2 Ways 2 Half Square Triangles - Michael Miller Fabrics' Making it Fun

Join Rob Appell as he walks through two ways to construct Half Square Triangles.
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[@ConniePloch]

You’re a riot, thanks! I will tell my husband I need to buy 100 yards of each fabric from now on! 🤣

[@karin0963]

I just found your channel. I'm new to quilting. The second way you do HST is a game changer!! I've never seen that procedure before. Thank you.

[@lauriefortier3743]

“100 extra yards of fabric!” 😂 Love you Rob!!

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Yes, build that stash!

[@debbiemorgan95]

Making It Fun with Rob Appell Pp

[@melanie_luv2_sew]

Best educational video on half square triangles.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Haha, you may need to get out more. Just kidding, I really appreciate the compliment.

[@lingeldmyer9531]

Great video! You are so fun to watch!

[@jenihansen7201]

Rob, you are the best. We all love you.

[@mary-annz.reynolds7778]

Thank you. I'm glad you're doing basics.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Fun and good reminders for us all

[@judisiver3988]

You do make it fun. Love your T shirt

[@cee2615]

Love the quilt behind you

[@maddypotter2393]

Love you Rob. You always boost my confidence, and don't ever change your style. I have ADD, so I am up and running full steam every day, and you are about the only quilter that can keep up with me! Mean people suck. That's just a fact. Your love for us comes through in every video you make. I notice and appreciate this: since the "pause" with MSQC (their statement), your whole body language appears to be less stressed. Meaning, you have always been great, but since branching out on your own plus connecting with Michael Miller, it seems you are more relaxed and at ease. Just saying. You are rapidly gaining the subscribers on this new channel. You will be way up there soon! I wish you could produce hour long videos because I can watch along and then later, just have you running while I work in my quilting studio as perfect the perfect ambiance.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

thank you very much, I do feel a bit less stressed by the new format. Folks tell me change is good, I know I need to let go more and be Faithful, so this is a great test for me. If nothing else, we will have it documented , haha.

[@karenross9801]

so glad you are back

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Me too thanks

[@joehayward4113]

Great job Rob! Your special effect of making the squares disappear at the beginning of the video was epic!

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Thanks if we could just make them appear that fast too.

[@TheJAG1357]

Love all your videos. I watch them over and over again. Thank you!

[@Cyrilmc222004]

Thank you so much Rob, that’s really really helpful and useful xxx Mags

[@karenlindquist1226]

Nice that you took it slow and explained very well for the beginner. It also helps those of us who have been at it for awhile. Thank You,was great to meet you at Sisters and thanks for the Teachers tent video as was so crowded I couldn't see many of quilts. Karen Lindquist from Indiana.

[@tearose3763]

Thank you, I appreciate your going back to basics when basic is needed

[@anih2552]

This is the first time I've seen blocks backstitched...I like it...

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

old habits die hard, it may be helping, do not have the problem with the stitches coming out.

[@carolynlewis1264]

Thank you for taking the time to explain these 2 methods. Great video Rob.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Thank you for watching.

[@carolynlewis1264]

@@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161 always enjoy your videos.

[@ca6177]

100 yds of fabric! I was shaking my head! Thanks for the review of how to make the squares! Enjoyed it! thanks!

[@pabennett3287]

"Sew" glad I found you again - this is wonderful - you have even managed to get my husband interested! Keep up the amazing work - as one of our daughters would say "Sew it begins"!

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

"sew it begins", I love that, thanks!

[@sherryllgates8375]

You are so funny, love your style, and thanks for a very informative vid!

[@64digger]

Thank you for making this video on half square triangles. I don't have Internet that will allow me to stream without eating up all of my data. Now you're making it fun for everyone! Your sound is so much better too. You're doing a great job! I am somewhat new to quilting. Actually, I am still yet trying to sandwich a quilt together. My first quilt! I love the piecing, but man oh man, this is taking me awhile. Anyway, I'm babbling. Just wanted to say thank you for all of your teaching videos. I love them all! Lelia

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Thanks for watching, working on all kinds of fun new videos for us all.

[@bettefogarty5928]

Lelia Hartwell so

[@64digger]

Bette Fogarty, streaming live uses more data for me, is what I was trying to say. Living in the mountains, I don't have access to unlimited data.

[@susanrichtarcik5672]

thank you for this great informative video. Really did learn something. Awesome

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Rad, thanks!

[@ZenHoki]

I really like the solid colors you are using. For the half square triangles.

