DEAR JANE® is in the Twelfth Year of her Journey!!

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The following tips were posted to the Dear Jane list by Tilde from Copenhagen.

Thanks Tilde!

Dear Friends.

I have written up some of my directions on triangles, since they seem to be almost a collective .... dread :-) They truly are not horrible to do. If you can do the blocks, you can do the triangles :-) When I - who is not a seasoned veteran quilter - can do these triangles, you can too.

To start more people doing the Triangles, I am going to put myself forward, and post to you all the way I have done the triangles I have finished so far. I am not used to explaining how to sew, but I have tried. Those of you, who have more experience in putting directions for sewing patchwork into words, please (pretty please :-) step forward and tell people how to do this, in a way that can be understood. I have done my best, but I am afraid that "my best" at times isn't very good. BUT at least it is a start :-) Particularly with the Triangle Challenge going on here in the Y2K, I would appreciate anyone who has other ways and ideas on how to do these to write me with their alternatives. That way I could slowly assemble a "Triangle Encyclopedia" which would reflect other preferences than my own alone:-)

When reading my ... "directions" it will be a good idea if you have the picture of the triangle in front of you, without it the explanation is probably worse than no help LOL The very best general tip I can give for the triangles is to number the pieces. Do so in the book, and give every piece the same number on the fabric; be that on the fabric itself or on the ironed-on piece of freezer-paper. That way, the rate of "messing up" in sundry ways decline.

Many of the pieces in the individual triangles look symmetric on the top-bottom axis, but are not ! So, numbering the pieces will tell you which end of the piece is up and which is down; doing numbers in the same sequence in the book will ensure that you get them in the right places :-)

Further, before I make one stitch on any block or triangle, I lay out all the bits in the general pattern of the piece. This ensures that I have all the relevant bits, at least when I start. I lay out the pieces on a piece of batting, and leave them there while I piece. This makes it easier for me to immediately see which bit is next. These two steps taken together takes less than 5 minutes, but have saved me (compared to the first couple of goofs :-) many half hours :-)

I handpiece, and I leave my freezer-paper templates on the piece until it is sewn (in as much as it will stay put :-), I also trace with a pencil, around the freezer-paper on the back, making sure that I do not overstep the seam-allowance. Most of the triangles are easy to do in sections or stripes. Finish row by row. Join the rows together. Finished :-) These rows can be "straight set" or "diagonal". Triangles can be "log cabined" as well as can regular blocks :-) If you have made it too slim, add a strip to the two sides and trim. If you look at the pic's in the book, you will see that Jane clearly did this with several :-)

Another option with a "too small triangle" is to put a strip on the base of it. That will make it the right size as well. This works best with triangles that have one colour at the base, be it of Coloured fabric or BF. Diamonds. Are neither more nor less difficult to do in triangles than they are in any other block. You have to be careful not to stretch them, that is "all". As I wrote above, I leave my Freezer-paper templates on as I stitch, this helps me not to stretch the bias-seams. If you are swearing at diamonds and bias-seams, just think C-7 and M-3 and relax. I haven't made any triangles that were worse than those two :-) Make a template of the outline of the triangle (or better still, buy the DJ-tools, but this was written before they came out :-). Make it sturdy and make it accurate. Include the 1/4" seam. When you have finished sewing the triangle, check that your finished piece matches the template.

When dealing with a triangle that has strips on the side, cut those side-strips at least 1/8" larger than the book has them (preferably more :-) When the baseline is in one fabric, cut that one at least 1/4" "deeper" than the book (adding seam-allowance on the base), when neither is the case and your block is too small : Add sides to the piece or add a bottom strip :-) To me it looks very much like this was what Jane did :-)

Finally, with triangles as with a lot of other Babies, a good steam-iron can work wonders when used judiciously ;-D ... well, not if you are using unwashed fabric, but since I always wash my fabric and then iron it (with a steam-iron :-) before putting my scissors to it, this works well. I have just finished pressing and measuring all my triangles (Jan 4, 2000 :-) and after heavy use of the iron the bunch of "redo from scratch" sank from 14 to 2 !!! Now, that is good news, isn't it :-)

Those were my general tips-and-hints on triangles. Short descriptions of how I did individual triangles will follow :-)

Hugs

Tilde in Copenhagen

Remember to read this with your book and pictures at hand !

