Do you have trouble making HSTs? I think my method is really easy. No dog ears no cutting out squares and sewing down the middle on each side of a line.

A mini cutting mat or a turntable cutting mat would be good. You can cut without a mini but it would make it easier to do.

You will need a template of whatever size you are making. If you don't have a template you can cut one from stiff cardboard or template plastic but these will be prone to getting cut. And the corners may not be accurate with cardboard or thin plastic.

But you won't have to buy any thing to make your HSTs. No paper piecing or Thangles or any other expense.

If you haven't seen my thread then here is my link for free templates. If you need a size other than any of these just let me know.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-36008-1.htm

We make these up ahead and then have them on hand for whatever I decide to make. This works well with scraps too. I just make two piles one dark colors and one light and then I take one of each and sew them together and then cut out the square from the center. You can sew them like flags and it goes pretty quick. Then we go back and cut out the squares. Any leftovers can be recycled.

Ok here we go. Here is my cut down version for making Half Square Triangles.

I used a 2 1/2" template and cut my strips 2 1/2" x 11"
This will give you 5 HSTs. Youcan make your strips longer but this works well for me.

Now the pieces that are left at the top and bottom can be used to make a 4 patch. There is very little waste with this method.

fabulous!!!!!

Rhonda that's great! I'd seen you do the first stage before but not seaming and using the offcuts and the groovy little 4 patch! Have to try this! Thanks so much for sharing.

Just had another look - sooooo clever! Now what can I make with lots of HSTs? LOL

K this is how I used to do it. As I work in scrappy mostly I don't really do alot this way anymore but if you are doing a bunch of the same fabrics this is a quick easy way to do them. I actually started out seaming the strips on both sides and laying the template on the seam and only cutting out one half of the triangle. This works ok but I felt I had better accuracy with the strips open. Both would be fine to use. This is actually a bit quicker to do. But you do have to clean up the squares sometimes from dogears on some of them.

Oh that's cool too! Would you say that's better for longer strips? I also want to preempt any 'fear of bias' comments - since working with OBWs I don't have this anymore, but personally I'd starch the fabric well before cutting. Bias is your FRIEND - it's there to make things FIT! LOL

I did spray with sizing before I cut but I have never had a problem with bias so I don't think that way. Tho it could be because I usually work in the small stuff and bias isn't an issue there.

As to the length of the strip I would say you can make it as long as you want. You will have to swivel the mini mat but that is just a matter of flipping the length out of the way. I also don't actually measure my strips I just rough cut and open the seams and cut. But I did measure these for those who cannot handle the rough cutting. A lot of people do not like to waste anything so I went with the flo so that would not be an issue here. for me it is faster to just cut and sew with out all the measuring but each to their own. I am about fast and a little waste doesn't bother me.

Thanks for the quick tip Rhonda. Going to be working on a project that has a ton of half-square triangles and this will make it go so fast.

You're welcome! It bothered me to see so many people having to struggle to make HSTs. They really aren't that difficult.
I hope this tutorial helps!

This is wonderful. I was stressing out trying to make those HST's come out even. Love this technique. Going to try it for my swap blocks.

Rhonda thanks for sharing your expertise. I dread cutting out HST or anything weird. I can never match the points or the corners etc. Your tutorial looks like I shall be able to do squares etc. ciao

Great tute Rhonda

Thank you Thank you I love this! This comes under the category of "why didn't I think of that!"

You're all welcome! I hope this makes the process easier and more stress free.

thanks so much for the tutorial, i have been wanting to do a quilt with tons of HST for a long time, but have been putting it off, dreading drawing all those lines and squaring up all those blocks. this will certainly make it a lot easier... :) thanks!

I've just been playing with this with both the strips sewn up each side and swatches, using my scraps. All blue and white and I'm doing stars of different sizes, think it will be a table runner. It's fun and sew easy peasy!

this method is the back bone of our work. Dorothy does these by the thousands for me. I seperate into 6 basic colors and she cuts one color both lights and darks into piles and then sews the piles together and then cuts. she does about 40 each of each fabric so I get 40 HSTS of the same two fabrics. I like to have at least 8 differant sets. So when she works she ends up giving me several hundred to a couple thousand HSTs of that one color way. One time I counted them because her DGS thought it looked like at least 1000 and there was over 3000.