[@odettestrutton951]

Love your ideas withe the square triangles.its more fun and you can create sooo many designs.cant wait to try all your ideas.i ve learnt soo much and it makes life easier.thank you Odette

[@mhagan8475]

I love your t-shirt. We all need to spread a little more love with kindness!!!

[@deborahdavidson1220]

Yippy are way too fun to watch. Keep up the AwEsOmE work

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Roger that! More fun coming real soon.

[@farahkhan9023]

Wonderful!

[@priscillasswanberg2183]

Great explanation. Just learning about quilting.

[@lyndasnart7823]

Another good video you always keep things upbeat I love it and at the same time learn some new task😎👍🇦🇺

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Thanks, I love teaching, glad it shows on camera too.

[@marymahoney8505]

Rookies Unite...thanks for the helpful tips and alternatives!!

[@bwaldron8449]

Hilarious! Thanks for making it fun!

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

My pleasure.

[@annasipinski2468]

Thank you! Good information and advice,

[@bikentrike]

So glad you're covering the basics Rob. This is timely too. I just started a wall hanging for my daughter's new home that is made up of 192 half square triangles.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Glad it helped out.

[@johovey9864]

WOW! That is a lot of triangles!

[@andreamunn7814]

Subscribed! I started quilting about 7 months ago, and the basics are still new to me

[@rsislandcrafts]

I love playing with HSTs. My favorite method is sewing around the edges of the squares too.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Right! Fast, Easy, Accurate as any other method, haha

[@yvettealba7431]

Rob I have more then 100 yards of fabric and I love it! Just wish I was faster in my projects 😂

[@vickieschulte7284]

You do make it fun love your videos

[@monnysilva3102]

Oi Michael excelente trabalho 👏👏👏

[@shirleyporter7107]

You are a hoot!

[@angiesewtherapy6628]

I like the tip on trimming the corners on the HST sewn on 4 sides.

[@paulenesoftley5831]

Great tutorial

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Thank you very much.

[@vickichandler5872]

Thank you for the measurement tips... by the way, I love the T-shirt that you are wearing!

[@ca6177]

Me too, reminds me of my neighbor's sign that she put in the front yard, " Be a good human" very good reminder for the days such as they are!

[@karlettamyers2133]

I really enjoy your tutorials. Thank you for sharing with us all. I like Fon’s and Porter’s 1/2 & 1/4 sq ruler. The ruler tells you what size to cut your strips for the the desired square you are wanting. You put your two fabrics RST then cut using the ruler. Yes you will be sewing along the bias, but in the 10 years I have used the ruler none of my HST’s have been distorted. When you are finished it is a perfectly sized square with no trimming needed except for one dog ear. No hassle, no worry method. Fon’s & Porter also have a flying geese ruler. It is also a most have ruler in my opinion.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Great info, thanks for sharing with everyone.

[@karlettamyers2133]

Making It Fun

[@sasiduanwarat3423]

I like your style:)

[@galememeeof6688]

I will go shopping with you since you're going to buy me 100 yards of fabric every week. I'll put it on my calendar! lol

[@JackieDannenberg]

100 yards of extra fabric ? If I’m not there, then I’m getting there ! Laugh Out Loud !

[@marcellespeake4272]

Sewing around the block is great! Being a former bookkeeper you would think that I like and am good with math - well, not really without a calculator. So making HSTs in multiple, I really don't want to spend time on the math! Don't like to spend money on every ruler out there either, but one that is worth its weight in gold is the triangle trimmer. It allows you to square up multiple sizes of HSTs by matching the line on the ruler with your sewn line BEFORE ironing and trim the block to size. It also lets you clip the dog ears at the same time. Then iron. This is so much quicker than squaring up four sides with four cuts then cutting off the dog ears! Love the new vids on basics. Maybe you will show me where I have developed bad habits along the way and teach me the better way. Keep up the great work!

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Right on, will do! Thanks for the great feedback. I love the sew around method, and my quilts have never pieced together better.

[@hollywaddell6727]

Rob, you DID make me grin at the end of the video. I am venturing into quilting from being mostly a garment seamstress in years past. To practice my accurate measuring, cutting and placement, I have been cleaning up odds and ends of fabric scraps. I have done some 4-patch and 9-patch blocks and isn't it a thrill when the corners meet exactly!!!? My next step will be to get comfortable with HSQs, so I am watching videos that pop up in my feed with that topic. These practice pieces are all different sizes and I am not going to try to make a quilt top from the mish-mash. What I DO want to use them for is as an interjection in quilt BACKINGS when I get to that point. OR ... they could be a stand-alone backing for a quilt sandwich where the front is a solid color fabric pallet for practicing fee-motion quilting designs. (That thought just popped into my head!) Now I'm anxious to keep moving on. Thanks for the visit.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Glad to offer a smile, plenty to go around, let me know when you need another.

