My Least Favorite Way To Make Half Square Triangles

I don't know what possessed me.  I was at my Wednesday UFO group at Eddie's Quilting Bee and had planned to work on my Posh Basket blocks.  Somehow I had left my half square triangles at home and had to start over and make some more.  The book I am using for the block pattern, Basket Bonanza, is a Patchwork Place publication.  Patchwork Place is owned by Nancy Martin, a well known quilter and author, whose favorite method of constructing half square triangles is something she called "Bias Squares".  All the Patchwork Place publications show this method for making HSTs.  I had succumbed to trying this technique about ten years ago and swore I would never do it again.  But I did.

First you take two 8 inch squares and layer them right sides both up.  You cut it in half diagonally, then move your ruler over 2 1/2 inches and cut again on either sides of the center cut.

Then you alternate the contrasting sections and sew two units as shown below.

Here is one unit all sewn together.

I evened out the left hand edge.

You then use a special ruler created for cutting perfect half square triangle units.  There are at least two of them out there, one is called The Bias Square Ruler and the other is The Precision Trimmer.  Both tools have diagonal lines to help you get the exact 45 degree seam line angle you need for a perfect half square triangle.

Being a woman who is somewhat spatially challenged, I stared at this unit for quite a while trying to figure out what to do with it next.

My instincts told me to just line the darn ruler up at the 2 1/2 inch mark, with the diagonal line perfectly matched up with the seam line, but noooooooo.  That isn't what the book said to do.  The instructions in the book had me cut strips first and then cut my half square triangles.  Why?

This seemed like a totally useless step to me.  At any rate, you can get four extremely accurate, perfect half square triangles out of each of the striped units, eight total out of the two units. 

I started this at 10:00, and by 11:30 I had produced four excellent, perfectly beautiful 2 1/2 inch half square triangles.  My friends, all extremely talented and experienced quilters were all laughing at me.  "Show us again how you did that?"  "Why do you want to do it that way?"  "I have never heard of anyone doing it like that!"  This led to a lively discussion, you can be sure.

After lunch, I went back to the cutting area and followed my instincts and just whacked out the half square triangles without doing the (to me) unnecessary strip cutting step.  I did get faster at it and finished cutting the 40 units in a half hour or so. 

I know we have talked about how we make our half square triangles before.  There are SO many ways to go about it:  triangle paper, triangle strips, the Easy Angle ruler, the Angler 2, or (imho the worst method) cutting tons of triangles and sewing them together.  The method I keep going back to is the one where you cut 2 7/8 inch squares, draw a diagonal line and sew on each side of your drawn line, then cut on the line for two 2 1/2 inch half square triangle units.  Low tech for sure, but all you need is a pencil and a ruler.

Does anyone out there like making half square triangles in the manner I have illustrated today?  Do you get faster at it?  Is it the accuracy thing that makes it attractive to you?  I am willing to be convinced, so talk to me.

Added later:  I also read in the Basket Bonanza book that you should use up ALL the leftover fabric by making 1 inch half square triangles out of the remaining fabric and save them up to make a scrap quilt out of all the teensy little half square triangles.  Right.  I will be doing that for sure.

Comments

[Lisa D.]

Oh boy, that method looks way too complicated to me! I have used a similar method for making bias rectangles, and that works very well, but I still prefer making my HSTs by using 2 oversized squares (about 1" larger than the finished size of your HSTs), laying the 2 squares right sides together, cutting on the diagonal, stitching, pressing and then trimming to size using a bias square ruler. It's time consuming too, but really accurate.

[Cindy]

Oh my, that's a lot of work for making half square triangles. I do it the old fashion way like you do

[Miss Jean]

I do it your way. I used to use the paper, but not so much anymore. With all due respect to Nancy Martin who is an accomplished quilter, teacher, author and who knows TONS more than I do, her method is (pause to try to come up with something polite) AWFUL!
Whew!

[zizzybob]

I'm with Lisa D on this one. One inch larger, blah, blah, blah, trim to size. Perfect, fast and easy every time.

[Cara]

WOW, that is a very compicated method. No matter how acurate I don't think I could stand doing it. It's be faster to simply measure and square up ones done...well almost anyway.
I do my HST like you. Add 7/8 to the finished size and sew up the middle.