Top Row

1. Spanish Moss
   Very simple to do. You can paper-/ foundation piece it, but my guess is it will take an awful lot of small bits of foundation. I cut the strips squarely, waiting to trim to proper triangle shape until the block was finished, and then sewed the 2-colour strips together. Then the 2-colour strips and the backing strips. Finally the top and bottom.
2. Australian Pines
   This one I Paper-pieced in 2 sections. Choose which of your sections you want the central stem to go with and then piece as desired. Again I did not cut the outer edges of backing slim. I cut them wider than was required and trimmed after everything was sewn together. If you do not like paper-piecing, just sew each side separately Join them to the centre. Add outside border.
3. Checkerboard
   This is a row-by-row triangle. This is also a triangle where it is very important that you keep track of which bits belong with which row. That will save you endless trouble :-) Do the six "striped" rows separately Join them to each other and the plain stripes.
4. Bennington Cross
   Another row-by-row triangle. You can do the bottom section (below the horizontal stave on the cross), either as one (pieced) triangle with sides added (much like the sides found in other triangles, eg TR 6, 11, 13 etc :-), or you can do it in two rows. Which ever :-)
5. Michigan Dunes
   Two major sections. One top, one bottom. Make the bottom section as a row-by-row piece. Could also be paper-pieced.
6. Carla's Candle Flame
   Cut the top section of background fabric with at least 1/2 " seam-allowance. Applique the diamond and the melon to it using your favourite method of applique (don't say "I haven't got one" ;-) Press and trim top to "desired size" :-) Then sew the diamonds, row-by-row. Add the rows.
7. Norway's Fjord
   Here, as in many other triangles, the "row-by-row" are not to be seen as "straight", but as diagonal lines. If you look at the block from the top, you sew the side-piece of background to one side of the "square" (NB, this is one of the tricky squares, since it isn't square. Remember to mark carefully what is up and what is down on this one, a number usually does the trick for me :-). Then you sew one (only one !) of the underlying "legs" to it. Lay aside. Middle-section. Applique the back-ground fabric diamond to the apocopated, coloured diamond, or piece them together adding the necessary seam-lines. Taking care that the remaining "leg" from the top section goes on the correct side of your diamond, sew that one on. Add a below "leg" to the piece, opposite to the position of the "top-leg". Now you have two diagonal strips done. Do the bottom section by piecing and appliqueing either side of the cone. Remember that one side has to have a top-piece more than the other, since you want it to fit your two diagonal stripes. Add both sides to the centre cone. Sew the three diagonal strips together. Sew the side-sashing on. Add top.
8. Brigadoon
   For those of you that dread not applique of diamonds. Applique the lot :-) For the rest of us : Make seam-lines around all the diamonds. Make the seam-lines in a way that is compatible with the "diagonal-stripes" used on the above triangle. Piece the stripes. Applique the bottom shape on, use plenty of below seam-allowance.
9. Needle's Point
   A bit like the technique you use when making LeMoyne stars etc. Inset seams. Don't sew into seam-allowances. That isn't difficult when you are hand-piecing. You can do it by making very oddly shaped "diagonal stripes", which is what I did. Just remember NOT to sew into seam allowances.
10. Precious Gems
    Another diagonal-stripe piece. But with a slight twist. Again you start from the top, but on this one, you don't lay aside the individual strips. You sew them together as you go, almost in a braid-fashion. (Clear as mud, I know, I'll try to elaborate, but don't get your hopes up too high). Sew top three pieces together. Add one Background-Fabric (BF) "leg" to one side. Take the other leg, sew it to the next coloured bit. Join the two sections. Add another leg on one side of this. Set aside. Join next leg to next coloured bit. Add this to the already finished section. That is the general idea. When you get lower, first the "central coloured bit" has to be pieced, and in the last run it's the leg that has to be pieced. The only (not so major) difference between this block and other "diagonal-row" blocks is, that you cannot sew and set aside your strips and then add them to each other. You have to sew them together as you go.
11. Phoenix
    Another "Diagonal stripes" for the upper section. The lower is a straight row. Piece central diamond. Add "legs" to opposite sides. Make the top row. Join to centre. Make the below pieced "leg" add to centre. Piece bottom row. Piece the two bits.
12. Jane's Oak
    Applique your heart out :-) Remember the extra wide seam-allowance on your BF and wait to trim until after you have finished the applique and the pressing.
13. Eiffel Tower
    Row-by-row, straight. Start by appliqueing the melon-shapes to the relevant triangles (cut them a bit large and trim when the applique is done, before the piecing starts). Note that the bottom triangle in Jane's quilt is actually pieced ! Also note, that both melons have sharp edges in one end, soft in the other. The sharp edges are there to fit into the triangle. Piece row-by-row, straight. Add the rows. That was my input on the top-row of triangles. Now, let's have a word from the rest of you triangle piecers, with wonderful short-cuts and better descriptions than what I can do :-)

Dear Friends,

As is the case with the other "Triangle Tips", it is a good idea to bring out the book and look at the triangle when you attempt to read my suggestions. If you don't they have a tendency to become gibberish :-) Also. I would love for anyone who did any of these triangles differently to write it up and send it to me, they will be incorporated in the next edition :-)

Hugs,

Tilde

Left Side Triangles.

LS-1 : Nancee's Fantasy
This is possibly one of the worst triangles to make a "how-to" on. I am - to put it bluntly - stumped. It isn't quite as bad as it looks, but it is a very good idea to add some seam-lines to the BF (background fabric, I'll use this abbreviation throughout :-) that is around the central "corn-cob".

I furthermore made an extra seamline to make the bottom of the "corn-cob" into a separate triangle (look at the photo, you can see that's what Jane did :-) If you don't add seamlines, you have some messy applique to do. Disregarding what you do, you have to do inset seams on this one, meaning : no sewing into seam-allowances! What I did was :
Joining the pieces that make the central "corn-cob" + the sides of this, including the triangles on the sides. Make each side of the corn-cob separately and join to the corn-cob. Add the top triangles. Make the top. Join the two pieced pieces.

LS-2 Barb's Diamond
The picture in my book is wrong, it is not of this triangle. To get the right bits coloured re. BF, refer either to the cover of the book, or the picture on p. 6, either will give you the right distribution :-) Remember to number or otherwise mark your bits on this one, it is NOT as symmetrical as it looks :-) Start with central diamond. Piece the bits that are supposed to go on the upper outside of this diamond. Join them to central diamond. Piece bottom outside bits Join to the above. Piece bottom, join to the others Finally : Applique diamond to top part OR Add seamlines and piece the top-part (what I did, I can't get the hang of appliqueing 4 sharp ends on one and the same small piece, so I piece instead :-) Join top to bottom.
Finished :-)

LS-3 Connie's Brownies
Start by cutting the two pieces that have a melon appliqued to it. Remember to cut them with 1/2" seam-allowance or more. Applique does "draw" the fabric in slightly, so this is important to remember (for all you applique-geniuses out there, it *is* necessary to remind applique-beginners like myself about these things :-) Applique the melons. Press and cut pieces down to correct size. The lower middle part of the block looks like a candy in paper to me, so this is what I'll describe it as :-) Piece one side of candy, including the outside snippet. Piece other side of candy, without "candy" itself, only with snippet. Join the latter to bottom triangle Add the former to the now existing piece. Piece upper middle part of block (1-2-3) Join top to this Join the two parts of triangle.
Finished :-)

LS-4 Virginia's Kite
If you like applique this is a fun triangle to do. If you detest applique it is no fun at all ! Cut BF of bottom part of the triangle, remember the extra big seam-allowances (min. 1/2" It is important, if you were around I would show you why :-) Applique the 2,5 shapes to the BF (2 and a half because it is only the lower part of the top "kite" you need to applique, but if you actually like appliqueing applique the lot :-) Press and cut down to size. Join outside top BF-triangles to your appliqued piece. Join the strips on the top to themselves and each other. Join to bottom-part. Finished :-)

