Yes, I am crazy. I love half square triangles (HST). Previously, I showed you how to chain piece HST and one of the more traditional ways to make them. You can find that tutorial here.
Well, when you are using layer cakes, or larger squares, there is a crazy easy way to make HST 4 at a time. And of course, you could use this technique with any size square. Your finished HST unit will be 3.5 inches smaller than the square you start with. Today, I used 10 inch squares which resulted in 6.5 inch HST units.
You need to start with two squares of the same size. Mine are 10 inch square here. Obviously, if your quilt calls for 200 HST, you could cut two sets of 50 squares. For this quilt, I had 40 gray squares and 40 prints.
With right sides together, sew along all for edges of the squares using a 1/4 inch seam.
Yes, at this point your squares are COMPLETELY sewn together.
Now you need to cut your squares in half, from one corner to the other diagonally. I find it easiest to use the diagonal lines on my cutting mat, placing each corner on the line and using my ruler, cutting away. Please ignore the fuzzy, worn out, old cutting mat. A new one needs to be put on my next shopping trip!
Cut each of the halves in half again.
Open. Press to the dark side. Trim down to size. Remember, the HST are 3.5 inches smaller than the starting square size. So, 10 inch squares become (4) 6.5 inch squares.
And there you have it: Four Half Square Triangles at a time!
Doesn’t this leave you with bias edges exposed?
I’ve seen this done before and it does…the way to combat this is a slight spray starch if one is worried about the stretching.
[...] last week I was complaining about my cutting mat here on the blog. I must have been complaining about it in real life too that or he is reading the blog, if so [...]