and make sure your seams are all the same too, 1/4 inch. Use your 1/4 inch foot.

Pin at points and sew out both ways from there / Hope this helps.

Hi, I look to my Thimbleberries book of quilts many times for ideas and tips and tricks. Their advise is to cut your square (that you will later halve into two triangles) 7/8" larger than the desired finished size of the triangle pieced square you want. For example: if you want a 2" finished square then you should cut each square 2 7/8". Then just pair the desired triangles from these larger squares together and sew the diagonal with a standard 1/4" seam. Hope this makes sense and happy stitching! :)

There is your mistake. HSTs blocks need to be larger...... to allow for the seam that goes thru the middle of the square.

There is your mistake. HSTs blocks need to be larger...... to allow for the seam that goes thru the middle of the square.

HST's --- even though they say to cut the block 7/8" larger than the finished size...I've done that and no matter how careful I am they are most always, at least one of them not quite large enough. I started cutting the squares 1" larger than the FINISHED size and then trimming them up. I just bought an Eleanor Burns trimming HST ruler and I love it.

I guess if you have all of your material cut, measure you square of 1/2 square triangles, and then cut you full square to match.

I think her answer would be to cut the square that will be cut again for the half square triangle should 7/8 in. larger.

dude

It looks like your half square triangles are not the same size as your squares. If using 2" squares then the half square trinagle have to be 2 7/8 to make the 2" square when done sewing them. make sense to you.

When I do any HST blocks, I always round them up to the next whole number, say the pattern says cut squares 2 7/8", I cut 3" squares. Then mark the diagonal mark point to point, sew a scant 1/4" on either side of the drawn line. Cut on the drawn line, press your seam, either open or to the dark side, being careful not to stretch, then trim to the correct size, which in this case, would be a 2 1/2" square. I found out a long time ago that a scant quarter inch seam works better because it allows for the fold which takes up a little bit of the final size of what ever you are making. It's easier to make the squares a little oversize and then trim than to be sad because it doesn't fit in your final block. Hope this helps, and hang in there. :thumbup: