What’s the difference between a “Half-square Triangle” and a “Quarter-square Triangle”?

Details

Half-square triangles (aka HST) and quarter-square triangles (aka QST) look the same at a glance. They are both right angle triangles in which the short arms of the triangles are the same length.

But if you look closely at the fabric, you can see the difference.

Half-square triangles are made by cutting a square once on the diagonal, so the long side of the triangle is a bias edge.

Quarter-square triangles are made by cutting a square twice on the diagonal, so the short sides of the triangle are biases.

They can sometimes be used interchangeably, but be aware of the bias edges so that you can treat them gently.

Check out these tutorials for working with triangles in quilting projects.

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