Originally Posted by
Laurajbr
I had no idea that quilting would bring me to so many story problems in a math class.
i want to make HST that measure 2 3/4 inches. I want to use the method of sewing all around 2 squares and cutting through the center to get 4 HST.
how big do the squares need to be?
the back story is that I want to try my hero, Jenny of Missouri quilts, hunters star quilt, and her lovely video does not spell this out, and I am a nervous nelly beginner. By trial and error I have created 8 too small HST, oops, and 4 much too large, salvageable, but wasteful.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7KtiLK_xJk
( now in my 50's I would like to go sit in on middle school math classes. I find that I would now very much like to know some theorems!)
I love this pattern of Jenny's! I have the the fabric chosen and in a project box. She also has published this pattern in her Block magazine, Holiday Vol. 2, Issue 6. When she is making those half square triangles, she starts out with a 5" print square and pairs it up with a 5" white square. She then sews those 2 (print & white) together on all four sides (which is the method you wanted to use), then cuts them diagonally across two ways to get the smaller half square triangles. Then she trims those down to 2-3/4" with her ruler. so it seems that starting with the 5" squares is what you would be starting with. Seems where is very little waste. I'd try it with some scrap material to be sure that's what you want. (I subscribe to Jenny's Block magazine; the latest issue I just received actually had 7 patterns I want to make!)