HST's

Working on Max's quilt, I have all the fabrics cut, and have been sewing the HST's.  I've been chain piecing these, and it goes pretty fast. I'm not a fan of chain piecing, generally, but in this case, since so many of the patches are the same, it works just fine.  I usually like to build and sew one block at a time.  It seems like I am making progress faster that way.  It's probably faster with chain piecing though.  Here are all the gray/white HST, getting squared up and trimmed to size.

Let me say one thing about making HST's.  The standard formula of  starting squares for HST's  is "finished size + 7/8".  I'm not overly concerned about wasting fabric with an extra 1/8" of an inch, so I use the formula "finished size + 1 inch."   I've tried it both ways.  That extra 1/8" in MY formula (finished size + 1 inch), gives you enough wiggle room to have a little "trim space" on all 4 sides.  You end up with a perfect HST.  AND it's easier to measure and cut! The "finished size + 7/8" formula is pretty exacting, and can leave you with a less than perfect HST.  There's no room for error.  Some people make them this way and don't trim them. Just use them however they turn out.  Much faster to skip the trimming step, but unless your quarter inch seams are perfect, and your cutting is exact, do yourself a favor and go the extra mile... I mean, 1/8"--- you'll be glad you did!