite directions.) You got the hard part -- perfect points.

[Käte]

I have this Rulers and they are great.
Greetings Käte

[Lisa Marie]

I agree with Niki. Paper piecing is the best as far as I'm concerned. I use it for anything I can - even simple things like log cabins. The accuracy can't be beat. I used to draw on graph paper, but now use EQ which is much better.

[Nancy Noah]

Erin, you say you are not a piecer, but I wish I had your applique skills. Just need to remember they both take practice.
I love using the "Tri-Recs" rulers because I can make the Triangle-in-a-Square blocks in so many different sizes using them.

[Terri]

I was struggling to make this unit recently as well. Then I saw an Eleanor Burns show on PBS where she made her units larger than the Tri-Recs ruler instructions called for. (She did not use the Tri-Recs ruler, but the concept was the same.) Instead, she cut over-sized rectangles, then cut them in half to use as her patches for the right triangles. She used a full, not scant, quarter-inch seam allowance and trimmed the square to the correct size using one of her specialty rulers. With some planning, however, you can achieve the same results without her ruler. Anyway, much easier to make over-sized and trim to the correct size before sewing the unit into your finished block. It's not easy, but it can be done--and worth the effort as this is such a cool block. Thanks.

[Susiloci]

Que forma tan estupenda de hacer una estrella. Tengo que comprar esa regla

[Jane Freeman]

Although both of these rulers are great and I would love to try one, my old standby is the Olipfa Lip edge ruler. It is a 5x24 and stays on my cutting table at all times. Beause of old hands, The lip edge saves me many times.

Thank you for the tutorial. They are always great!

[janee]

Paper piece