Half Square Triangle Quilt Layouts & Free Baby Quilt Pattern

Turn simple half-square triangle quilt blocks into 10 different baby quilts using our free baby quilt pattern and half square triangle quilt layout printable!

Earlier this year, I played around with some quilt layout ideas and snapped a few photos to share on my Instagram stories. I was surprised at how many people messaged me asking for more information about the quilt layouts I was considering.

I created 64 half square triangle quilt blocks, arranged them into 8 rows with 8 blocks in each row, and then began rotating the blocks to create different layouts.

It was fun to share the process on my IG stories, and I ended up answering quite a few DM’s regarding the layout ideas I was contemplating.

Did you know that simply rotating the direction of the seam of a half square triangle quilt block yields a totally different quilt pattern?

I thought today I’d share with you 10 simple half-square triangle quilt patterns and layouts, along with a basic quilt pattern to create a 48″ square baby quilt.

TIP: Half Square triangle quilts are great for a beginner! All of the blocks give you lots of practice trimming and squaring up your blocks, and these types of quilts are very scrap-friendly!

All of the layouts are created with the SAME 64 blocks. The only thing that changes in each layout is the direction of the angles on the triangles.

From simple half-square triangle blocks, you can create all of the following quilt designs and more!

• Pinwheel Quilts
• Flying Geese Quilts
• Sawtooth Star Quilts
• Chevron Pattern Quilts (or zigzags)
• Diamonds

First up, a few basics.

What is a Half Square Triangle Quilt Block?

(fabrics in the quilt are from the Ahoy! Mermaids collection)

A Half Square Triangle quilt block is commonly referred to as an HST block (HST is a simple abbreviation that is commonly used when referring to these types of blocks).

It is comprised of two right triangles that are sewn together along the hypotenuse (the long side). They are widely considered to be a building block for many other quilt blocks, including many modern quilting patterns.

How to Make a Traditional Half Square Triangle Block

There are a hundred different ways to make a half-square triangle block. Each quilter you talk to probably has their own favorite way.

I’ve outlined my method step by step for you guys. I prefer this method because it allows you to make an HST block in ANY size you like. It also allows a bit of “wiggle room” when trimming your blocks if your piecing isn’t perfect (and mine rarely is!)

I like to create my hst blocks from 2 squares of fabric, which is a two at a time hst method (you can also find an eight at a time half square triangle tutorial on our site). I sew two seams, each 1/4″ out from the diagonal center, then cut the squares apart and square them up. If you’d like more details, hop on over to the blog post.

What Size is the Finished Baby Quilt?

The baby quilt pattern I’m sharing with you today is 48″ x 48″. It comprises 8 blocks across and 8 down that are 6″ when finished (6 x 8 = 48). The size of the unfinished hsts is 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″

If you want your quilt larger or smaller, increase the size of the triangles or increase the number of the blocks!

Quilting Terminology Tip!

FYI: if you’re new to quilt terminology, the terms finished and unfinished can be confusing.

When quilt patterns refer to the size of a quilt block, they usually refer to the block’s FINISHED size. The finished block size is the size the block is AFTER it is sewn into the final quilt. The unfinished size is 1/2″ larger (which takes into account a 1/4″ seam allowance on both sides of the block).

So a 6 1/2″ quilt block, sewn into a quilt becomes 6″ square (you lose 1/4″ on each side when the block is sewn into the quilt).

The blocks in today’s quilt are 6 1/2″ square after you create them but are referred to as 6″ blocks since that is the size they are in the FINISHED quilt.

This summer quilt was also created using only half-square triangle blocks. It’s much larger than the baby quilt in today’s post.

The blocks are 9″ when finished, and there are 8 blocks across and 10 blocks down in the quilt. See how that works? Pretty cool, huh!?

Half Square Triangle Quilt Layouts

Another example is this herringbone baby quilt. It is comprised of 9 rows with 6 blocks in each row. Each block is 6″ finished. All of the blocks are just simple half-square triangles!

I’ve taken the time to mock up 10 different quilt layouts using 64 half-square triangle blocks. This is just a small sampling of the half-square triangle pattern arrangements you can make. I could keep going and think of at least another 10 layouts. But these are 10 that I love and think you will too.

Free Printable Layout Guide

I’ve created a printable with ten free quilt pattern layouts. Print it off at home and use it as a reference as you create your quilt. Note: all of these hst quilt pattern layouts work with eight across layouts.

If you fill out the form below, we will send you the printable.

Instructions

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25+ Free Baby Quilt Patterns

3 Tips for Beginning Quilters