Valerie Ann

I have been doing a great deal of reading about making half-square triangles and recently watched some videos where quilters bought papers and it looked sooo fast and easy. I know that you can print them from my computer, but don't want the hassle. So which should I buy? Thangles? The papers from Laundry Baskets? Suggestions?

hobo2000

I love the ones from Laundry Basket Quilts. They really come out perfectly.

NJ Quilter

I've only used Thangles - haven't heard of Laundry Baskets. Thangles are okay but I prefer just to cut squares and then trim. Been doing quite a few of them lately, in fact. Maybe someone else has experience with the Laundry Baskets ones.

AFQSinc

I haven't tried the Laundry Basket ones but I do love Thangles. They are super easy to figure out and use even if you just need to do one or two. If I have a lot of HST to do, I use the Thangles and prep them and put them in a little basket. Then when I'm watching t.v. I take off the papers. Nice and easy.

I will say, though, that if you're making a large amount of small HST, then something like LBTP might be a bit easier since you have a wider strip that you're working with.

orangeroom

I have thangles, but have yet to use them. I tend to just cut the size I need and sew up the diagonal line. Good luck with your decision.

sweetana3

The Laundry Basket papers to me are just short pieces of triangles on a roll. I love either one when making lots of triangles. In fact, I am doing Nellie's Wedding Quilt by Bonnie Blue using the triangles on a roll.

They are actually quite addictive.

winia

I use Tiger Tape, and it works very, very well.

Alu_Rathbone

I have a thing for Thangles, but I've never used them... I want to... just not entirely sure how they work. They were gifted to me by another quilter on this site.

thepolyparrot

I LOVE Thangles and Triangulations - I just got my Lady of the Lake (all HST's) back from the longarmer for basting and that top was pieced entirely from Triangulations. Most of my points ended up where they needed to be and it's technically the best quilt I've made so far. I'm tickled pink with it, even though it's still full of little boo-boos.

I really, really, really LOVE the paper foundations for HST's. One of my next projects is another made of all 2" finished HST's, and I ordered the Laundry Basket papers for that top because I could only get 12 HST blocks per sheet of paper in the Triangulations - I would have had to print at least 192 sheets.

There are 28 blocks on a sheet of LBQ paper - you use two 6" x 21" strips of fabric - roughly a third of a fat quarter.

One of the best things about Triangulations is that you'd be hard-pressed to find a size that isn't included on the CD. Thangles has a fair selection, but it might be missing the exact size you need. LBQ papers are new, from what I can tell, and she only has two sizes, so far. But really, if I needed to make a lot of HST's (as I do with this quilt) I would think about amending my pattern and going with one of the two sizes she has!

The next best thing about any of the paper foundations is that your blocks are stabilized - sew on the lines and cut on the lines and your seam will lie on the diagonal points and all the blocks will be the same size. No bias to fight.

If your blocks are made precisely, the quilt top stands a better chance of being square and flat and even, too.

Here's my next baby - I call it "Cherry Cordials" and the block name is Swing in the Center. 2304 HST's, 36 per 12" block, and the quilt is 113" square.

BellaBoo

I prefer Laundry Basket quilt papers. A package is inexpensive and no hassle. Just grab one and sew.I have papers called Straight Stitches. I haven't use them yet for making HST.