Tool Time With Cherie

Cherie Ralston brought over her new favorite sewing tool and she agreed to share how it works. (Cherie has authored several books with Blackbird Designs as well as written her own. Click on her name for a short bio.) She always finds ways to make piecing and applique easy. As you will soon see, she knows quite a bit more than me.

Here's the tool. It's called The Angler 2. It makes easy work out of half-square triangles. No more drawing lines or using paper piecing. All will be revealed here. This product comes with instructions too...but sometimes it just helps to have someone show me. I think I'm a visual learner.
Note the rectangle labeled "Key" in the picture above. This small rectangle must be cut out with an exacto-knife.

Cherie is carefully cutting the "Key" portion out.

After the "Key" is cut out notch a small hole as instructed on the Key.

This hole is for alignment with the needle on your sewing machine. Do not loose the "Key" or you will be "voted off the island." (An adage for those of you who know about reality shows.)


Now you need your squares....This sewing tool will work for all sizes up to 7 3/4".


Next center the Key on your sewing machine.

The point of your needle fits into the hole you notched earlier.
You need to have a 1/4" presser foot. (Of course I don't have one and now I realize that I very much need one. Cherie voted me "off the island" until I get one.)


The Key is in position.


The purpose of the Key is to help align the tool on your sewing machine. Cherie is placing the tool over the Key. The Key will now fit back into the area we cut it from.

While doing this step, Cherie thought it would be helpful if I had a larger surface to tape the tool in place. I got my larger plastic sewing table.


Cherie adjusted the feet of my table so it would fit. (I hate to admit this....I didn't know it was adjustable. I wish I could say Cherie didn't roll her eyes at me....but I think I did catch her rolling at least one eye!)

The larger surface of the plastic table really helped. Make sure when positioning the tool that it is straight.

Tape the tool in place. Cherie found that the blue painters tape didn't hold as well as the regular masking tape. Remove the Key at this point. You don't leave it in while sewing.


Tape the key to the side of your machine. It will be easily found the next time you need it.


Pick up your squares and place them right sides together.

Position the presser foot edge to the left of the diagonal point of the square as shown.

The remaining diagonal point is positioned on the left line of the sewing tool.

Sew a seam. Cherie likes to chain piece. After she has a long chain of squares sewn on one side, she flips them and sews the second seam. For time purposes we only did one square. Also, this is where the 1/4" presser foot comes in handy. I have a Bernina so I need a #37 foot.

Again align the diagonal point of the square to the left of the presser foot. Align the remaining diagonal point with the left line on the tool. Sew another seam.



Cherie likes to cut her squares apart with scissors. Quicker and easier.

Could I find any scissors? No...so we used the rotary cutter.

Iron them open and trim the "wings".

If you would like to win one of Cherie's favorite sewing tools just respond in the comments section. I will do the random generator thing and pick three lucky quilters. One entry per person please. Drawing will be Monday morning. Hope you have a bit of time to sew something fun!

Thank you Cherie!

Until later,

Alma