Making Half Rectangle Triangles (HRTs)
I stepped into half rectangle triangles (HRTs) for the first time with my Refreshed quilt and I’m hooked. I’ve long been intimated by these and after posting about making them I’ve found a few of you feel the same! But as I researched and trialed the best way to make these, I thought I’d share with you the method I decided on so that you can consider using it too.
I decided on one at a time just for my sanity and to make sure the diagonal was always going the right way. To be honest, I don’t see myself ever doing two at a time for HRTs, but if you’d like to try, check out this tutorial from Alderwood Studio that elaborates on both methods.
Now before we begin, if there is ever a time to take it slow with sewing/quilting, it’s with HRTs. I went a little two fast in the beginning and was left with a few oopsies before I got the hang things.
The Math
Let’s start with the math, which is fairly simple. Take your finished HRT size and add:
1 inch to the width
2 inches to the length
I do suggest testing this out before you decide to cut fabric for multiple HRTs. Because of the variation in angles, sometimes you may have to change this slightly to make sure you have enough trimming space.
Steps to Making HRTs
#1: Cut your rectangles to the required size for your finished HRT. One of mine is two-colored because of this specific pattern!
#2: Cut rectangles in half diagonally. This diagonal should follow the direction for your pattern.
#3: Make sure you have cut both rectangles with the same diagonal. You will flip these on top of each other.
#4: Flip the rectangle halves on top of each other with right sides together and pin. They look a bit weird, but it works!
#5: Sew along diagonal with a 1/4″ seam allowance. It is not necessary to backstitch here because of trimming later on.
#6: Press seam open and then press from the right side to make sure everything lines up correctly for your HRT.
#7: Trim your HRT. To accurately trim each on the diagonal, mark a 1/4″ on the two corners of your ruler.
#8: Trim from the other side. Making sure to line up your 1/4″ marks and the trimmed size on your ruler.
#9: And move forward with more trimming or the other parts of your quilt that you needed the HRTs for!
Look out for my upcoming quilt, Refresh, to try your hand at making your very own HRTs!
Tools I used in this tutorial:
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made on Amazon. All opinions remain my own.