Half-Square-Triange Christmas Projects
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The humble half-square-triangle. It is the workhorse of quilt design! These little units are so very versatile and can create so many things! I had a whole pile of these and decided to turn them into something festive.
So I designed a few Christmas projects. I’m not sure what they will be when finished, but I was thinking they would be fun pillows, or table toppers or runners . . . . .
So my Christmas present to you is the FREE pattern. And then YOU can decide how to finish your project. Whip up some HST and get them into a fun Christmas project!
First, I made a wreath. I love wreaths. I love the symbolism they have of eternal life with the circle and the evergreens. And they are just pretty!
Wouldn’t this be a darling pillow?? I think so! In my original design, I had included an appliqued “JOY” in the center of the wreath. I haven’t done that part yet, and I am still deciding. But I thought I better get this pattern posted so that you can get sewing.
This wreath looks more complicated than it really is. You make it in quarters—Make 4 and rotate each quarter to complete the wreath. You’ll be done in a snap!
This is not a full written out pattern, it mostly just a diagram. But you will be able to see how to put the sections together. Make a bunch of Half-square-triangles, and arrange them as shown. Simple.
The HSTs finish at 1 1/2”, so you can make them any way you like, as long as they are 2” square before you sew them together. If you are cutting, start with 2 1/2” squares, put them together RST and sew on both sides of the diagonal line to get two HSTs from each pair of squares. That’s my favorite method. Then I trim them down to 2” square and they are perfect.
Here’s the diagram for a quadrant. Each quadrant will be 12 1/2” before you sew them together, so the block is 24” when finish. The sizes for the background pieces are the cut sizes.
I also made a Christmas Tree. My design shows a star on top, which (once again) I haven’t done yet, but you can do it or not.
The tree block with the star on top will finish at 18” square. All of the HSTs and small background blocks are 2” x 2”. Here’s a tip for both projects: Make sure you have enough contrast between your different green prints so that you can see the piecing. Add some lighter prints in with the darker to give it some interest and texture.
