Half-Square Triangles

Posted on October 13, 2018 by prairiemoonquilts in Summertime Sampler, Tutorials

Let’s talk about Half-Square Triangles for a bit, shall we?

There are more methods for making them than you can shake a stick at!

And the name seems confusing to me, because the units are not triangles, they’re squares made up of triangles that are half of a square. I’ve always called them Triangle Squares, but since they’re generally and widely known as Half-Square Triangles, or HSTs, we’re gonna go with that here, too!

I chose five of my favorite methods for making them, and wrote tutorials on them a couple years ago. You can find them at the following links:

Tutorial #1

Tutorial #2

Tutorial #3

Tutorial #4

Tutorial #5

Look them over, give one or two of them a try, and pick your own favorite!

Since the time I wrote these tutorials, Cake Mix papers have come on the market, too, and some of the Cake Mix recipes make Half-Square Triangles as well, if you prefer using those.

If you’re participating in the Summertime Sampler BOM program at Sew Sweet Quilt Shop, then you have several opportunities to make some half-square triangles. I use my all-time favorite method in the pattern (Tutorial #1 above), but feel free to experiment with a different method, if you like it better, while you’re making your Summertime Sampler.

Below, I recreated Filler Section One with some scraps. The original versions of the quilt use prints along with background fabric, but in this experiment, I wanted to see how it would look if I used all prints and none of the background fabric.

I also cut the squares a bit larger than the pattern specified, made my units, then used my Bloc-Loc ruler to trim them to the necessary size, which I did not do in my original quilts. (Just to try something different!)

I hope you’re enjoying your Summertime Sampler blocks so far, and I’ll be back on November 10th with some tips on how I did the appliqué on the traditional version of my Summertime Sampler.

6 responses to “Half-Square Triangles”

  1. Wendy says:

    I think I’ve tried all of these methods, but my preferred is #1 with the BlocLoc ruler on standby. I’m waiting for my Block 2 fabrics to arrive. 🙂

  2. Karen E. says:

    How did you press the HSTs used in the small quilt with no background fabrics? I struggle with attaching the next HST and then how to press that one. I’ve often clipped the seam allowance to the stitching line and pressed each half opposite directions, but I don’t think this is a good idea if it’s a quilt that will get lots of use and washing.

    Thanks.

  3. Marlene Clausen says:

    Very soon after my introduction to quilting (almost 30 years ago), a wonderful teacher did me the favor of introducing me to the bias square method of making HST’s. They were introduced in the book, “Back to Square One” by That Patchwork Place. The book is now out of print but can be found used online. I have tried every other method and none works as well for me as bias squares.

  4. Meloney says:

    I was just thinking about doing some tutorials on HST methods. Now, I can just refer them to your site. 🙂
    Lots less work for me.
    I love HST quilts. They are so much fun to play with

  5. Darlene says:

    Hi Shelly,
    Thank you for putting all the different ways in one area. Still kinda new at quilting each pattern tends to have a different method. It will be good to have my favorite and then be able to adapt the pattern.

  6. I use #1 all the time, and when I have to make a lot of them, I use #2. I try to keep my piecing as simple as possible.

Leave a Reply to Karen E. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *