connie_1936

starch,starch,starch! i cut mine to the needed maesurement and haven't had any problems. i think because i never cut any bias blocks wthout lots of starch.

blondeslave

I'll never forget my first big project with HST. I cut the pieces exactly the size the pattern said. All of those beautiful HST just a tiny bit too small. Had to do them all over again(fortunately I had just enough fabric). Never again. I will always cut them bigger from now on and one day will find a purpose for all of those too small ones I have in my scrap bin.

blondeslave

I'll never forget my first big project with HST. I cut the pieces exactly the size the pattern said. All of those beautiful HST just a tiny bit too small. Had to do them all over again(fortunately I had just enough fabric). Never again. I will always cut them bigger from now on and one day will find a purpose for all of those too small ones I have in my scrap bin.

watterstide

http://www.blockcentral.com/a-halfsq...glepaper.shtml

hope this helps!

watterstide

http://www.blockcentral.com/a-halfsq...glepaper.shtml

hope this helps!

Krystyna

I'm with you on goodbye HSTs! I was going to make a doll quilt with them. Cutting, cutting, cutting. And I even marked the 1/4" on the edges. Went to sew them together and MESS! I did much better on a larger quilt. I didn't do all the fussy stuff and the quilt came out just great.

jitkaau

I never have any problem adding 7/8 of an inch to the final size that I want the square to be, drawing a diagonal line corner to corner, sewing a 1/4 of an inch on either side of the line with two squares right side together. Then, after you have chained as many as you want, you cut straight down on the drawn line. There is no need to waste material and time by cutting down, as they are accurate.

lynnsv

start with squares 3/8" larger than the size you want,then draw diagonal line. I've found that if you sew just a little less than a 1/4" from the diagonal, they are more true to size. Also have used Thangles; they come in all different sizes.

angiecub

this is also the way we were taught in quilt class. Make squares bigger, draw a line diagonally down the center, and sew 1/4" from each side of that line.

helen31406

The solution to half square triangles is paper piecing. It is so much simpler than try to cut across the corners.

Draw the square. Mark two lines 1/4" from the apex on diagonal sides. Sew on these lines. Cut down the middle. The stitching will be perfectly placed. If you are slightly off on the cut, it's in the seam allowance and won't matter.

Happy stitching!!!