Originally Posted by sewjoyce
Originally Posted by Rhonda
Well I'll put my two cents in here: I don't like to buy anything to help me make HST(half square triangles)
When I am going to make a lot of hst of the same fabric I cut a strip of one color and a strip of another color and sew them together on one long side. Open and iron and then take a square template for what ever size you need and lay it on the seam so two opposite corners lay on the seam. Now cut out the square with a rotary cutter. You can cut out several out of each strip set and then pull it apart and sew the other sides together and do it again.
Because I do alot of scrappy I cut swatches and make a pile of say one dark pile and and one light pile then I start sewing light to dark until I have them all sewn. Open and iron then I go through and cut a square from each set of swatches.
We do hundreds of them this way.
Just my version!
That sounds easier!
A lot of people have a problem with my methods because there are scraps left over. I pull them apart and recycle them into the next batch.
Now we make 1 1/2" 1 1/4" and 1" HSTs so it is easy to use it all up
Most people think I am weird because I like to cut my swatches and my borders larger than needed so the leftovers are easier to reuse.
My friend Dorothy cuts her swatches just barely (by threads) bigger than she needs. She makes thousands of these for me! I have 55 organizers full of HSTs /Kansas Dugouts /Boston Blocks/ Drunkard's Path and lots more.
The benefits of reusing them back into the same project or HSTs is that
you don't have to spend time choosing colors - finding the fabic - cutting more swatches and so on.
The time saver also is sewing all of them then ironing all of them then cutting all of them etc. Do one step all the way through all of them then move on to the next step.