Three ways to make one or more Half Square Triangles

Multiply your fun with half the effort!

Any way you slice it, a half-square triangle is a thing of beauty. For such a simple quilt block, so many incredible designs can be created! Half-square triangles are in about 80% of the quilts we sew here at Missouri Star, so we wanted to give you a few handy tips and tricks to make stitching them together easier than ever.

Here’s how 1 typical half-square triangle is made:

Take two precut fabric squares, stack them right sides together, and draw a line down the center on a diagonal from corner to corner. Sew on the line and trim away a quarter inch away from your seam line. That will give you a half square triangle that is the same size as the squares you started with. It leaves two smaller triangles as scraps. But we can do better than that!

Here are Jenny’s favorite methods of sewing half-square triangles, just for you:

2 at a Time

Take two 5” or 10” precut fabric squares, stack them right sides together, and draw a line down the center on a diagonal from corner to corner. Sew ¼ inch out on both sides of the drawn line, then cut down the line in the center, and press open. That gives you two easy half-square triangles!

4 at a Time

Take two 5” or 10” precut fabric squares and stack them right sides together. Sew ¼ inch all the way around the perimeter of the squares. Then cut twice diagonally, from corner to corner, and press open to make four half-square triangle units! But wait … it gets even better.

8 at a Time

Take two 5” or 10” precut fabric squares, stack them right sides together, and draw an x from corner to corner. Stitch ¼ inch out on both sides of the lines, cut diagonally on each drawn line, and press open to get eight beautiful half-square triangles!



Try using the Clearly Perfect Slotter Trimmers to make squaring up your quilt blocks simple. It’s a nifty quilt template that not only cuts your half-square triangles to the right size but trims the seam down perfectly as well! It’s a neat little invention, click HERE to get yours now!

Be creative with the handy half-square triangle and have a blast! Try playing around with quilt layout possibilities for just fifteen minutes and make something new today.  When you turn and flip these versatile quilt blocks the design possibilities are absolutely endless! Click HERE to see some of the tutorials Jenny used HST to create her pattern.

Royal Wedding Quilt

MSQC New Tutorial on the Blog!

Royal Wedding Quilt

On Saturday, May 19, the eyes of the world were fixed on the royal wedding of Britain’s Prince Harry and his lovely American bride, Meghan Markle. But my eyes? They were fixed on that veil!

Royal Wedding Quilt

It was 16.5 feet of flowing silk tulle with hand-embroidered flowers all along the edge: California poppy to represent Meghan’s home, wintersweet to represent the home of her prince, and flowers for each of the 53 countries in the Commonwealth. As you can imagine, it took hundreds of hours to stitch that garden of silk and organza blooms. And since they were working with such delicate, white silk tulle, the veil’s creators paused every 30 minutes to wash their hands. It was truly a masterpiece, but I’m exhausted just thinking about it!

Royal Wedding Quilt

This week’s new quilt, Royal Wedding, is based on the old English Wedding Ring quilt, but it’s so quick and easy, you’ll be well on your way before teatime! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!

Watch the Latest Tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Co!

Treasure Box Quilt

MSQC New Tutorial on the Blog!

Treasure Box Quilt

Australia is famous for its many national treasures: The Great Barrier Reef. The Sydney Opera House.  Koalas and kangaroos. And, of course, the ridiculously attractive Hugh Jackman. You may not know, however, that Australia is also home to some of the best quilters in the world!

Treasure Box Quilt

On a recent trip to Australia, Jenny picked up this pretty new quilt pattern from a local quilter. (What a souvenir!) Click HERE to learn how to turn your half square triangles into a “treasure” from the Land Down Under!

Treasure Box Quilt

Watch the Latest Tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Co!

Nine Patch and Hourglass Quilt

MSQC New Tutorial on the Blog!

Nine Patch and Hourglass Quilt

This week’s new quilt combines two classic blocks, so please be sure to gather all the supplies necessary for both. (You might want to grab a pen. I’ll wait.)

Nine Patch and Hourglass Quilt

Are you ready? Ok, in order to build an entire quilt’s worth of nine patches and hourglasses, you’re going to need: 10-inch squares. That’s it! The end! Finito!

Nine Patch and Hourglass Quilt

Watch the Latest Tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Co!

The Crown Quilt

MSQC New Tutorial on the Blog!

Learn to make this darling Crown block with Jenny's Quilt Tutorial.

The next time a British monarch takes the throne, keep your eyes peeled for St Edward’s Crown. This 12-inch-tall crown is made of almost 5 pounds of solid gold and 444 precious and semi-precious stones, and it’s been sitting on royal heads during every coronation since the 13th century. (In the market to purchase your own? Start saving now. This crown – along with the rest of the crown jewels –  is worth around 7 billion dollars!)

 

Jenny shows off a fun fast way to create the Crown Quilt!

 

This week Jenny is stitching up a crown of her own. The Crown Quilt is a new take on a traditional block. And of course, Jenny has all the best tips and tricks to make construction a breeze. Click HERE to learn how to piece together the cuddliest crown of all!

Here is the layout of the super cute Crown Quilt.

Be sure to click HERE for the free printable/downloadable PDF!

Watch the Latest Tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Co!