1/2 square triangles - what should I do?
 

Our Quilting Club is making a mystery quilt using 144 1/2 sq.triangles, making a 4 1/2" square. Mine stink - close but not quite......

Should I try to use them? Or should I cut them all down to 4" and make a smaller quilt?

What's the worse thing that can happen if I use them and juggle this way and that? Precision is really not a part of my life, so if it comes out "not too bad" or just "looking good" that would be fine.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Well, with a mystery quilt we don't know if everything will trim down and work or not. If all parts are now made/cut and work with the square math (as opposed to rectangle math) it would be just fine to trim down and make them consistent. Sometimes it will, sometimes you think it will and then you cut the offending block in half and that takes out any flexibility you may have had.

I'd go with it as good enough if you can. I'm not impressed with my workmanship on my current project but nobody but me knows what the back looks like!

As I deal with my vision issues I prefer to make large and cut down for precision. Also, I work quite fast and slicing and dicing is easier for me than trying to get my eyes to work on slow and careful.

If I had to exchange blocks with other people, I would do them again. For me, it's rare I redo. One of my recent projects was quarter-square blocks made from pre-cut 6" squares. Yeah, most of them worked just fine but when I ran out of 6" squares and used 6.5" squares and trimmed them down I was much happier.

Thank you, Iceblossom. I used my favorite fabrics so I don't want to lose them. Wish I'd cut them larger than needed and cut them down but was too anxious to start the project and didn't really think it through. Another learning experience.....(wish I didn't always have to learn the Hard Way!)

Somehow -- no matter how carefully I do, some end up not quite right. I've learned the hard way to make large and cut to size. I have square rulers that make it easier. Good to know that I'm not alone

Karen Brown from Just Get It Done just published a YouTube video on HSTs. Maybe that will help you in your struggle with precision.

In my experience with HST close but not quite can still work. If they are only 1/8" off or so I would say go ahead and use them paying close attention to scant 1/4" seam allowance. You may end up with a few chopped points or floating points but if you are ok with that go for it. I fear cutting them down they won't line up with other units in the mystery.

If the HSTs are only a little skimpy, make a template for the "finished size" - draw around it on the skimpy unit. Line up the seam lines with the other unit, stitch on seam lines. If my fabric is "sturdy" - I can live with scant seams .

If the fabric is flimsy, sleazy, or ravelly, or ununwashed, using skimpy seam allowances is just asking for problems.

I would ask the mystery quilt organizer if the smaller HST would work. If not and if you can't squeeze a bit more size out of them, save them for another project and make new ones! I've no doubt you could come up with something fun with them.

But I hope they work out for you.

This is what I would suggest, too.