At the retreat this past week, I spent some time working on a scrap quilt that I started last year.
The design has LOTS and LOTS of Half-Square triangles and I was looking for a way to make them quickly and accurately!!
My first decision was to use two squares of fabric, sew a line on the diagonal and then discard the other portion of the squares.
I know that technically this wastes fabric but it made use of the 2.5-inch squares that I had already cut and it meant that I didn’t have to do any trimming!!
I started out drawing a line on one of the squares and sewing along that line but that took WAY too long!!
To circumvent the process, I decided to mark the sewing line on my machine using painter’s tape……

I started out with the needle squarely in the corner of the squares…..

I then carefully stitched, making sure that the opposite point followed along the tape edge….
I normally use BOTH hands to guide the squares but one hand had to hold the camera steady!!
Note that I ended with the needle square in the corner!!
The next step was to iron the dark triangle over…..

Trim off the excess fabric…..

And then press it flat!!
Now, I know that there are tools designed for this very purpose…..

…..but it was nice to use something as simple as a piece of tape!!!
And, I LOVE how the quilt is looking now…..

6 thoughts on “Perfecting Half-Square Triangles”
I love the movement in this quilt! So simple, yet it reads complex!
I am loving the sparkle that it shows!!
Beautiful!
Thanks Jean. I am putting it away and will work again at the next retreat!!
Great way to use your time – and all those squares.
The quilt top is looking great.
Thanks Karen. It took a while but I am starting to like it more!!