My favourite shape, the Half Square Triangle! Designs and possibilities are endless with HST!
Beyond Basic Borders is a new series of how to elevate the quilting border to the next level. Whether you use the leftover fabric from your quilt top, or introduce some new colours, this is going to be fun!
To begin with, we will base the borders on using your GO! Qube Mix & Match sets although we will transition into other dies. Experimenting with colours and layouts, we will show you how simple design changes can alter the appearance of the block.
Finished width size borders:- 4” Qube – 2” Finished Border
- 6” Qube – 3” Finished Border
- 8” Qube – 4” Finished Border
- 9” Qube – 4 ½” Finished Border
- 10” Qube – 5” Finished Border
- 12” Qube – 6” Finished Border
The length will depend on your quilt top.
Materials:
- AccuQuilt GO! Big or GO! Fabric Cutter
- Shape 5 from any GO! Mix & Match Qube
Cutting Instructions:
- Cut (8) half square triangles (HST) per unit.
Pressing Instructions:
Pressing seams to one side or open is another discussion within itself, although the two general thoughts are:
Open Seams allow for a smoother flatter quilt top, which doesn’t allow fabric colour to appear through your quilt top.
Side Seam Pressing is faster, and the seam is usually pressed towards the darkest colour. It makes it easier when you want to ‘nest’ seams in place, giving a clean seam intersection.
My suggestion – try both and see what works for you! There is no Quilt Police here.
Sewing Instructions
All seams are ¼” unless otherwise specified.- Sew one light HST and one dark HST together to make one square. Press.
- Repeat for remaining 6 HST to make 4 squares in total.
- Sew two squares together in the orientation shown below to make a rectangle. Press. Repeat for other two square units.
- Sew the two rectangles together, matching seams, to make the combined unit. Press.
- Sew units together, matching seams, to make border.
Finishing Options:
Adding different colours, in different sequences can totally change the look and appearance of the design. Below is the original two-colour design, which in itself is stylish, although you can see with adding more colours can change the appearance to feature windmills or hourglasses.
Original Design:
This is just a few ideas, on how to use this simple block
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* Although dies refer to the Qube’s, any individual Half Square Triangle die will produce the same result.