I starch the fabric before cutting. Then I cut my original squares a little bigger than the directions call for. Then I mark the diagonal on the back of whichever fabric is easier to see. Some press a diagonal line into the squares instead. I sew a scant 1/4" away from both sides of the diagonal. Then I touch all those now sewn squares with a hot iron to set the seam before cutting them. Let cool a minute or two. Then finger press them open with whichever side you want the seam to go. Then I lay the hot iron on them again to press them. No squiggling around with the iron.

I will also add that I pre-wash my fabric. Some of the thinner fabrics and fabrics that have metallic woven into them seem to shrink or warp every time a hot iron hits them and no amount of starch or pre-shrinking seemed to help. Cheap muslin seems to be the main culprit it my stash now but before I started pre-washing & starching all my fabric before cutting, I had the problem a lot.

LOL, I know. I could not quickly find the HST method online in my fibro fog last night. I know what I was thinking, just could not remember how to describe what I was doing. I like the prewash advice. I have never prewashed fat quarters because I am afraid the washer will mistake them for socks and they will wind up in sock purgatory.

Hst
 

Maybe some help here:

I put a piece of fusible stabilizer from corner to corner and no more stretch or waves at all. I buy it a Amazon. Or you could cut your own.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

Wonderful idea!

I have the same problem that you do. What I did this last time, was to forgo the sewing a 1/4 in from the middle and just went ahead and cut them apart diagonal corner to corner ( right sids facing) and then took them straight to the sewing machine and sewed them together. Then I starched and pressed them and pressed the seam open. They were almost perfect every time with this method. Good Luck. Gina

I do them basically the same as Gina -- cut a square an inch larger than the unfinished size I want ... cut on the diagonal, sew them, set the stitches, iron the seam open (finished pieces lies a LOT flatter) then square them up. Yes, there's a little waste, but my HST's are perfect. Every single time. When I tried to draw a line first I found many times my squares were no longer square! I now avoid ANY technique that requires me to draw a line on the fabric if at all possible.

I think if you cut them on the diaginal before sewing you're really cutting/sewing on the bias and you seams will stretch. by sewing before cutting the fabric will keep the diaginal from stretching. -

Try the Quick Half-Square technique on that site. Just cut your squares of material 1" larger. No bias edges to woryy about. Then when done use a Bias Square ruler to trim it to size. [I like the That Patchwork Place/Martingale Bias Square ruler the best.]

ali

Thanks for a really logical solution to not having to do a bunch of math for these. I will try it next time.