LS-5 Olympic Torch
This is a bit of a stinker :-) But take heart, it is one of the worst triangles, and if you have done M-3 or C-7 it isn't as bad as all that. Think positive :-) You will have wonderful practice for that Mariner's Compass block you have put off for a very long time :-) With this one it's accuracy that carries the day. The 5 bits with sharp, tapering points are mostly a question of taking those extra 15 seconds at every step of the way. 15 seconds extra to sharpen your pencil before drawing around every template. 15 seconds extra to make sure that the 3 points at the sharp end of every tapering-piece meets when piecing and 15 seconds extra when pressing it at the end to make sure they stand out the right way :-) Now, that wasn't a lot of extra time, was it ? LOL Apart from that it's straight strip piecing. Four stripes. I made seamlines on the top, since I (as you will all know by now) am not particularly fond of appliqueing, particularly not at sharp points :-) You have to either applique or sew a very curved seam on the strip that is next to the top. What I did was make the strip, elongating each bit, as if it actually did go to the top line of the strip, and then applique the half-circle on this. Apart from that, it's straight sewing, just remember the extra 15 seconds at each step :-)

LS-6 Susie Q
Straight piecing.
Start with appliqueing the melon to the top (remember the extra wide seam-allowance), press and cut down to size. Then piece each horizontal strip on its own. Join strips.
Finished :-)

LS-7 Sally's Steeple
I added seamlines to the top bit, making it into 3 pieces, but you can applique the triangle on the BF, remember that you don't have to applique the bottom of the triangle, that will be taken care of when you join the strips in the end :-) Applique the large and the two small melons on the centre-piece. I have fumbled my way into a way of applique that works for a non-appliquer like me. What I do to ensure that all the bits go on the right place is :
I very carefully make a Freezer Paper template of the Background (!), which I iron to the right side of the background fabric, using some elbow-grease to make it stick :-) That way I can place my applique pieces with better accuracy and without fear of pencil marks that will show even after washing :-) Only drawback is that it doesn't really work on larger pieces, only on small one-colour ones like Jane :-) Back to block : Applique the lower central piece. Press and trim down to size. Join the 2 pieced strips to themselves (straightforward). Join the strips.
Finished :-)

LS-8 - Northern Lights
With this one it's a good idea to use the punctuated lines when piecing. If you do that, however, you have to join the top-bit before appliqueing the melons unto it, but still, it is (imao :-) a good idea. What you do to ensure that the top bit doesn't shrink too much during applique is, to make extra seam-allowances on all outside edges. What is important is the angle on the piece between appliqued and pieced, and as long as that is firm, and you don't sew into the seam-allowance there, you should be in calm waters :-) If you use the punctuated lines, it is fairly simple to piece (and applique :-) I altered the seamlines on the middle bit, however, to sharpen the point of the central arrow (making it into an arrow), and consequently also changing the outside of the CF strips that go on each side of the arrow.

LS-9 Kiwi
Applique, applique, applique, applique. I did the circle as pieced and then reverse appliqueing it to the bottom BF, after which the other shapes were appliqued on. I am still undecided as to whether circles look best being appliqued on or reverse appliqued. I have tried both and I think that if you applique using a ladder stitch, reverse applique carries the day. If you use the "ordinary" applique stitch, I think ordinary applique does, but that is only my preferences. Barb in Minnesota wrote :
I don't know about wine but I was wondering if Jane had a bad day when she did tri LS-9, the Friday challenge from last week. This is a strange arrangement, even the background is a puzzle. With a little hindsight, I do wish I had reverse appliqued this project.

LS-10 Megan's Cathedral
Fairly straight forward. Only tricky part is the bottom, where you have to applique the outside triangles on. I made an extra seam-line however. This triangle looks really good if you find a piece of fabric where the "candles" or "windows" in the almost-bottom strip have the same stripy pattern.
Jane in INDY wrote :
I fp the sections. It looks just like a cathedral.

