HRT stands for half-rectangle triangle, a fundamental building block in patchwork quilting. It is created by sewing two right-angled triangles together along their long diagonal edges to form a solid two-color rectangle. Because the bias seam runs at a steep angle rather than a true 45-degree angle, quilters must offset the fabric points carefully before stitching to ensure the final block presses out to the correct dimensions without skewed corners.
Heard on the job
I need to trim down these HRTs before I start assembling the border.
Insider tip
Always make HRTs slightly larger than your target size and trim them down to the exact measurements, as the steep bias seam easily stretches out of shape during pressing.
Also heard as
- half-rectangle triangle
Do not mix it up with
- HST: HST stands for half-square triangle, which forms a square block rather than an elongated rectangle.