HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES TWO WAYS

 Half Square Triangles (HST) are important building blocks for many quilt blocks and designs. I use them a LOT and I bet you do too.

This latest project has a pieced border of HST, all from the same two fabrics:

Oh, My Stars with my choice of pieced border

When I need a lot of HST from the same two fabrics I love to use the GRID method. It involves drawing a grid on the wrong side of the lightest fabric then sewing on both sides of the drawn diagonal lines. I call it a SEW FIRST METHOD.

To get 24 HST from two fabrics use this GRID:

On the wrong side of the lightest fabric draw the grid 1" larger than the finished size of the HST. My HST's are 3" finished so the grid is 4".  Cut the fabrics 12" x 16" to get this grid that makes 24 HST.

 NOTE: I added 1/4" around the outside edge so I cut the fabrics 12.5" x 16.5". This was TOTALLY UNNECESSARY and just created extra wasted fabric. In the future I would cut fabrics 12" x 16":

Starting at the upper right corner diagonal sew 1/4" away from the diagonal line. At the edge of the fabrics pivot and turn to continue down the next diagonal line. Pivot and turn at each edge--I did the outside lines first. When back at the beginning switch to the other side of the drawn diagonal lines--again pivoting at the outside edge of the fabric. SO--this means you only have ONE START and ONE STOP--just keep pivoting and sewing until it's done.

Here are the lines are sewn:

Cut apart on all the drawn lines. Press to the dark fabric and "trim to perfection":

3.5" perfect

Making 5 of these large grids gave me 120 HST. To make the remaining 4 I needed I used my other favorite method--the Half Square Triangle Ruler.  This is the CUT FIRST METHOD.

I cut a strip of both fabrics 3.5" wide, placed them right sides together, and used the Half Square Triangle Ruler to cut the HST pairs ready to sew. I tend to cut the strips slightly larger than 3.5" so I can "trim to perfection". Cut exactly 3.5" if you prefer:

Chain piece the 4 pairs of HST. Put the the flat end under the needle first--no point to get drawn down into the hole in the throat plate:

Again, press to the dark fabric and trim to perfection. 

I took me longer to write this than it did to do all the steps.  Of course, there are more ways to make HST. These are my favorites. The GRID method is perfect to make a lot the same. The HST Ruler method is perfect to make a few or if you prefer to "cut first", then sew.

Here is one of the borders all done:

There will be a RED "floater border" between the middle of the quilt and this pieced border. More about that when I get there. If you are curious about that now I have a TUTORIAL on the process: The Magic of Floater Borders

I hope you find this helpful. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara