Leaders and Enders - Lots and Lots of Half Square Triangles

This is the first time I have revisited my leaders and enders project in quite a while on the blog, and has the stack ever grown.  I have 946 half square triangles made up already.  I need (at least) 1024, so I am closing in on my goal.  I start with two 3" squares, which make two 2-5/8" HSTs unfinished, which end up as two 2-1/8" finished squares after they are sewn together.

Interest in leaders and enders is surging over in Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville, where there is a tumbler challenge just beginning.  If you are not doing leaders and enders, you should consider joining that.  Leaders and enders are a terrific way of 1.) getting lots and lots of units done with very little effort, 2.) a great way to save thread since there is always something under your needle, 3.) a wonderful way of using up small scraps of fabric. 

Each of my HSTs start with one square of black toned fabric and one of something very bright for contrast.  According to Larry, who did the big "counting" last night for me, I now have:

• 63 pink and black HSTs
• 150 red and black HSTs
• 96 orange and black HSTs
• 95 yellow and black HSTs
• 158 green and black HSTs
• 210 blue and black HSTs
• 74 purple and black HSTs
• 100 multi-colored and black HSTs

I will have to be careful from now on or I will overshoot my goal of 1024 units.  After I have 1024 HSTs, I will be sewing them into four patch units.  It won't be long now!

Harlequin-Johnny - Ironing Completed

The one hundred "ears" of Harlequin-Johnny are now all put together, and my DH, Larry, has taken it upon himself to iron them for me.  I started to add the centers to make the fifty "bow-ties", but I decided to move on to Dear Jane instead.

Ironed pieces for Harlequin Johnnie (and Leaders and Enders)

I got so many half square triangles completed while working on the "ears" that I had to cut some more black fabric to make more leaders and enders.  Larry very kindly ironed those too.  I am so lucky, not only is he becoming an accomplished cook, he says he does not mind doing the simple, but time-consuming, ironing tasks that I hate either.  I guess I chose well 30 years ago today!

Bonnie Hunter Grand Illusion - Clue 3 In Progress

It is interesting to go from the intricate and persnickety Dear Jane blocks to the brute force, grunt sewing that is Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion.  Clue 3 requires none of the finesse of Clue 2, in fact, it reminds me of a jelly roll race at the moment.  I have a nice selection of random greens, but my blacks and neutrals (OK, whites) have less variety, especially the blacks.  

You can see the one black batik I bought in Green Bay peeking out from underneath the strip pile.  It would have been terrific as a leader and ender, only it was not wide enough.  Speaking of leaders and enders, this is not the project that will increase them.  I must have sewed for a mile and only used two!  One of them is there in the corner.  In fact, I remember that fabric well.  My friend, Sheila, and I were with the rest of the Blanketeers at a country quilt store that going out of business sale.  Happy times!  We both fell in love with the wildly colorful fabric and each bought a yard.  Of course, Sheila immediately made a quilt out of hers, and years later, I am still trying to finish the quilting on mine.

Leaders and Enders - Many Many Half Square Triangles

Vintage sewing machine users quickly learn the importance of starting with fabric under the needle.  Nothing will instill this habit better than having a leader and ender project going.  I really love leaders and enders!  When I find myself sewing on a thread bunny because I do not have a leader and ender project prepared, I feel as if I am wasting valuable time.

I am in the process of making 1024 half square triangles out of three inch squares.  I have not done a counting lately, but I think I am nearing the halfway point. There is no rush on this project, I do not even have the design finalized, so leaders and enders is really the only way to go.  It all started a number of years ago when I inherited lots of old smokey black prints.  Lots of them!  When I ran them through the scrap users system, most came out at 3" square.  I also had a gracious plenty of 3" brights; this, I decided, was a match made in heaven.

I think they look terrific together.  I have used up the original black scraps, but I have found that bargain bins of scraps, and on-sale fat quarters nearly always contain black fabrics.  You can get forty-two 3" black squares out of a $1.00 fat quarter.  And you get two 2-5/8" squares (yes, these are that tiny) out of each pair of 3" squares (2-1/8" finished).  I really enjoy working with them; it is always fun to pull back the black for the big reveal. 

Sometimes there is not quite enough black showing; those go into the scrap basket for the next project.  The only thing I do not enjoy is ironing them.  I am mostly caught up now, and I am trying to stay that way.  I keep ironing the ones I just finished, along with whatever else needs ironing.  1024 seems like a huge number of units; I could never do this without using leaders and enders.

Happy quilting!