Quilting Basics 3: How to Piece Half Square Triangles

LeahDay

Leah Day has been teaching online since 2009. She's the creator of the Free Motion Quilting Project, a blog filled with thousands of quilting tutorial videos. Leah has written several books including 365 Free Motion Quilting Designs, Explore Walking Foot Quilting with Leah Day, and Mally the Maker and the Queen in the Quilt.

3 Responses

  1. eddys says:

    Hi Leah Day,
    Thanks for all the quilting tutorials. I have learned a lot. After putting sewing on the shelf for a couple of decades due to a non-functioning sewing machine, I got a machine for Christmas. So far I have mostly made table runners. They are great learning projects and the little tips and the little details are what have improved my skills so much.

    Could you comment on a couple of things:

    When pressing the seams, I have been in the habit of first pressing the seam unopened to set the stitches, then open up the seams, finger-press and finish up with the iron. Is there value in "setting" the stitches first? Does it help or harm?

    An older and much more experienced quilter told me she starches the squares when making half square triangles. What is your take on this suggestion?

    Thank you,

    Brit

  2. Leah Day says:

    Great questions Brit! Personally I don't press to set a seam because 1) it doesn't seem to help get the seam open to me and 2) it heats up the fabric so I singe my fingertips as I try to open it! So I just don't do that step because it doesn't work for me.

    On Half square triangles, I starch and press all my fabric before cutting so it's already stiff and stable for piecing before it's cut. After it's cut, I don't typically starch again unless the fabric goes really loosey goosey. Does that make sense?

  3. eddys says:

    Thanks, and yes, your explanation makes sense.

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