[@calicrafter2697]

Really enjoyed this “basics” video! Please do more videos on the math of piecing. I frequently want to use pre-cuts when a pattern calls for yardage - how do I know how many precuts I need and which sizes? And vice versa - sometimes I have yardage and want to use a pattern calling for precuts. I don’t want to cut up all my yardage into pre-cut size if not all of it needed. Would love to learn a quick way to know what pre cuts will work with a pattern. I’m not great at reading patterns. Maybe a video from you would help. Also would like more videos on basics of cutting yardage. How to use the various lines on my ruler, especially diagonal lines, not just 45 degrees but the others too. Thanks for a great video 👍🏼

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

This is great feed back, and now I have the newt 3 years planned, thanks for all of the great ideas. I will truly to knock a couple of these off the list real soon.

[@kingtrumpet123]

Cool, I just made one face of a 90 by 90 quilt using the sew all 4 sides of 2 blocks, and cut the diagonals -- it's "sew" quick, pun intended. LOL All HST quilt, got the diamonds, the hour glass, the pinwheels in my 36 blocks of the quilt, thank you

[@GrrannyH1]

I starch my fabric. It helps stop fraying and helps the HST's keep their shape.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Great Tip!!!!

[@anitatheuil8969]

Hi sir! I LOOOVE what you're doing 😍😍😍

[@constancehuard7900]

I have been quilt for some time, but I like to review the basics. It can be inspiring. Want to do a modern quilt and over sized hst is a good jumping off point. Will use the first method you demonstrated so I don't struggle with distortion.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Great, let me know how it turns out, I love show and tell.

[@sophiafatcat]

Hi Rob - how about the Magic 8 method? You start with a larger pair of squares but sew differently and end up with 8 HST. It's sew easy to do! Love HST as they are so versatile....

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Just new to me going to try it soon, I bet it becomes a favorite for me too.

[@lynetteperry3559]

So much fun

[@joannequickenden2789]

I had no idea that there is so much be done with a 1/2 square triangle! Thanks so much!

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Oh, and we are just getting started here.

[@conniewebster1498]

You're so much fun i like your voice you get to the point not needless gibberish

[@SueHeil-nq8vm]

This was great! I still don't know how you figure if you want a 5" or a 10" and want to the sew all the way around method?

[@terrijones3386]

I am so excited to find you. Trying to learn quilting can be so hard, you keep my attention and I love learning from you

[@nanasloves]

Agree! Tame that bias.

[@debabrams8438]

First time visitor .but not last.

[@tegancornes3322]

enjoyed your video. Thank you. What kind of iron are you using?

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

I use the Panasonic cordless 360 iron. Thanks, Rob

[@d.s.friendly7616]

Hi - I do enjoy your tutorials. Such enthusiasm for this wonderful hobby. I subscribed when you first announced the new site but I'm not getting any messages to prompt me to watch a new one. What have I don't wrong? Also - on the quilt in the background - how do you get the "puffy" zig zag quilting? I believe it is trapunto but I don't know how to get the effect. Subject for a future tutorial? I discovered you through MSQC and was getting your weekly Man Sewing tutorials through that subscription.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Not sure you are doing anything wrong, and we really do not have an official plan for posting. Michael Miller and I are working on a rhythm that makes sense. As soon as we have it all dialed in, we will help you all stay informed better. Thanks for your patience.

[@m0ther0ne]

Loving the new series, but do miss the old them tune though.

[@ceolaballard4646]

Hi Rob love you videos do you have an tutorial on the quilt behind you and the line of fabric thanks quilter friend

[@ruthsmith2434]

What size do you cut the squares that you sew all around the edges? I order to turn out 4 1/2" squares?

[@traceycoles1693]

Love the t-shirt!

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

with the collar?

[@traceycoles1693]

@@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161 more about the message!

[@CrazyAuntVal]

Hey Rob, I love the video, thank you for another great tutorial. I have a question for you though. Do you prefer to square up *after* the squares have been pressed open? I'm a big fan of the Prefect Slotted Trimmer and squaring up *before* I press the squares open. Admittedly, I'm lazy, crazy lazy. If you have a preference -one way or the other- which do you prefer, and why? Mahalo from a former MB resident!

