I'd say that quilters tend to have a love/hate relationship with triangles. We know that they are an essential building block for our favorite quilt blocks and patterns, but they can be so tedious to make! As you practice and build your rotary cutting and sewing skills, let's make friends with triangles.
Hint: it helps to have the right tools.
Let's talk about half-square triangles (HST to quilters). What makes them not-super-fun to sew? one word: trimming.
You see, by their nature, HST force us to sew on the bias edges of the fabric (read side-bar about that Here), which can cause fabrics to get distorted or wonky during sewing or pressing. Also, after sewing and pressing, there are pointy ends of excess fabric -called 'dog ears'- that need to be trimmed off to avoid bulkiness and less-than-flat seams in our finished blocks and quilts.
So, trimming. A necessary step, but also what makes those cute little triangles a bit too fussy!
If you'd like to make life a tiny bit easier, try using the Triangle Square Up tool. This ruler combines squaring up and trimming dog ears into one easy step and can be used for HST squares up to 6 1/2".
We made a super quick little tutorial to show you how it works.
Amazing, right? So as you continue to hone your rotary cutting skills, seek out all the useful tools available to make each step easier.
Happy Stitches!
-Sharon
3 comments
I am having trouble with my e/mail. If I call tomorrow, could you help me get my balloon quilt? Thank You!!
Very helpful.
Thank you so much for your inspiration. I haven’t made a quilt in over forty years. I have been afraid to try again. This quilt has given me the courage I need to try. Thank you