Adventures in Quilting - Tools for Half Square Triangles

Welcome to another adventure with my good friend (and uber talented designer!), Kate Colleran of Seams Like a Dream.  This month, we are exploring the HST - the Half Square Triangle.  

On Kate's blog, she is weighing in on the love/hate relationship many of us have with this versatile, seemingly humble, frequently used block.  And I am bringing you a review of several of the tools that can make stitching up a stack of HSTs a breeze.  

So you know the drill - pour yourself a large cup of coffee, get comfy, and let's explore some of the tools that you can use to sew half square triangles.  Then pop over to visit Kate to discuss the positives and negatives of the block!

Let me start by saying I LOVE this block.  Yep, I do.  It is a virtual chameleon - it can create star points, simulate Broken Dishes, bring to mind breezy days with Pinwheels, and champion friendship with Friendship Stars.  What's not to love, right?  

What tools make a half square triangle easy-peasy, lemon squeezey?  Like many techniques in the quilting realm, it is often stitcher's choice.  Here a few for your consideration - and please note - these are all tools I've used, but I have absolutely NO affiliation with any of these companies!  However, where possible, I've provided links for you regarding the products listed:

• Chalk marker or pencil: Ok, before you throw up your hands and say "Really?! I thought you were going to talk to me about tools!" hear me out.  IMHO, if you are stitching up just a few HSTs, or need to make some odd sizes, nothing beats the tried and true standard of marking, stitching and cutting a few squares.

        

• Which brings me to another essential - a square ruler.  No matter the method I use to stitch up my HSTs, I  ALWAYS check the accuracy and square it up with my square ruler.  How do you "square up" a HST?  Place the seam line of the block on the 45 degree line on the square ruler, align the raw edges to the desired size, and trim.

• Triangles on a Roll: This is a personal favorite of mine, and one I've used for years.  Absolutely NO affiliation - just a tried and true standard.  Just like it's name, TOAR is a printed paper roll that has stitching and cutting lines marked on it, and comes in a variety of standard sizes (i.e. whole and 1/2" sizes).  Each roll makes hundreds of HSTs in a single size. How do you use it?  Cut your two fabrics the size as indicated on the roll, usually about 1/4" larger than needed to provide ease.  Cut the desired length of paper, based on the number of HSTs needed, and pin to the wrong side of the fabric.  Stitch along the stitching lines, cut along the cutting lines.  What could be easier? (FYI - I find it easier to keep my lengths shorter - no longer than 10").

        Note: I've used a single row of paper (4 HSTs) for ease of demonstrating.

• Thangles: Similar in concept to Triangles on a Roll, Thangles are also templates printed on paper.  But this time, the paper templates come in short, manageable strips.  And also like Triangles on a Roll, they come in multiple standard sizes.  So why use one over the other?  Absolutely no reason, other than availability.  You may find your local quilt shop carries one and not the other, or one may not have the size you need.  Some like the ease of the Thangles strips, while others prefer the quantity that TOAR will stitch up.  But note Thangles works exactly the same way - pin the template to the wrong side of one of your two paired fabrics, sew on the stitching lines, cut on the cutting line.  Ta da - perfect HSTs!

• Half Square Triangle Stencils by Sunday Best Quiltworks: I found this awesome product through my local quilt shop.  I love the versatility of them, and the fact that once I purchase a stencil, I don't have to worry about running out!  So how do the stencils work?  They are thin plastic, much like quilting motif stencils, that you pin to the wrong side of one of your layered fabrics.  You then use a chalk marker (my preference) or a water soluble marker to mark your sewing and stitching lines.  Then, just as with TOAR or Thangles, you stitch on the stitching lines, and cut on the cutting lines to create your HSTs.  

Did I miss a tool?  Probably!  I didn't even get started on all of the specialty rulers that abound.  But if you know of a super duper HST tool, please share the wealth and the knowledge!  Let us know in the comments below, and I'll update the listing to include more awesome HST tools, so we can all stitch up stacks and stacks of this versatile block, quickly and easily!

Don't forget to head over to Kate's blog as well, and see if she loves or hates the humble HST......and let us know how you weigh in on the relationship too.

Thanks for sharing the quilting passion with me. Happy stitching!

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