CindyA

I took a class with Bonnie Hunter, we worked on Jamestown Landing p67 from her book String Fling. She showed us how to use the ruler Easy Angle. We cut the strips of fabric and then we cut triangles at the size she told us using the Easy Angle ruler (without looking I think it was 2 or 2 1/2") and then sew the triangles together, creating half-square triangles. My problem is that the triangles are ending up just a little too small. Have you experienced this? How did you solve? I don't want to sew a narrower seam allowance, so I'm considering cutting my strips larger, then the triangles will be a little larger. I just don't understand why I'm coming up short if she doesn't.

Also, what is the benefit of using her method as opposed to putting two squares together (right sides together), drawing a line corner to corner, sewing 1/4" seam on each side of the line, then cutting down the center?

Thanks for suggestions!

winia

You have to buy the ruler. I use tiger tape for half-square triangles, and you don't even need to use that. The way you do it is fine. Jenny Doan has a way of making four half-squares, and she has a tutorial on her web site. It's really easy. I should also add you have to buy the ruler and the book.

nanna-up-north

Yep. She's selling the ruler. When I taught quilting classes, the shop owner would tell me what items she wanted to sell and I'd design a class to feature that item. She sold a lot of quilting gadgets..... it kept her in business. And I made a little $ for teaching the class. The students learned a new skill and told me how much they loved learning to make quilts. It was a win-win for all of us.

PaperPrincess

You can make the hst's any way that you want. Looking at the complex block in your avatar, i would guess you know what a quarter inch seam is ;-) I know the triangle ruler she uses is a different brand from most of my rulers. Just for the heck of it, I would compare the measurements on the triangle ruler with the measurements on the ruler(s) you used to cut the rest of the project. Might be a slight difference.

BellaBoo

I've taken several workshops from Bonnie. She doesn't push the rulers, just says that is what she uses. The rulers are cheap and are basic rulers for cutting. I already had the rulers in my stash from years back. I had problems with my hsts not being big enough. Bonnie watched me cut and saw immediately what I was doing to cause that. I was not being exact in placing my ruler on the fabric. She cut several for me and they sewed up perfectly.

Tartan

I've watched Bonnie on QuiltCam and she sews inside the 1/4 inch line while piecing. She says this allows for the extra fabric needed to fold over the stitching line. I like Aurifil thread to reduce bulk at the stitching line. It sounds like you are sewing 2 triangles together so that the straight edges are on the outside? Using the larger squares, and sewing two lines down the center to get 2 half square triangle units should work just as well. You can then trim them to the size you need.
There are easier methods for doing some of her patterns if you are using yardage rather then scraps. Her methods work well to get the most from your scraps.

hevemi

Using the Easy Angle ruler eliminates the trouble of cutting what she calls "pesky" 7/8 seam allowances: You just add 1/2" to your final size and cut your triangle, the seam allowance is then included.

sewplease

I like this method, too, because it seems faster to lay your two strips right sides together, and then just move along cutting out the pieces, all set to go in the machine. I just made 800 HST's for one of Bonnie's quilts. Every so often I would check a few for size, and for the most part they were pretty good. When I'm consistent in cutting my strips, this method works well. :-)

CindyA

hevemi and sewplease: do you need to trim up the half-square triangle after it's sewn?

Geri B

The easy angle triangle template has been around for a long time....it was one of the first I bought when I ventured into quilting and it has served me well all these years...the fact that finished is not true probably means that 1/4" seam is just "a thread" too thick..or like Bellaboo said not cutting right....check your 1/4" seam measurement...I have one sewing machine that I have to set that needle one tick more to get a true seam measurement..took me awhile to figure that out!