Half Square Triangles...To tool or not?

Per request, I will throw out a brief post on some of the Half Square rulers that are out there....

Some??????





Tape tool when "adding 7/8"

This little collection doesn't even include the triangle papers that are out there!!!! Go ahead and google "Half Square Triangle tools"; the pictures and methods go on and on.

My ruler of choice is Sharon Hultgren's Easy Angle ruler. I like the black, slightly raised lettering. For me, some other rulers are difficult to read depending on what color cutting mat you use. (ie: Omnigrids use yellow, Nifty Notions uses red/pink).

The advantage (as I see it) in using the rulers is you only need to follow the "add the 1/2"" rule as you do with simple squares, RATHER than needing to following the "adding 7/8" rule". Reasoning: now that I have become a die-hard Bonnie K. Hunter scrap user, I like to keep my strips and scraps at whole and half inch cuts; those 7/8" cuts annoy me! This doesn't mean that YOU must have or use a tool! This is a personal preference....

Having said all this....The lesson part...

If you want to create a simple 4-patch block that finishes to 4", by now many of you know that each square unit needs to finish at 2", so you need to add 1/2" to allow for the seams. Therefore, you cut the square 2.5" x 2.5"

So now, let's move to a lovely "Jacob's Ladder" layout (which if you rearrange these units, you could have a Buckeye-Beauty, etc. LOVELY UNITS!!!!

If this block finishes at 8", the 4-patch finishes at 4", AND the HALF-SQUARE-TRIANGLE (HST) unit also finishes at 4". Hopefully, your mind shouts "4.5 unfinished" because that follows the typical rule. If you have the Easy Angle ruler (or other similar rulers) to cut the HST, this rule doesn't change! Cut a strip to 4.5" and use the ruler to cut the HST. Does that make sense?

Here is another Easy Angle Ruler tutorial sponsored by EZquilt, the company of EZTools....