Round the Mountain Mini Quilt Mystery, Clue Two: Making HSTs and QSTs

How to Create and Square Up a Half Square Triangle (HST) Quilt Block

The Traditional Method of making Half Square Triangle Blocks (HSTs) is to place a 2-7/8″ x 2-7/8″ dark square right sides together with a 2-7/8″ x 2-7/8″ light square. My personal preference is to cut the squares slightly too large and square them up to 2-1/2″ later on, so I will have you use the 3″ squares.

Draw a diagonal line on the back of one square. Sew 1/4″ on both sides of the line. Cut on the line and press to the dark.

You will have made two identical Half Square Triangle (HST) blocks.

There are two ways you can square up your block. While the HST is folded, you can place a square ruler so the diagonal line is directly over the seam and just cut two edges. Then open up the block and press.

The picture below is from an older tutorial. Don’t let the size confuse you! You are making 2-1/2″ square HSTs.

Or you can open the block, press to the dark, and then cut around a 2-1/2″ square ruler.  Either way, you should press to the dark.

How to Chain Stitch Your Quilt Blocks

When you are working on a series of identical blocks, it helps to chain stitch them.  Just lay your squares on your work-space the way you will put them through the machine. Sew one right after the other without cutting the thread.  In the picture below, the bottom square is face up and the top square is face down.

Here you can see them going through the machine.  That’s an older Brother, by the way, but here is a newer one that has all the stitches and feet a quilter needs for travel.  That’s a 1/4″ foot in the picture below.

Cut them apart when you are done and press! I travel with an Oliso Mini-Iron.  It gets very hot and does everything a big iron can do.   But it doesn’t self-rise like the big one does, so you really need the pink solemate that it comes with.

Assemble:
(18) 3″ Charm Squares
(18) 3″ Background squares

Following the directions above, create (36) HSTs. Square up to 2-1/2″.

Assemble:
(8) 3″ Tan Accent Squares (my “tan accent” is green plaid)
(8) 3″ Background squares

Following the directions above, create (16) HSTs. Square up to 2-1/2″

Creating and Squaring Up Quarter Square Triangle (QST) Quilt Blocks

Assemble:
(2) 5-1/2″ Blue Accent Squares (my blue accent fabric is the globes)
(2) 5-1/2″ Background squares

Following the directions above with the 5-1/2″ squares, create (4) HSTs.  Do NOT square these up!  You will do that after you make the QSTs (Quarter Square Triangles.)

Place (2) of the HSTs that you just made right sides together with the dark part of the HST on alternate sides. Because of the way you pressed the seam, they should just touch each other in the middle. The edges of the block set will be a bit ragged.

Draw a line on the diagonal and sew 1/4″ on both sides of your drawn line. Cut on the drawn line and press open.  Yes, you can twirl the seam of a Quarter Square Triangle. The Surgical Seam Ripper shown in the picture below is a big help because of how small (and sharp!) the point is.  I keep it in its original package so I can find it easily.

Square up the block to 4-1/2″ x 4-1/2″. You will make (4) QSTs.