Home
How to quilt
Cutting
Cutting Half- and Quarter-Square Triangles

Cutting Half- and Quarter-Square Triangles

June 14, 2013

Use these tips to cut half- and quarter-square triangles. Instructions are provided for right-handed and left-handed cutting.

Start Slideshow

1 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (right-handed)

1. Square up the fabric.2. Cut the fabric in strips as wide as the desired finished width of the triangle-squares, plus 7/8" for seam allowances. For example, for a 3" finished half-square triangle, cut a 3-7/8"-wide fabric strip.

2 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (right-handed)

3. Square up one end of each strip.

3 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (right-handed)

4. Using a ruler, cut the strip into lengths equal to the strip's width. In this example, the strip would be cut into 3-7/8"-long pieces.

4 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (right-handed)

5. Position the ruler diagonally across a square and cut the square in half to make two equal-size right triangles.

5 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (left-handed)

6 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (left-handed)

3. Square up one end of each strip.

7 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (left-handed)

4. Using a ruler, cut the strip into lengths equal to the strip's width. In this example, the strip would be cut into 3-7/8"-long pieces.

8 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (left-handed)

5. Position the ruler diagonally across the square and cut the square in half to make two equal-size right triangles.

9 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (right-handed)

1. Square up the fabric.2. Cut the fabric in strips as wide as the desired width of the quarter-square triangle, plus 1-1/4" for seam allowances. For example, for a 3" finished quarter-square triangle, cut a 4-1/4"-wide fabric strip.

10 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (right-handed)

3. Square up one end of each strip.

11 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (right-handed)

4. Using a ruler, cut the strip into lengths equal to the strip's width. In this example, the strip would be cut into 4-1/4"-long pieces.

12 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (right-handed)

5. Position the ruler diagonally across square and cut the square in half to make two equal-size right triangles. Do not move or pick up the triangles.

13 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (right-handed)

6. Position the ruler diagonally across the cut square in the opposite direction and cut the square in half again to make a total of four equal-size triangles.

14 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

15 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

3. Square up one end of each strip.

16 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

4. Using a ruler, cut the strip into lengths equal to the strip's width. In this example, the strip would be cut into 4-1/4"-long pieces.

17 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

5. Position the ruler diagonally across square from corner to corner and cut the square in half to make two equal-size right triangles. Do not move or pick up the triangles.

18 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

6. Position the ruler diagonally across the square from corner to corner in the opposite direction and cut the square in half again to make a total of four equal-size triangles.

19 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

3. Square up one end of each strip.

20 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

4. Using a ruler, cut the strip into lengths equal to the strip's width. In this example, the strip would be cut into 4-1/4"-long pieces.

21 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

6. Position the ruler diagonally across the square from corner to corner in the opposite direction and cut the square in half again to make a total of four equal-size triangles.

Replay gallery

Account

More

Cutting Half- and Quarter-Square Triangles

1 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (right-handed)

1 of 21

2 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (right-handed)

2 of 21

3 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (right-handed)

3 of 21

4 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (right-handed)

4 of 21

5 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (left-handed)

5 of 21

6 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (left-handed)

6 of 21

7 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (left-handed)

7 of 21

8 of 21

Cutting Half-Square Triangles (left-handed)

8 of 21

9 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (right-handed)

9 of 21

10 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (right-handed)

10 of 21

11 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (right-handed)

11 of 21

12 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (right-handed)

12 of 21

13 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (right-handed)

13 of 21

14 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

14 of 21

15 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

15 of 21

16 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

16 of 21

17 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

17 of 21

18 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

18 of 21

19 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

19 of 21

20 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

20 of 21

21 of 21

Cutting Quarter-Square Triangles (left-handed)

21 of 21

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Everything in This Slideshow