HST Block of the Month

Half-Square Triangle Block of the Month, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

Welcome to the Half-Square Triangle Block of the Month! For each month in 2012, I'll present a quick tutorial for a traditional quilt block using half-square triangles (HST)! It's going to be a lot of fun, feel free to join in at any time!

I want to give you a little more information on what to expect and what you'll need before we dive into January's block!

- New blocks will launch the first week of each month.
- Each block will be the standard 12.5" unfinished quilt block. 
- Tutorials will include instructions for two different Half-square Triangle methods, Traditional and Alternative. (Don't worry, we'll talk about both!)

Materials:

HST Block of the Month, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

- Approx. 2 yards total print fabrics OR 2+ charm packs OR 1 layer cake
- 1 1/4 yards background fabric
- 2/3 yard sashing fabric
- 1 yard border fabric
- 3.5 yards backing fabric
- 1 3/4 yard batting
- 1/2 yard binding fabric

Finished Quilt: 54"x67"

Sewing Level: Intermediate

I am slightly hesitant to list all of the materials needed for this quilt for two reasons:

1. The HST method you choose to use will make a difference in how much fabric you need. If you use the traditional method, you can more easily take advantage of pre-cuts: charm packs and layer cakes. If you use the alternative method, which uses larger squares, pre-cuts won't work very well!

2. I want to encourage you to work from your stash on this project! I'm taking a semi-scrappy approach to my quilt and will be sharing scrappy sashing, border, and backing tutorials. So, you may want to hold off on buying all your materials just yet! :)

My recommendation is to work from a healthy stack of fat quarters. I think this will give you the most flexibility in terms of which method you use as well as give you plenty of variety in your quilt!

Choosing Fabrics

Half-Square Triangle Block of the Month, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

Here is the stack that I'm using for my quilt and for our tutorials! I started with a few navy prints from Tula Pink's Prince Charming and pulled colors from there. Lots of yellows, yellow-greens, turquoise, and more navy fabrics. I made sure not to choose any fabrics that have a white background color, so that I get maximum contrast in my HSTs.  I'm using Kona Snow for my background fabric.

You can interpret the blocks however you'd like, but in general I think working with color stacks of 3, 4, and 5 colors will be the most effective!

Half-Square Triangle Methods

Block of the Month: January, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

Like I mentioned above, I'll be providing cutting measurements for two different HST methods. Let's talk about both:

1. Traditional Method - This seems to be the most common way to create HSTs. You start with two squares (1 background, 1 print), and place them right sides together. Using a ruler and pencil, you draw a line across the diagonal on the top square, sew 1/4" on either side of the line and finall cut on the line creating two HSTs.  You can see my tutorial for this method here.

2. Alternative Method* - This is my current preferred method for making HSTs.  This method still uses two squares (1 background, 1 print), but they are larger.  You place them right sides together, and sew 1/4" all around all four sides. Using your ruler, but cut along both diagonals, creating four HSTs. You can see Christina's tutorial for this method here. I'll be sharing more about this method later this month!

*A few of you have expressed concern over this method as your HSTs end up cut on the bias. At the end of this video tutorial for the method, the instructor suggests using starch to help make sure you don't have any stretching when you sew your HSTs together. I have never had any trouble with this method, but if you're uncomfortable with it, I'd recommend sticking with the Traditional method.

 The method you choose to use is totally up to you! Both give you the same result, and you still have to trim using both methods!

Block of the Month: January, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

Most if not all of the quilt blocks I'll be sharing with you are traditional in style. I managed somehow to not write out any of the block names as I was collecting blocks for this project. I'm going to try to find the true names after we get started! Many of them I found with the help of The Quilter's Album of Patchwork Patterns by Jimmy Beyer and the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns by Barbara Brackman. Both are fantastic resources!

I've created a page for this quilt that you can find in the header! It will have the button, which I'll also provide below, as well as links to each month's block!

If you'd like you can grab a button for your blog here:

<br /> <a href="http://incolororder.blogspot.com/p/block-of-month.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjxjvJuamqspiw2OZa_2zDJt5bvB9i4prM_9QAmyEJ7N59fOn4H6ea3oqQVldT_hOlYlLiLgc6isiAALPAOVQRgF8UULr9FYRVgpkUE3ZMSQvNmIJA6AB89ClCXssS8QKGXdZRxppN09l/s1600/HSTBOM.png"></a><br />

Finally, if you'd like to make extra blocks and a bigger quilt, consider using one of these three free quilt settings:


Over And Above Quilt Setting Tutorial


Blockade Quilt Setting Tutorial


Interlaced Quilt Setting Tutorial