I paper piece my HST. Draw a square 1 inch larger then you want the finished HST. Draw a diagonal line. Draw a line 1/4" to each side of the diagonal line. These are your sewing lines. Place 2 fabrics with right sides together and sew on the 1/4" lines. Cut apart on the diagonal line. Press HST open (I press to the dark side). Trim to desired size (will be very close - you might only have to trim the dog ears). You now have made 2 HSTs.
Hope this helps.