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

I prefer not to have to square at all, so I love the sew around all four sides first method. However, I do press before I true to square, heck if I am going to go for time wasting/accuracy , I am going all the way.

[@CrazyAuntVal]

@@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161 Great attitude! I miss MB, Cotton Ball ~ the way it used to be ~ and everything about the Central Coast. I'm happy that I still get to see your smiling face, and be inspired by your creativity. Blessings to you and your family!

[@j4shipp]

❤

[@jeanginther6611]

Can you do the magic star blocks.

[@kimbenson118]

So, on the 2nd method the bias cut is on the outside and can get stretched while sewing. The first method sews the seam on the bias thus preventing stretching

[@pegschr]

Can you show us how to square up a pinwheel block once it's a pinwheel block? The directions say make pinwheel blocks and then square them up to four and a half by four and a half but that's really hard because how do you do that? And yes I've heard you square up the half square triangle first but it doesn't tell you what the square the half square triangle up to only square up the pinwheel block so there's got to be a way to square up a pinwheel block itself

[@jeanginther6611]

Can you do a show on the magic star.

[@JULIES-PLAYPEN]

Where did you get THAT chalk pencil???????? Got to get me one of those!

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Well, I happen to make those fine writing and marking tools myself. Often listed at www.robappell.com but currently sold out. Gives me a good idea of a project for this weekend, let me know if you need a custom set.

[@michellepotts914]

what if... I did 12x12 pinwheels but.. decided they were too big. Can I make an 8 pinwheel out of a 4 pinwheel?

[@iamtvblake]

And I mistakenly thought ladies had a corner market on quilting. Forgive my sexist mindset. 😜 LOVE you channel!

[@caroleanderson2340]

What type of lead is in your mechanical pencil?

[@peppermynte5615]

He said it was chalk

[@nicolec4744]

I always press to the dark side... MUAHAAHAAHAHA😈 I apologize. I'll see myself out.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

No, don't leave, I prefer the darkside too, most of the time, hahahaha

[@martdaniels3196]

What's that to the right side of your machine

[@sylviaback3420]

I love your grey haired man is there a pattern for him please

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

No, that is a Jerry Garcia doll that was a gift from my aunt.

[@debixy]

What kind of chalk pencil are you using? Where can I buy it?

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

I actually made that pencil in my wood shop, you have a very good eye. I take custom orders, and sometimes sell them on my website, www.robappell.com

[@sonyasheehy159]

Is there a pattern for the quilt hanging behind you?

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

Sorry, no there is not. Basically 2 1/2" strips in different lengths.

[@forsure354]

What is the name of that metal thing next to your sewing machine foot?

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

That is a seam guide, mine screws down to the machine, but you can find a generic, magnetic one for just about every sewing machine.

[@sharonmika4786]

🤣😆💫

[@beverleysimmons8080]

That looks ok but my hand would shake when holding on the ruler

[@lucygray6162]

Use a smaller ruler. If your hand shakes that bad, isn't it a bit dangerous for you to use a rotary cutter?

[@lamarlatrell5045]

I have missed caffeinated mode.

[@genealogydr]

What brand of sewing machine are you using? I've seen those feet on various sewing shows but I don't know which machine it is.

[@joshsews5848]

Not sure what sewing machine he is using, but the presser foot he is using is usually found on what's called a straight stitch sewing machine.

[@genealogydr]

@@joshsews5848 I realize that he is doing a straight stitch. Thanks. Looking for which machine he is using.

[@makingitfunwithmichaelmill8161]

that machine is a Babylock Jane - straight stitcher, and I do like it!

[@hazelann63]

@@genealogydr a bit mean, he was only trying to help

[@genealogydr]

Not mean. I was trying to get clarification about the machine and did so... This was settled a year ago.

[@SewQuickly]

For the second method, what are the sizes of the triangles? Is there a chart that tells you how big of a square you need to make a certain size triangle?

[@maryackermann]

Or just look for half square triangles cheat sheet

[@eileenluciano5490]

how can u consider these HST arent they actually quarter square

[@C123abc]

No, no, no. Your second method yields hst units with all bias edges. Awful! If you're new to quilting do not do this second method. Get yourself a set of Clearly Perfect Slotted rulers and do it the correct way or you can use the bias line on your ruler to do the same thing if you don't want to buy another ruler.