platyhiker

Oops - QuiltnNan is correct - add 7/8", not 3/4" to your desired HST size. (The link I put in has it right - I was just working too fast when I typed up the info.) Thank you for catching that, QuiltnNan!

Teen

love Easy Angle a Ruler...

Irishrose2

Love the pattern. I can see it with the squares being 5", so I'd cut my squares at 5 1/2" and my HST blocks at 6 1/2' and trim them slightly. I don't like 7/8" measurements.

Donnamarie

Rule of thumb is that you add 7/8" but I always add 1" (or a little larger). That way you have a little extra to play with when squaring up your blocks. Good luck

Jaiade

You have enough of the same hst's to use the magic 8 method. There are 8 blue/green hst's in the block and 16 blue/gold. This method is accurate and fast since you're working in multiples. Plus there is a formula for making any size hst. I made a top similar to yours called square pants and I made the hst's one at a time. I am still burned out on hst's. If I need more than 8 in a quilt, and most do, I use this method. For me it's the only way to go. I do the same for flying geese (no waste method).

jmoore

This is how I do it too. I don’t fuss with the 7/8” cut, I’d rather trim after.

ktmo815

Love this pattern, I need to make one

sewsewchickie

Perhaps it is too early this a.m., (it's only 6am here) but I counted 12 blue/green hst's. I think you missed the center. This method would still work, because it would give you 4 extra hst's to put into the next square. And if you ended up with some extra after finishing the quilt, they would be ready to go for the next hst scrappy quilt that could be on your horizon to create! Perhaps after I have another cup of coffee, I will be more awake and discover that there are only 8 blue/green hst's after all!!!

waltonalice

The method using the larger squares uses more fabric and requires trimming, but it is certainly faster to cut and produces a set of matching HSTs. The EasyAngle uses less fabric. If you put two strips right sides together, you also produce matched sets. Furthermore, when you sew these pieces together, you have a flat meeting of the two pieces, so you may experience fewer messed up corners where the angle gets caught in the feed dogs. I think that newbies might be best off trying several different methods before deciding on their preferred methods. Kitsie’s method is quick and efficient if you want a lot of matching HSTs. The EasyAngle is great if you’ll need to eke out a favorite fabric. The big squares are wonderful if you find cutting small pieces to be tedious.

maviskw

This is the correct answer. If you want your squares to be 3 in. finished, which is what the OP stated, you need the squares to be 3.5 inches. And 4.5 is a good size for the HSTs.

Do not cut three inch strips. All the HSTs need to be one inch larger. If you want to start with strips, cut some three and one half, and the others four and one half.