I'm wondering, which type of triangle is easier to piece. The half triangle will have the bias on the long side and the quarter triangle will have the bias on the two short sides. I always end up having either type of triangle stretch no matter how careful I am. What do you quilters out there recommend? Which triangle seems more stable to handle? Thanks!

I don't think there's much difference except that I never want to have a bias edge on the outside of a block - makes it harder to line up. BTW, I don't starch.

Thanks for your comment. I have never starched any of my pieces either. When you are talking about not having the bias edge on the outside of a block, I assume you are meaning the blocks are at the outermost edge of a quilt?

The blocks at the edge of the quilt are more important as far as having no bias edges, but even the individual blocks should be no bias edges if possible so that it's easier to keep them all in line. Quilters rarely finish a quilt at one sitting and all the movement of the block can pull it out of square if there are bias edges. My guess is that we can't totally prevent bias on block edges, but I try to do it to give myself a better chance of keeping the whole thing straight later.

If you quick piece your triangles, you never have to deal with
bias edges. Here's a pictorial tutorial, make sure to look at all 5 pages.

http://quilting.about.com/od/quickpi...squaretria.htm

Half sqs are easier, especially if you make them using two squares, draw a line down the center and sew on either side of it. Cut on the line, and you have 2 pieces, square them up and no bias edges to deal with. :wink: :D:D:D

Unless I'm not understanding, no matter how you cut them out, any triangle is going to have a bias edge. If I were going to immediately sew them together to make a square then true, there would be little chance to stretch them. Unfortunately, my triangles are being used to fill in around the four edges of a four-patch that are being placed on point (like a diamond).
Would starching the fabric before cutting them into triangles limit the amount they might stretch?

I just want to say that this site is great! I don't belong to a guild, so I don't always have other quilters to bounce questions off of. I appreciate everyone's responses to my question!!!

Maybe staystich???

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-92281-1.htm

Thanks for the reference to stay stitching. After reading all the responses to that thread it looks like starching is a good way to minimize stretching. I guess i better get out and buy some starch!