OCTOBER 2004
HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES MADE WITH
HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE PAPER
 

This block is based on HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES. Perhaps your sewing or ironing distorts these blocks so they aren’t accurate. Some quilters just end up making them big and trim them to the correct size. BUT! There is an easier way to make them, and for large projects you can make scads at a time. Have you tried the printed triangle papers available? There are several brands and they come in lots of sizes for about every project. To try this technique Triangles on a Roll will be available at the meeting from the Vice President.  You can pick up enough to make one block.

For this block we will use the 2" finished block size. You will only need 8 squares of the paper as you get two 2" blocks for every square. Cut apart carefully on solid black lines into 3 pieces: Two with 2 squares and one with 4 squares.

You will need three fabrics: a light, medium and dark.

Cut two pieces of the DARK each approximately 6 ½" x 3 ½".

Cut one piece of the LIGHT and one of the MEDIUM each approximately 6 ½" x 3 ½".

Cut one piece of the LIGHT and one of the MEDIUM each approximately 6 ½" square.

Layer a piece of DARK and a matching size piece of MEDIUM, right sides together.

Layer a piece of DARK and a matching size piece of LIGHT, right sides together.

Layer a square piece of LIGHT with the square of MEDIUM, right sides together.

You will have 3 fabric sandwiches to go with the 3 pieces of paper.

Put the matching size paper on top of each sandwich and pin the layers together. Sew on the machine following the arrows. Sew off the edge, turn and continue until all DOTTED lines are sewn.

Then with your rotary cutter and ruler, cut on all solid lines, including the lines on the edges. Each triangle when opened and pressed will give you an exact 2" half square triangle. Try pressing before removing the paper for perfect squares every time. Some quilters like to cut off the little triangles before sewing the squares together. Lay out your squares as shown below. Sew your squares together with a scant ¼" seam for a perfect 8 ½" block (unfinished size!).