LS-11 Kathy's Cake
This one is straightforward to piece. The tiny melon is **** to applique, but just about possible. With regard to the rest of the strips : This is one of the blocks where it is extremely important ot mark which bit goes into what row. If you don't you will be doing a lot of frog-stitching. It is also a block where extra seam-allowance on the bottom strip is a good idea :-)

LS-12 Button Hook
Now, here is something unusual :-) On this one I deleted (!) some seam-lines, making the bottom triangle into one triangle, rather than a series of strips. But, otoh, I added some seamlines to the top part, making it into a pieced diamonds thing. Again, very important to mark up/down and right/left on your individual bits. Karan's N-S-E-W works here, as does a numbering of the bits, both in the book and on your templates (same numbers on both is to be preferred ;-) Disregarding what you do, the triangle is done in some kind of diagonal strips. If you maintain Brenda's lines it is straightforward, strip by strip, join strips, finished. If you make the bottom into one triangle (as Jane had it :-), the easier part is to start by piecing the two strips that go on one outside of said triangle. Join them to each other and the triangle. Now, piece the other side, but here, extend your piecing to include all of the 4-patch that stands on point on the triangle. Join the two sides. Add the top BF triangle that will make your piece into an awkward 4-corner thing :-) Make the "almost on the top" strip. Join to the others Make top diagonal-strip, either as piecing or as applique. Join to its sisters.
Finished :-)

LS-13 Watermelon
Applique 3 panels (remember the extra seam-allowance on all 4 sides) Press and cut down to size. Piece 3 pieced panels. Join the panels
Finished.

Dear Friends,

Another batch of triangle tips. As is the case with the other tips I have sent : Read my suggestions with your book in front of you. Makes the directions much easier to understand. AND : Anyone with other suggestions : Please (pretty please :-) step forward. Your way of doing it will be incorporated into the next "edition" :-)

I'm sorry I'm not better at describing how I do the things, but for what it's worth, this is the best I can do :-) Finally. I don't have paper-piecing patterns for the ones I paper-piece. I mark in the book, with a coloured pencil, where the paper-foundations should end and start, and then draft it unto crummy-quality fusible web (or non-fusible if you prefer that). Crummy quality to keep it light, web because I don't have to pick it off the block afterwards :-D

