I make a lot of Half Square Triangles. Have you noticed that many of my Quiltblox patterns include them? There’s a great reason for that. Half Square Triangles (HSTs) are so easy to make and they can be combined in nearly endless ways to create interesting designs.
Most designers calculate the square size you need to cut by adding 1/4 inch to the starting square size. So … for a finished block size of 5 inches (5-1/2 inches unfinished), you would cut a 5-7/8 inch square.
I prefer to cut the starting squares a little larger to begin with. Since the blocks must be trimmed (or squared up) anyway, why not start with a slightly larger, easier-to-cut square?
The math has already been done – I’ve created the chart below for block sizes 2 inches up to 12 inches in 1/2 inch increments. This chart is the latest addition to my Quilt Math series of charts and guides – helping you with some of that troublesome math.
Just click on the image or the button below it to open the file and print out a copy.
The chart above is one example of the charts and guides I’m adding to the – QUILT MATH section of this website, under the LEARN tab at the top of any page on the website.
I have a few more to add, but several useful charts are included in QUILT MATH right now. You can print them out and have them handy for when you need to refer to them. I hope you find them to be as helpful as I do!