Every quilter needs an ultimate guide to making this staple, traditional quilt block – the Half Square Triangle (HST). You either love them or hate them, but no matter, so many beautiful quilt patterns use them. No more hiding! With this Ultimate Half Square Triangle chart and guide, I will help you conquer your fear of HSTs, learn how to make them more efficiently and answer your burning questions about how to make your HST journey quicker and easier!
I have created the Ultimate Half Square Triangle Guide! This guide is the ONLY Half Square Triangle (HST) reference guide you will ever need! It is for quilters who don’t enjoy quilty math, who want efficiency and amazing, precise blocks but who also enjoy a little wiggle room to allow for trimming those little small mistakes!
Ready to plan your next half square triangle project? Don’t know which method to use or what size to cut your fabric? The Ultimate Half Square Triangle Guide is here to save the day, with various methods and calculations, to guide you in your HST journey! No more quilty math or mistakes!
Most common quilting rulers don’t have the ⅛” lines clearly marked and frankly, it can cause more stress to measure at ⅛” increments. SO, the measurements in this guide have been rounded to the nearest ¼” to make our lives and HST journeys easier.
First, we will start with the basics of making HSTs and important considerations in choosing a method!
Half-Square Triangle Basics
First you have some decisions to make. You’ve probably already asked yourself, WHICH method is right for me? How do I know which method to use? Well, I am afraid I have to give you the dreaded answer…it depends. It depends on how many you need, how they are used in the pattern and frankly, what your preference is! So let’s go through a few questions & considerations you need to ask yourself when deciding the best half square triangle method for your project:
Considerations
–How many HSTs do you need?
If you need a ton, then maybe making them with the 8 at-a-time method is probably the most time-saving for you! That’s a no-brainer, right? Sew smarter and faster!
-Is your fabric directional or is the direction of your fabric print important to you/your pattern?
Even if you have 1000 HSTs to make, if you are using a directional fabric then making 8 at-a-time may not be the best method. You’ll need to keep in mind that with your starting square, if you are using the 8 at-a-time method, you’ll be trimming in various directions, which can send your prints in various directions. If you want to have more control, then it may be best to use the 2 or 4 at-a-time method.
-How much fabric do you have to work with? Are you using a fat quarter, yardage or scraps?
Consider how much fabric you have available. If you need larger HSTs and you are working with scraps, then the 8 at-a-time method may not work for you because your starting square size may be larger than the fabric you have available. Same could be said for using fat quarters, if you need to make several HSTs from a smaller amount of fabric, consider the beginning square size and whether your fabric will accommodate your chosen method!
-What is the final size of your HSTs?
If you need larger HSTs then the 8 at-a-time method may not be your best choice, as your starting square size may be too large to comfortably sew and cut.
-Do you need variety with your HSTs or will you need several repeating prints?
If you are working on that batch of 1000 HSTs and don’t mind repeating fabrics, then the 8-at-a-time method may be perfect for you. BUT, if you need more variety in your HSTs, then the 2 or 4 at-a-time method may better suit your project.
Most importantly, let me remind you of this…THERE IS NO WRONG WAY! The quilt police do not exist! You are the boss of your quilt and your project! There are pros and cons to each method and there is NO wrong answer!
Want the FREE printable Ultimate Half Square Triangle Guide?
Ultimate Half Square Triangle Tools:
Baby Lock Sewing Machine (I sew on a Baby Lock Jazz II and a Ballad)
Thread-I use Aurifil 50 wt for all of my piecing
Mechanical pencil/fabric marking pen, i.e. Frixon Pens or Sewline Erasable Pens
Scissors or rotary cutter
Cutting mat – I like using a rotating cutting mat
Straight pins – I like ultra-fine Magic Pins or Clover extra-fine patchwork pins
Seam ripper
Oliso Mini-Project Iron
Wool pressing mat
Specialized trimmers (if you choose), my favorites are:
Clearly Perfect Slotted Trimmers
Bloc Loc HST rulers
Creative Grids 4 in 1 HST Ruler
Creative Grids Square 6.5″ quilting ruler
Affiliate Disclosure Policy: This website uses affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust. There is no additional cost to you.
*This article is not sponsored by any of these makers/manufacturers, they are truly my favorite quilting tools and I want to recommend them to you! Do you have favorites that you swear by? Tell me all about them, I love to try new products out!
11 Comments
[…] Don’t forget to download your copy of the Ultimate Half Square Triangle Guide! […]
[…] half square triangles! This blog post is the second in my 4-part half square triangle series. Last week we covered some of the considerations when deciding which method to use when making these […]
[…] FREE Ultimate Half Square Triangle Guide […]
Thank you so very much. I was given fabric for a b!ue & white Sawtooth Star for a queen size before than 10 years ago. I made my sample bjock. It is beautiful. The thought of all those hst made me shelve the projects. With your methods I think my UFO will be the next project.Thanks again for sharing.Humbly yours,Jacki
That’s great to hear Jackie! I bet that will be beautiful! So glad to hear that you are tackling a UFO! Thanks for being a part of our community!
Just found your tutorial on 32 at a time. What a blessing, I’m starting a quilt that has 120 large 1/2 sts and 340 small 1/2 st, all same colorway. Thanks SO much. Will be joining your community
I’m so glad too! Perfect timing! Good luck on your quilt, bet it will be beautiful!
Thanks so much for your quick tips & tricks! I appreciate your ideas and I’ve only watched two of your videos!! I’ve been making baby quilts through my church and always looking for a different, creative, variety to make them cuter and different without taking too much extra time.
Thank you! So glad to hear that!
I am so excited to learn this 32 at a time half square triangles! I can’t wait to try it!
That’s awesome, so glad to have you here! Hope you enjoy the guide!