Do you shy away from making half square triangles? I used to. Now that I've learned how to make 8 at a time half square triangles (HSTs), I'm calling that my new quilting superpower.
With just a few basic tools, it's easy to turn a few squares of fabric into beautiful half square triangles, making for a fun and creative journey for any level of quilter.
Today, I'm going to show you how to make 3 1/2" HSTs. Rather than making them 1 at a time, we're making 8. It's easy and fast!
You need
Washable fabric marking pen
Scissors or rotary cutter
Sewing machine
Thread
(2) 9" squares of fabric
Mark the diagonal lines
You will need to mark your own lines, of course, but I have already marked mine in the photographs. You'll notice they are blue. I've added the ruler to show where you need to mark your lines.
Using washable marking pen, mark 2 diagonal lines on the wrong side of one of the squares. See photos below.
Mark a horizontal line
Using washable marking pen, mark 1 horizontal line across the wrong side of the same fabric square. See photo below.
Mark a vertical line
Now, mark a vertical line going from top to bottom on the wrong side of the same square See photo below. You should now have 4 lines drawn on the wrong side of the same fabric square just as I do.
Sew
Put both fabric squares right sides together (RST) with the marked piece on the top side where you can see the lines you drew. Sew 1/4" from the diagonal lines on both sides of the line. You should now have 4 lines of stitching.
See the close-up photo below. Notice the seam lines on either side of the blue diagonal lines only.
Cut along all blue lines
Using scissors or a rotary cutter, carefully cut along all of the blue lines you drew. You should now have 8 pieces. See photo below.
Press
Press to set seam. Now, open the half square triangle and press seam to one side, or press seam open, if preferred. If you press to one side, it is easier to nest seams later.
Trim
Now that you have pressed all the half square triangles, trim to desired size. For this tutorial, you should trim to 3 1/2" x 3 1/2".
