Half Square Triangles (HSTs) are a great building block for so many awesome quilts! The same fear of sewing on the bias that made me fall in love with 3D Flying Geese also inspired the 3D HSTs; regular half-square triangles can be a little daunting. With another little trick to make things easier, you can pull these off simply and add another 3D element, too! Here is our half square triangle tutorial!
Materials
You will need two squares of fabric that are the same size for this HST. The two squares will make one unit, so if you have a pattern you are using you will need to double the amount of fabric required (not a bad thing; this is an awesome scrap/stash buster!).
I used two 4-inch squares.
Prep
Leave your background fabric as is.
Take the other square, fold it corner-to-corner and press.
Layer the pressed piece on top of the background fabric and pin in the center.
Sew
I kid you not, now your HST is ready to go. Sew it into your quilt block as you would any other HST. Pinwheels, chevrons, any layout you wish. Trust me, just do it!
Press and sew as you would any other HST. And you are done!
These make a great tactile element for baby quilts and throw pillows. You can also cut the top square smaller than the background fabric and have a little peek of color and texture.
What’s your favorite quilt block or pattern that uses Half Square Triangles?
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