I have tried so many different gimics for half sqs. Even TA Da fusible interfacing pre printed with all sizes. They made a great pattern to transfer to paper. Then go thru the tearing off bit. Did not want to purchase more fusible.
Watch this video especially the second half.
http://quiltinaday.com/television/vi...lesquareup.asp
I make many half square and quarter sq with it and they come out perfect every time. All sizes. You can get the ruler at Joanns with a coupon so it is very reasonable. The ruler comes with instructions for which size squares to cut to make 8 at a time.

but her rulers only for squaring the block. it doesn't help with the stitch lines.

The ruler comes with the pattern for making 8 half sqs at a time.
What it amounts to is cutting 2 sqs, drawing an X then sew 1/4 in from each side of line. Then cut + in middle then on lines. No bad grain either.
I have the fons and porter 1/2 in ruler for drawing the lines also. This is fine but I do most of my sewing with scant 1/4 in.
My sewing lines are never straight but when you line up the ruler you can see how crooked the line is and compensate. Mine tend to be narrower at the ends.

Aggressive pressing? I always thought that meant you left marks on somebody with the iron :lol: :lol: :lol: I will have to admit, I am an exuberant ironer :D

If you finger press first then just press down on square with the iron it should stay square. Just make sure the seam is completley open with no fold. And if you iron do it from the center point not from side to side.

I love the sense of humor I see on this board. Always a good laugh.

I've been thinking - scary thought! - anyway -

if one is using the printed things and one is sewing exactly on the lines and cutting exactly on the lines - and if it gets skewed a bit in pressing - use it anyway as it is!

I used the printed paper patterns and they never came out right. Crooked or two small. Some were ok but not all of them. It has to do with the straight of grain.

I have the Wonder cut ruler and it is great for making half square triangles. It is so easy and no thinking involved excepting flipping the ruler.

Serena

Sharon Schamber shows what is, IMHO, the most efficient way to make HSTs into squares - which is how we usually use them. She demos her method here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFu1_4ksHj8

She cuts the squares AFTER the HSTs are sewn together, thus no stretching while ironing, and no need to square up. I'll repeat that - YOU ONLY CUT EACH SQUARE ONCE. NO SQUARING UP :!: :!:

Fons and Porter use a variation of Sharon's method - sew 2 bias strips together, and then cut squares from the strips.

With Sharon's method, you can cut enough squares for an entire quilt. It's the SAME method. It just depends on HOW MANY finished squares made from HSTs you need.

No paper foundations to tear off, no stretchy bias to get out of shape. Just oodles of finished squares made of HSTs. The main thing is, you have to be careful when you iron the strips together at the beginning! But you've starched the fabric heavily, so it's not going to stretch!!!

Best of all, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY A SPECIAL NEW RULER :D - and you probably already use the spray startch in your quilting cave. The wonder tape that Klue mentioned would work for marking lines for cutting if you're at all timid about using your rotary cutter after going to all the trouble of sewing all those bias strips together :!:

Thanks for the heads up on this new tool...something else that I think I may not be able to live without! :lol: