You know I'm all about the gadgets and when I saw the No-Hassle Triangles Gauge on Sewing with Nancy I thought it looked like a worthwhile purchase. I added it to my 'one day' shopping list. Even though this quilting tool is marketed and partnered with Nancy Zieman, it is made by Clover and manufactured in Japan. I love all my Clover products and trust the quality and functionality of all that the brand produces.
I happened to be in my LQS (local quilt shop) and casually asked if she had the gauge in stock. It wasn't on her display but then she said she'd check her bag of goodies (??) and there one was! I was very excited and it felt like it was meant to be. The cost was only a little bit more in Canadian dollars and I didn't have to order on-line (duties, shipping, and handling) or travel to the States and search for it.
The tool allows you to create 1/2 square or 1/4 square triangle blocks without ever cutting triangles. Quilters probably all know how to do that already but this just makes the process a bit easier and more accurate. The nice feature is that the sizes of the HSTs and QSTs are noted right on the gauge along with the cut sizes (size of strips & squares to cut in order to achieve the desired block size). Also, since making QSTs must take into account the extra seam allowances, the matching sizes of QST blocks to the HST blocks requires a different cut size. Those cut sizes are clearly marked for you. For example, if you want a 5-1/2" HST block you need to cut 5-7/8" squares. To get a 5-1/2" QST you have to cut a 6-1/4" square.
This seems like a high quality tool with a sliding gauge that locks into place for accuracy and is push-button for easy use. You can watch the video below for more information on how it works to make HST and QST easier to make.
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