Hugs to you all,

Tilde in Copenhagen

Bottom Row

1. Rosemary's Rainbow
   Paper-pieced. One section. Very simple. Can also be pieced the usual way. Just note that the strips are not the same width, so number carefully :-)
2. Leigh's Woods
   Row-by-row, straight. For each row : Start by piecing the central triangles(or almost triangles). Add Background-fabric sides. Piece the rows together.
   Finished
3. Attic Window
   I modified this rather heavily, adding the triangles that have become lost in the pattern as it is now, compared to the picture of the block. Even as it is, remember to mark the bits clearly. The diamond and "square" are NOT top-bottom symmetrical. Apart from that, it can be made in diagonal stripes and then pieced, stripe by stripe.
4. Candy Dish
   Very simple. Basically it's Flying Geese without straight edges :-) Apart from the two pieced triangles at the bottom sides, it can be paper-pieced in one section. Or - naturally :-) - pieced without foundation
5. Gay's Glory
   One of the ... nasties. Not because it is difficult - it isn't :-) - but because this is a block where proper marking of which bit goes where is a decisive factor in how it turns out. Note that the diamonds on the two top rows of diamonds are not symmetrical in the right-left axis. Also, note that the point of the diamonds does not align. They are not supposed to !!! What is more, the points on the bottom row of diamonds does not align with the points on the bottom row of triangles. You can stretch the diamond-row to fit the triangle-points, but it does not turn out well. How I came to be this smart LOL ? I did what I'm warning you against :-) SO. Mark your bits well on this one. Sew stripe by stripe. Join stripes.
   Finished :-)
6. Frank's Rickrack
   A slight altering of seamlines and pieces in the way they go between bottom and top-section makes it possible to paper-piece this one in three sections:
   One top, one side, one side including centre. If you don't want to brave that: Piece the two triangle sides separately Add them to the centre. Add the top-central triangle to this. From now on you are on your own :-) Unless you do like I did, altered the pattern. I'll try to explain how (this also holds true for if you paper-piece :-) Lay your ruler on the "edge" of the top-triangle on the centre/bottom-part, so that the ruler also aligns with the below coloured triangle. Make a new line, continuing this line, going to the side of the triangle. Do the same on the other side. On the coloured bits in the top-section. Elongate the top-line down to meet your new seam-line. Doing this (according to my guesstimate) makes it not only easier to piece, it also makes it slightly closer to the original as it is in the picture :-) If you do this (if you understand my directions at all :-), you can now piece a triangle-leg to one side of your finished centre-bottom piece. Then piece the top-section, with the requisite "other leg", and piece the two diagonally :-)
7. Cheryl's Clown
   I also modified the seam-lines on this one, for easier piecing. Most notably, I made the central, coloured "arrow-shape" into a top-triangle, and two bottom triangles. The top-triangle centres it's own row, the bottom-triangles become parts of the (pieced) sides on the below row. If this is done, it is straight row-by-row. Adding of rows. That's it. If not. I'm stumped :-)
8. Thunderhead
   Another one where altering of seamlines might be a good idea. I added a few on the "non-star" at the centre of this one so I didn't have to applique triangles to the M-shaped bits. Apart from that there is the centre-piece to join. Add bottom triangles to that one. Make the "strips" above and below centre-piece. Join all strips to each other and to centre-piece.
   Finished.
9. Sue's Garden
   If you like applique or curved piecing, this is a wonderful block to do. If you don't (I don't), it's awful. All the same. Piece the individual pieces of cake. Piece the cake-halves with background-fabric or applique the cake-halves to background-fabric strips, row by row. Piece rows together.
10. Nicholas' Diamond
    Lots and lots of inset seams here. Don't sew into seam-allowances :-) Apart from that, it's a block that is **** to describe "how-to-do" :-O I changed the seamlines for two bits, to enable me to piece it more regularly in diagonal stripes. They are the two BF-bits on either side of the middle coloured diamonds (if this makes sense to anyone :-) That way the bottom part of the "half-star" could be pieced as triangles that could be added to the rest with a straight seam, rather than an inset. What I did was, I pieced what I call the centre diamond from four smaller diamonds. Then did "diagonal stripes" with the top-section, adding the "big centre diamond" to it. Then what had become the two side triangles that formed the "half-star", and finally the bottom section. I always try to make for straight seams when the sections of a block or a triangle is joined, and this is one of them
11. Tartan
    A triangle for diagonal strips. Do the top section "on its own" and the bottom strip as well. Mark the rest of the triangle in diagonal lines, piece each diagonal strip separately Join the diagonal strips to form the centre tartan pattern. Add top and bottom.
    Finished.
12. Jessie's Stained Glass
    If you follow the pattern in the book, it is really very simple to do. Piece the elongated 9-patch diamond. Fill out with background-fabric, add bottom strip. If you want to revise it to be more like Jane's on the picture, I'm sorry, you are on your own :-) I am unable to describe what to do there, since it for a great part depends on just how you revise it. I did revise it, enlarging the bottom diamond (and appliqueing it on, partly anyway), and adding a BF-strip to the triangles that go on the bottom end of the diamond. Revising it makes it more difficult to piece.
13. Argyle
    Very straightforward. The "magic" of this one will come from the fabric you choose. Piece the central diamond strip. Add top and bottom. Add side strips. Piece top-piece. Join.
    Finished.

