I Would Probably Avoid HSTs Like the Plague If I Didn't Have...

...an Easy Angle ruler.  I needed 48 - 4.5 inch HSTs for 12 - 12 inch swap blocks and had them made in no time. (It actually took more time for me to find where I had stored the ruler). 

1. Cut the two fabrics to be used in the HSTs ( one red, one white - I have several sets of them cut here) at 4.5 inches. Put right sides together and iron together. 

 2. Even up ends of fabric then line up ruler along fabric at 4.5 inch mark along the side and top.

3. Cut along angled edge. 

4. Flip ruler over and line up ruler along cut edge and along the top at 4.5 inches and cut again.   Continue flipping ruler and cutting along the length of fabric or until you have the necessary amount of HSTs cut. 

5. I cut several layers at a time from several different red fabrics and Kona white. 

6. Chain piece the whole bunch.

7. Cut apart and iron pressing seams to the dark fabric. 

8. Make sure they all line up perfectly with the 4.5 inch square ruler. They normally all do but once in a while there might be a wonky one where my hand slipped a little when cutting. 

9. Cut off all the dog ears.  That's all the waste there is. 

And before you know it you have 12 swap blocks made. No muss, no fuss and with an Easy Angle ruler I almost always have perfect HSTs every time. 

We are blogging about tools and gadgets this month at Block Lotto.