I'm just starting a quilt that's mostly half square triangles and the dog ears are driving me nuts. Does anyone have a good way of handling them....cut them off before or after sewing the pieces together? I just can't get them to come out even on both ends. One end is always bigger than the other. So I'm thinking I'd like to eliminate them before I start sewing each one. Any thoughts on this?

If you are using templates to cut your pieces out, Marti Michell (SP?) templates are shaped so there are no dog ears. Also, Fons & Porter has a template that you can use to cut the dog ears off before you sew. I usually sew, press, and then as I'm watching TV, I snip, snip, snip.

I also sew, press, then have an ear clipping session.

Sometimes I chop them off, sometime I don't.

I don't have any templates. That would be just more stuff to find space for. The pattern is a pinwheel in a diamond in a square and I think the ears should be cut off before I sew across them. It's really pretty and I'm alternating it with another block. If you look at this website where I found it you can see how many triangles it has.

http://quilting.about.com/od/blockof...eel_square.htm

i also do both ways,sew and clip and sometimes clip before i sew,
very pretty block

Topper1 where did you find that cute lamb. Rolling on floor laughing. It is cute

Anyway, we used to snip our own dogears and now there are templates with the corners already off..more to spend, and so many to buy. I personally would rather cut the ears myself and spend the money on fabric

When I make 1/2 square triangles, I square them up when I'm done and that cuts off the dog-ears.

I usually snip after I've sewn the block together and before ironing the block.