Tips for Quilting with Triangles: Our Favorite Solutions

The triangle: an essential element in patchwork. From the simplest weekend quilt project to the most masterful showpieces, this little powerhouse of a shape is a key player in so many designs. But for all its apparent simplicity, it can be tricky. So we’ve rounded up some of our favorite tips for quilting with triangles that will help you with accuracy, alignment, and sew much more!

Totally Biased

First of all, a triangle will have at least one edge that is on the bias, sometimes two, depending on the angle. When drafting our pattern instructions, we do our best to ensure that the straight-of-grain — which is more stable, and less prone to stretching than bias edges — is on the exposed edge of a patch or block. For example, if you’ve made quilts from the patterns in Quick + Easy Quilts before, you’ve undoubtedly run into our Sew Easy™ lessons.

While these techniques are efficient with both time and fabric, they also have a secret hidden benefit. They ensure you have straight-of-grain where you need it. As an example, our 8-at-a-Time Triangle-Squares method has you sew first, then cut. This stabilizes the bias edges. But if you’re dealing with a triangle patch with an exposed bias edge (it happens), we recommend starching heavily to keep the fabric crisp.

Truly Aligned

As many quilters know, centering a triangle to a square unit can be tricky business. Often, the base of the triangle is longer than the edge to which you are attaching it. But folding or notching the units to mark the half-way point, and then aligning those marks, is a great way to align a triangle to another patch. Another approach to alignment is sometimes called “engineered corners.”

The template in ‘Figure 1’ features engineered corners. Rather than allowing the tips to extend, they are trimmed off at a specific angle to assist with joining. There are specific notions available that create those engineered corners. The Triangle Trimmers in ‘Figure 2’ and ‘Figure 3’ create two different types of engineered corners.

Then, they’re used together to create a square-in-a-square unit. By simply clipping off a small piece on either side of the triangles, you can align the units with amazing accuracy. And when your unit is complete, double check that you have ¼” from tip to raw edge (‘Figure 4’). That will help with keeping a crisp point later. 

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The Machine Ate My Tip

Those sharp, pointy tips must taste delicious, because our sewing machines just love to eat them. When you start sewing at the thin tip of a triangle — which is often unavoidable — the needle will push the fabric down under the needle plate and chew it up. There are several fixes for that. One is the engineered corner; a squared-off corner is less likely to be pulled down under the needle plate.

Another fix is the needle plate itself; most machines come with a single-hole needle plate, which can only be used for straight stitching (no zigzagging!). The smaller opening for the needle is much too tiny for most triangle tips to get pulled down. But it can still happen. Here’s another solution to bring to the machine. Lifting your presser foot and keeping the needle down, abut the triangle right against the needle (‘Figure 5’), rather than letting the feed dogs pull it in. This puts the thinnest part of the tip past the needle hole, so it is less likely to be pulled down and eaten.

One more option is starting with a “leader.” Sometimes called a “spider” because it soon acquires lots of thread “legs” as you re-use it, this is a scrap of fabric that you feed under the needle first, before chain piecing (‘Figure 6’). The thread tension is established, and essentially creates a tow line for the next pieces: those triangle tips are attached to the chain of thread which pulls them over the needle hole safely.

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Chopping Off Tips

Chopping off the tip of a triangle by sewing it into the seam is enough to make any quilter cringe. (Does anyone else notice? No. Just us quilters.) This issue is typically caused by an inaccurate seam allowance. There are plenty of tools on the market to help with ensuring a ¼” seam allowance, such as a quarter-inch presser foot and seam guides you can attach to your machine.

Hands-down our favorite method for ensuring that you’ve got a nice tip to your triangle is sewing through the “X.” This “X” at the intersection of two seams is your target (‘Figure 7’). When you sew through it, your tip will remain intact. Keep the “X” on top when you sew in order to see it. A clear or open-toe presser foot is helpful, too.

In ‘Figure 8,’ you can see the pink thread has sewn right through the black “X.” Sewing to the right of the “X” will cause your tip to float. Sewing to the left of the “X” will chop off the tip. Sewing right through the “X”? The result (‘Figure 9’) is an intact tip!

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Now Go Try Out These Triangle Tricks

As you can see, triangles may be a real challenge. But with these tips and techniques, you can harness their power and turn them into invaluable tools for creating beautiful, precise, and stunning patchwork designs. So, embrace the triangle, and let your quilting projects flourish with accuracy and creativity! Did we miss any of your favorite tips for quilting with triangles? Be sure to share with us on Instagram, Facebook, or the comments below!