Right Side

1. Tennessee Valley
   Paper-pieced this one. Moved seamlines in the middle to go like a braid rather than meeting in the middle. Starting with bottom triangles this makes it go together in one piece !
2. Cherokee Lee
   A Diagonal-stripes type triangle. Divide it into two major parts in line with the longest diagonal strip. Start by piecing the top and then down one leg. Piece the entire central section in diagonal rows. Add the rows. Add the shorter of the two long diagonal strips and the BF-strip to that. Join the two major sections.
3. Epicenter
   This is one that people go into pre-piecing cramps over. There is no need. Particularly not if you have done all the blocks :-) Top-part is appliqued. If you want to piece it, draw the requisite seamlines for "diagonal-stripes" and make it in two bits. Centre. Epicentre :-) Make a Pinwheel-block. The rest of the "epicentre" is basically the same technique as the one used for I-5, Maria's Majesty (centre), E-11, Wagon Wheel and M-7, Junko's Rose Garden. One note of caution : Mark what is the inside and what is the outside of the four melons ! They do not have the same curve on both sides !!! What worked for me was to applique the 4 melons on (in this case) the Pinwheel and then reverse-applique the circle around Pinwheel and Melons. Before that can be done, you have to piece or applique the bottom triangles on the centre. The last step is to measure how wide your bottom strip has to be in order to make the triangle the right size. This is definitely a "Finished is better than Perfect" Triangle, at least to me :-)
4. Dutch Apron
   I Paper-pieced this, in two sections. Moved one seam-line close to the top so it became two diagonal (wiiiiiide :-) strips.
5. Geisha Girl
   Top consists of straight strips, lower part of diagonal stripes. This is one of the blocks where up-down, right-left is extremely important to keep track of. Start by appliqueing the melon and then make the centre square. Not difficult, just some tiny pieces there. Sew the bottom triangles to that one. You might want to make the bottom triangles from two pieces of fabric, rather than the one that is found on the pattern. Jane made hers out of two pieces. Sew one leg to one side of this finished bottom part. Take the upper almost-but-not-quite square (and not quite symmetrical, remember to mark your bits :-) and sew "the other leg" on that one. Add the two top triangles. Piece the two diagonal strips together. Piece the two next straight rows. Piece it all together.
6. Tumbling Blocks
   This is a block where you really get to practice your inset seam technique. Nothing but (practically). Two very, very important things to remember with this one :
   1. Mark your bits of fabric with regard to up-down, right-left (I do it by numbering them).
   2. Don't (for Heaven's sake) sew into seam-allowances. Apart from that, what I did was that I started by piecing the central "Christmas-ornament", that is, the three complete diamonds, four almost squares and two almost diamonds. Added the small-bits to the sides of that. Then I joined the two sets of bottom triangles and added those. Laid it aside and did the top (the square is not square !). Joined the top and bottom section.
7. Fedelia's Hearts
   Applique to your hearts content :-)
8. Love Forever
   Same as above :-)
9. Danish Delight
   (Wrongly named LOL.) There are others I like a lot better ;-D Another one with "not as symmetrical as the look" pieces. Row-by-row piecing. Start with the top. Then make the central triangle in the central strip. Can be done row-by-row too. Add BF- sides. Same procedure on the bottom strip. Start with the square, rectangles and bottom triangle. Add side-triangles. Add BF sides. Piece the rows.
   Finished
10. Grandma Nan's Bodice
    If you like appliqueing, applique the centre triangle to the curved triangle. If you don't like appliqueing sharp points, piece the curved triangle with the centre one in it. Add the curved sides. Make the next two strips. Sew the strips together.
11. Hills of Jerusalem
    Piece the individual strips (diagonally). Piece the centre, row-by-row. Add the sides. Add the bottom.
    Finished.
12. Linda's Church in the Valley
    You might want to dispense with some of the seamlines on this one, and add a couple on the bottom. I did :-) The way the pattern is drawn (which isn't an exact copy of Jane's triangle, but close :-) you can start by joining the centre triangles, add the strips around it, first the coloured ones on the "top"triangle, then the BF triangles to the sides of those strips, then the BF- on the "bottom" triangle, then the "side-triangles" below. Your centre piece is now finished. At the bottom strip, I added a couple of seamlines as well, to make for good piecing, one on the central V-shaped BF-strip so that it becomes two strips rather than one upside-down V :-) Apart from that, it is straight piecing.
13. Marlene's Pirouette
    I pp'ed this one in two diagonal sections, adding one seamline on either side of the small triangles at the bottom to make for easier piecing. If you don't like pp'ing, do it in sections and remember to keep track of "up-down" and "right-left" of the central almost-square :-)