Light in the Dark Mini Quilty Class: Learn Half Rectangle Triangles

If half rectangle triangles have ever made you a little nervous, the Light in the Dark Mini Quilt Class might be just the project for you.

Light in the Dark is a 14″ x 14″ mini quilt designed for confident beginners. The center starts with a classic 9 patch, and half rectangle triangles, or HRTs, are used to create the star points. It’s a small project, but there are plenty of opportunities to practice your piecing and learn a technique you can use in so many other quilts.

And we’re going to make the whole thing together!

👉 Come take the class here

About the Light in the Dark Mini Quilt Class

In the video above, I’m giving you a little peek at what we’ll be working on inside the class and some of the techniques we’ll cover.

One of the big ones is half rectangle triangles.

HRTs can feel intimidating, and honestly, I think a lot of that comes down to the trimming. Unlike half square triangles, that diagonal seam isn’t supposed to run straight into the corners of your finished unit. Getting everything positioned correctly can feel a little confusing the first time you make them.

But I have a method I really love.

An Easier Way to Trim Half Rectangle Triangles

Inside the class, I’ll show you how I prepare an ordinary acrylic ruler using a little washi tape and a few Sharpie dots.

The washi tape marks the finished trimming size on the ruler, and the Sharpie dots give us exactly what we need to line up the diagonal seam before trimming. It’s simple, you don’t need a special HRT ruler, and it takes so much of the guesswork out of the process.

And yes, we’re drawing on the ruler with a Sharpie! The marks can be removed from most acrylic rulers with nail polish remover when you’re finished.

Once the HRTs are trimmed, we’ll pair them together to create the star points and start bringing the Light in the Dark design to life.

We’ll Piece the Whole Mini Quilt Together

We’re not jumping straight to the HRTs and leaving you on your own with the rest.

We’ll start at the beginning with choosing and preparing our fabrics and getting everything cut and organized. Then we’ll work through the pattern together, including:

• Piecing the 9 patch center
• Making and trimming the HRTs
• Creating the star point units
• Making the corner units
• Assembling the inner star
• Adding the borders
• Finishing the mini quilt top

By the end of the piecing portion of the class, you’ll have a 14″ x 14″ finished mini quilt top ready for quilting.

And Then We Free Motion Quilt It!

You know I’m not going to make a mini quilt and skip the quilting.

Once our tops are finished, we’ll slow things down and work through the free motion quilting together.

I’ll show you how I make a quilting plan first, and then I’ve broken the actual quilting into separate lessons. We’ll free motion quilt the star, then the background, and finally the borders.

I really like teaching the quilting this way because you get to see how I approach each part of the quilt individually instead of looking at a completely quilted piece and wondering how in the world I got there.

Join Me Beginning August 15

The Light in the Dark Mini Quilt Class begins August 15, and I’d love to have you stitching along with me.

This is a confident beginner class, so if you’re already comfortable with basic piecing and you’re ready to add a new technique to your quilting toolbox, you’re in the right place.

👉 Come take the class here

Already a Quilty Club member? This class is included with your membership, so there’s nothing additional to purchase. Just head to your dashboard when the class begins and you’ll find the lessons there.

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