Oh my! Well I haven't made quite THAT many! LOL

But there is a pattern of baskets - know the one I mean? And I love it but have been put off by all the tiny HSTs needed...not any more!

Thanks for this tute. I do the old overcut then trim method. It's a pain in the neck. This looks much more efficient!

I've found that I only have to trim the ears off - the blocks are coming up true. As I always add an inch and trim back when I do them the two squares sewn on the diagonal way, for me this way is loads quicker.

I like to just cut strips without measuring just do it by eye and I then just put them together and sew a straight seam. No math no measuring with a ruler. Sometimes I cut a straight edge if my cut wasn't too straight. I am all about not doing any more math than I have to!! LOL

Wonderful instructions! I'll definitely give this a try. Thanks so much for taking the time to post all of the pictures!

It is a trade off. I think the double seams is quicker to cut but you have to cut dog ears. The single seam open and cut is a cleaner cut with no dog ears but then you have to sew the second side and continue to cut. We do almost all in scrappy so we use primarily stacks of swatches. You do have a little waste with this depending on how well you but up your template to the previous cut. But if you are cutting one inch wider on the 2 squares then you aren't getting any more waste probably than what you had.

I am glad this works for you. I think it is quick and easy and no math. At least not much. I dont' measure my strips so less math if you do it by eye.

I know there's a formula to work out the diagonal of a square but I just measured the diagonal line on my template! I'm with you - if you can avoid maths, it's a gooood thing! LOL

Thanks Rhonda. I Bookmarked it & it will be handy very soon. You do such great work.

Thank you everyone! I just hope it helps people to make HSTs without all the headaches.

Thanks for sharing! I use triangles on a roll. But this is cheaper and probably just as quick since I have to cut all the dog ears.

When I started quilting I couldn't afford to buy anything so I have never been one to buy anything if I can do it myself. This is so easy and is really accurate as long as you make sure the corners stay on the seams as you cut.

Letter on its way. Thanks for the free tutorial. My mother made a lot of quilts and it always looked like a lot of work. I'm anxious to try my hand using your templates and your tutorial.

Thanks Oma and Pooh's mom.

Clever!!!! I didn't know there was so little waste with that method. I might have to try that!!

If you figure the size of your strips close to what you will need and you place your template close to the last cut there isn't much waste.

To figure your size of strips measure from the middle of your template to one corner then add a 1/4" seam allowance if you are cutting with the strips open. Add a 1/2" if you are using the double seams method.( A seam allowance for each side on the double seams.)

I love your idea but afer the first couple od blocks there isn't any printed instructions. Should there be? thanks for all youdo, peterparley

Thank you sooooo much! This makes them seem so much easier that I think I can do them and get them to come out right!

If I forget to add a caption to the picture it won't let me go back and add it in. I was dealing with my son on the phone when I added the those pictures figuring I could go back and edit but it wouldn't let me. I discovered the hard way I had to have something in there for words or the system didn't think there was anything to edit and wouldn't let me go back to it. I decided the pictures spoke for themselves well enough I didn't worry about it. If you need any clarification just ask! thanks!

Great tutorial Rhonda! I'm definately going to give it a try. There are so may great quilts out there made with half square triangles and I've always just looked at them and thought "if only". Well, I think with you method "if only" has arrived! Thanks!!!!! :)

If you or anyone has any questions Dancing Needle just let me know! I think it is easy to make the HSTs this way. I never liked the idea of cutting squares out with a large template and then sewing and cutting again. This eliminates some of those steps and you don't have to buy any aids to make HSTs with. With the open seam method there are no dogears. The HST should come out accurate if you pay attention to your template having the corners on the seam and don't let the template move as you cut.

well aint that just spiffy?!!

Ok, I have a stupid question, Im really not this dense, but I have had a migraine goin on the second day.

So if my pattern calls for a 4 inch HST I just make myself a 4" template and sew a couple strips and I am ready to go??? It sounds to easy (good) to be true.

Am I thinking right? I am so funny, I can wrap my head around the hardest things, but the easy stuff trips me up.