Antique Quilt: 5500 Half-Square Triangles

With 5500 half-square triangles in the center, "cheddar" fabric, and a fun border, this antique quilt really caught our attention at Houston 2016 in an exhibit by Moda.

Comments

#18 quiltytap 2018-05-24 15:14

These symbols convey my feelings for this quilt. I'm making mosaic pictures with my fabric scraps, and now I have a new way to use my scraps. I hate throwing anything away.

#17 Brenda 2018-05-22 21:29

The way I see it, if you have the fabric (and we all do....) all you need is a little thread and 'waste not, want not'. This quilt is wonderful for that fact alone!! And we all should make something like this - just to say we did!! I know I am doing 3.5" spools right now...... and eventually, theyy will be a quilt!
like this post!!

#16 Jane 2018-05-21 15:59

Tomsmama, Thank you for solving the mystery! While there are, indeed, 5500 triangles in the center, for us quilters, who think in units, it was definitely misleading. Nice sleuthing on your part!

#15 Tomsmama 2018-05-21 12:01

[Jane - I thought the same thing! Then realized they say 5500 'triangles' not triangle squares. Each square consists of 2 triangles so 55 x 50 x 2 = 5500. Must admit tho it had me going there!

#14 Dolores Good 2018-05-20 19:59

I think this quilt was made over time when she had left over fabric and cut the triangles and put together when she had free time.

In those days they didn't care about corner coming out perfect like we do now. Different color changes in different parts Cozy and beautiful.p7n

#13 Joan 2018-05-20 19:38

What a shame we don't know who made it. Did you notice how precise each square and triangle is placed?

#12 Rita 2018-05-20 19:13

Amazing. I love it but I don't think that I would ever try something like this. With the eight at a time method of making half-square triangles this would still be a lot of work.

#11 Ginnie Marshall 2018-05-20 18:40

I have been saving my "waste not-want-not" squares a long time. One project gave me 500+ of them (each cut at 1.75") last year and when I used them in a rail-fence style quilt (lots more strips 1.75 x 4.5") I thought that was A LOT. This antique gives me another level for which to aim and another reason to save my "taste-not-want -not" squares (left-over half square triangles).

#10 Jane 2018-05-20 18:35

Am I missing something when I count 50 columns and 55 rows =2750? Even if I count the outside red and white HSTs, there are 57x2 and 52x2, giving a total of 2968 total HSTs. I, too, am curious about the size of the completed HSTs. It is wonderful!

#9 Quayquilter 2018-05-20 12:52

I second Julie's question. Thank you for sharing this image.

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