[Nancy Stevens]

Like the others, your method is my method. Sheesh.

n, np

[Libby]

I have never gathered the courage to attempt the method you share here . . . way too many steps for my little pea brain to grasp. Straight-forward works best for me. I cut the ___ 7/8" strip into squares and sub-cut into tons of triangles. No brains - no headaches *s*

[Susan Ramey Cleveland]

Good grief! I've never used that method, but I don't believe I ever will. It looks way to complicated. I usually make HSTs by sewing two squares together then cutting the unit in half diagonally, like you described.

[Karen]

Ditto for the Lisa D method. Love that Precision Trimmer ruler to do the final trimming.

[doki]

hi--i'm a long-time lurker and just had to jump in. i used to calculate out the 7/8" and squinted at the ruler to get it right on the little line--and then one day realized that for me, it's so much easier to just cut 1 whole inch extra and then trim down to size (sometimes because of my shoddy workmanship, it's just the right size anyway). just my 2 cents :-)

[Thimbleanna]

Wow -- that's sure different isn't it? And I hate to be rude, but sometimes I think people come up with those "different" methods just to sell a "different" method -- whether it's good or not. Stuff like this drives me crazy -- I wish people would just accept that the old simple ways are just fine and move on to another way to make a buck. There. I said it. Sorry. I'll go stand in the corner now!

[Lois]

I used to use the papers but now add the 7/8" and find that works just fine. Seems like too many steps in the one you tried but then I've never tried it.....maybe will someday.

[Kelly]

I've just finished a quilt which in the instructions explained how to make the triangles like you have just done.

However, I just couldn't get my head around it and it totally confused me as I'm a pictures girl.

Now it is clearer that I've seen the pictures!

So, instead I just cut the squares - light and dark - to the size that I needed and then made the "bonus" triangles by sewing on the other side of the line.

[Tracey]

This method looks too time consuming and complicated to me! Here's my favorite way to do the half square triangles (great for the lazy, unaccurate sewers like me): Cut the squares 1" bigger than the finished size. Draw a line on the diagonal. Sew 1/4" on each side of the line, cut in half then trim. I like doing 1" rather than 7/8 because my seams are sometimes wobbly, and I need the extra insurance :-)

[Wanda]

I never cared for that method either in spite of the fact that it is the most accurate.

[Sharon]

OMG you lost me half way thru. There are much easier ways to do those. WOW!!!! I like cutting the square and drawing the line diagonally and then sewing on each side of the line and cut. There ya have it.

[pam]

I don't like it either. Its crazy talk. I just cut squares a bit bigger and trim down. My biggest problem comes from my pressing, not my sewing. Nice description though!

[Darlene]

OMG, that's way too much work for me. ICK! My favorite if I'm having make a ton of 1/2 square triangles then it has to be Triangles on a Roll. If I'm making just a handful then it __ 7/8" with the pencil and ruler - perfect everytime. :-)

[Karen Lee]

Your update to this is hilarious! I love it when you give a tutorial but this one is so darn witty and wise. (1) Here's how to do it (ACK'ing all the way) and (2) Why would you to this anyway? is Right.

I love it!!!

[Julia]

2 squares 1 inch bigger, sew down the middle, cut, blah, blah, blah-----that's the way for me. This that you have just shown looks way to complicated for me.

[Mary Wood]

AH Nicole you make all the things you do look so darn easy.
Hugs Mary.

[Ruth]

I have three templates where you cut two rectangles, put the template on top, draw lines, sew 1/4" away on both sides of the lines and you end up with 16 HSQs. I used this method for lots of quilts and it does work pretty well, HOWEVER, I would end up with a few HSQs that were too small. I haven't used the templates for a while, going back to the old-fashioned method that most of you prefer. However, now that I think about it, even if I have a few unusable HSQs, it might be faster in the long run, and even wastes less fabric. I am going to use some of the under sized HSQs to make doll quilts. The template is called Brandy's and it comes in 3 different sizes. I don't know if it is even available any more. I bought mine at the Dallas Quilt Show years ago.

[Marcie]

I tried that method of Nancy's when I first started quilting. Forget about it! If I just need a few HSTs I use Lisa's method and trim them to perfection. If I need tons I used Triangles on a Roll. I love those! Aren't we lucky to have so many choices?

[julie]

Well, I would mess that up right away, so congratulations for stickin' to it! I do the 3/8 of an inch bigger squares, line down the middle and stitch a 1/4 inch from the line on each side...

[julie]

Well, I would mess that up right away, so congratulations for stickin' to it! I do the 3/8 of an inch bigger squares, line down the middle and stitch a 1/4 inch from the line on each side...