Diamonds

This Diamonds quilt block is composed of half-RECTANGLE triangles. Like half-square triangles, half-rectangle triangles (or HRTs) introduce angles into our patchwork, but because the dimensions of the rectangles are different, the angle is steeper and gives us new options for visual effects in our quilting.

It also means the construction of the triangles must be different: since the angle isn’t 45-degrees, these triangles when cut from printed fabric have a LEFT OR RIGHT orientation, and can’t be used interchangeably the way triangles cut from a square might. For that reason, printed fabrics in a single block of this pattern require DOUBLE the number of pieces cut to make the design work.

Each of the units in the Diamonds block is unique, so we’re not using any shortcuts or fancy techniques here–we’re cutting rectangles to make triangles and stitching them together to get our units. You’ll find tips in the video below for how to cut and re-assemble the pieces with best results, and how to TRIM the half-rectangle triangles to preserve points for your final block!

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In our next episode, work with TEMPLATES as you sew curved seams in the Drunkard’s Path block!