Welcome back to the Leaf Peepers Quilt Along!
Today we're diving into the piecing and I am going to teach you how to piece half square triangles.
This method makes two half square triangles out of two squares of fabric, and it's one of my favorite methods for piecing triangles quickly and accurately.
Learn how to piece the half square triangles you need for block one in this new quilting tutorial:
Quick links to everything mentioned in this quilting tutorial:
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Don't forget to check out Sheri's tutorial for this week too! Click Here to find Sheri's post on pieicng Block #1.
How to Piece Half Square Triangles
The first step to piecing half square triangles is to carefully stack the right pieces together. Take your time and double check as you stack all the pieces for Block 1 together in sets of two squares.
Also make sure the fabrics are stacked right sides together. The batik fabrics I'm working with don't really have a right or wrong side, but if you were piecing with a printed fabric it's very important to line up the squares right sides together and with the edges perfectly stacked on top of one another.
Next mark a diagonal line from corner to corner through the middle of each set of squares.
I use my favorite ceramic marking pencil to mark that the medium to dark fabrics. When I am working with very light fabrics I use the fine line water-soluble blue pen.
To stitch the half square triangles all you need to do is stitch 1/4 inch to either side of the marked line. I first stitch through a scrap charger on my machine, then double check that my stitch length is set to 1.5 mm. This ensures I'm stitching with a very tight, secure stitch length. Click here to find more tips on quilt piecing.
To quickly piece all of the half square triangles needed for this quilt block, I chain pieced all of them together. This means I would stitch one half square triangle, then stop with the needle in the down position, lift the foot, and slide the next set of squares into position. Piecing this way, I was able to piece the units faster, and reduce my bobbin thread waste.
Careful Trimming Is the Key
The last step in constructing your half square triangles is to cut the shapes apart and press the seam allowances open. When cutting you'll probably want to use your rotary cutter and ruler. I used a pair of scissors to cut right along the marked center line.
Once the triangles have been cut apart, gently finger press the seam allowance open so the unit is flat. Then press with a hot, dry iron.
Follow the instructions in the quilt pattern to trim your quilt block down to the correct size needed for block number one.
Would you like to see how block number one is pieced step by step? Click Here to find Sheri's post and learn how she pieced this beautiful leaf block.
And just in case you're just finding this quilting tutorial, please know that you can join in the fun anytime. All you need is the Leaf Peepers Quilt Pattern, available here.
Let's go quilt,
Leah Day
Quick links to all the posts for the Leaf Peepers Quilt Along:
2 comments
That’s awesome Janine! I’m so happy to hear it!
This is the best explanation of this technique that I have seen. I FINALLY understand t. Thank you so much Leah. I am definately going to try this.