I know that beginning quilters prefer NOT to work with triangles and any variation on that theme – especially half-square triangles and quarter-square triangles.  And it’s totally understandable!  Many times, the points on a half-square triangle don’t match up and that can frustrate even the most experienced quilter!

I made a toddler quilt this past weekend and just HAD to take a picture of near-perfect half-square triangles that came together so beautifully:

The key to matching up the points is to press the seams in the opposite direction and let your fingers do the talking, errr walking!  You can feel the seams come together if you choose to use this method.  Slide the seams back and forth and you should definitely be able to feel the seams matching up.

Another way to make a near-perfect half-square triangle is to cut the fabric out one inch bigger than the unfinished block size.  Once you’ve made your half-square triangle blocks, trim the blocks so they are the correct size for an unfinished block.  Nearly all the time that you do this, the points will match because the blocks should be the exact size you need.  Even using this method, the tried-and-true quilt tip above will work to matching your perfect seams.

And hey, if your points aren’t perfect – who cares?  Most of the time, I am the only one who cares, but once a quilt is gifted to the recipient – they do not notice the imperfections of a quilt (and neither do I), they notice the overall pattern and quilting and the love that went into making the quilt – and that is a quilter’s heart in every stitch on a gifted quilt.

Do you have any tips for half-square triangles that will aid a beginning quilter so they can learn to perfect the art of points that line up?  If so, please share it in the comments!