Could someone please tell me how to do a half square triangle without cutting the corners off when I sew them together?

If you want a 4" square add 7/8. Your square will be 4 7/8.
Draw a line corner to corner & sew a scant 1/4" on each side of the line.
Hope this helps!
This makes 2 half squares

Thanks, I would like to just 1 time not to cut off my corners lol

This is the method I use all the time. Otherwise my machine eats up the corners. :evil:

The way to stop your machine eating corners, is to sew across a small scrap of fabric first, then go straight onto the HSTs, chain piece style. The scrap need only be a folded piece, half an inch across, so you don't waste too much thread, and you can keep reusing it forever, almost. If you are really frugal, and organised, then if you have cut up all your scraps into squares, use pairs of these as a lead in to what you are sewing. Before you know it, you have four patches, or nine patches, ready for another quilt~!

Rhonda posted a real good tutorial on this
http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/23252.page

You don't have to cut off your corners <g> however, having done that on many quilts, I have decided cutting off the little dog ears makes for a better piece of work.
Sorry :?

I meant the points on half sq tri. Sorry

Here's a link that shows this technique, also if you scroll down there's another page showing doing these grid style http://www.patchwork-and-quilting.co...triangles.html

Hope it helps! :D

This is exactly what I was explaining!
Thank you K3n, sometimes it's easier when you can see it.
:D

i never understood why, if you're adding 1/4's all over the place, you add 7/8 here. can anyone explain that in english? isn't it easier to make it a full 1" and then trim? not to mention that it's easier to see.

also, you talk about a 4" square made by adding that dratted 7/8. is this the same method used for making, say a seven and 1/2 " finished square? do you always add 7/8? i just go up to the next inch and shave off the extra.

well, technically, Butterflywing (I LOVE that name <g>), since one has to trim, anyway, adding the full inch probably does make more sense. Surely a more accurate measure would result. and, maybe the scraps would be big enough to put into a mini mystery or something <g>

:lol: :lol: if i ever did a mini-anything, it would definitely be a mystery :lol:

Yes, sorry I should have said :oops: I always add the full inch and trim. :D

great information on this thread, thanks