HRT Chevron quilt block
Two mirrored half-rectangle triangles side by side. A single block is one clean chevron; a quilt of them is the long, lean zigzag that a 45° version can never quite achieve.
Also known as Chevron unit, Arrow unit.
The chevron is one of the oldest decorative marks humans make, and quilters have drawn it from squares, triangles, strips and stripes for as long as there have been quilts. The half-rectangle version is the modern one, because it needs either a template or an acrylic HRT ruler to be worth doing, and both are recent conveniences.
HRT Chevron cutting chart
Cut sizes include a ¼″ seam allowance: ½″ on squares and rectangles, ⅞″ on half-square triangles, and 1¼″ on quarter-square triangles. Pick a finished block size:
| Fabric | Shape | Cut size | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | HRT rectangle, “/” diagonal | 4" × 7" | 1 | finishes 3" × 6" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 3½" × 6½" |
| Background | HRT rectangle, “\” diagonal | 4" × 7" | 1 | finishes 3" × 6" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 3½" × 6½" |
| Dark | HRT rectangle, “/” diagonal | 4" × 7" | 1 | finishes 3" × 6" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 3½" × 6½" |
| Dark | HRT rectangle, “\” diagonal | 4" × 7" | 1 | finishes 3" × 6" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 3½" × 6½" |
| Fabric | Shape | Cut size | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | HRT rectangle, “/” diagonal | 5½" × 10" | 1 | finishes 4½" × 9" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 5" × 9½" |
| Background | HRT rectangle, “\” diagonal | 5½" × 10" | 1 | finishes 4½" × 9" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 5" × 9½" |
| Dark | HRT rectangle, “/” diagonal | 5½" × 10" | 1 | finishes 4½" × 9" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 5" × 9½" |
| Dark | HRT rectangle, “\” diagonal | 5½" × 10" | 1 | finishes 4½" × 9" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 5" × 9½" |
| Fabric | Shape | Cut size | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | HRT rectangle, “/” diagonal | 6" × 11" | 1 | finishes 5" × 10" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 5½" × 10½" |
| Background | HRT rectangle, “\” diagonal | 6" × 11" | 1 | finishes 5" × 10" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 5½" × 10½" |
| Dark | HRT rectangle, “/” diagonal | 6" × 11" | 1 | finishes 5" × 10" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 5½" × 10½" |
| Dark | HRT rectangle, “\” diagonal | 6" × 11" | 1 | finishes 5" × 10" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 5½" × 10½" |
| Fabric | Shape | Cut size | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | HRT rectangle, “/” diagonal | 7" × 13" | 1 | finishes 6" × 12" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 6½" × 12½" |
| Background | HRT rectangle, “\” diagonal | 7" × 13" | 1 | finishes 6" × 12" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 6½" × 12½" |
| Dark | HRT rectangle, “/” diagonal | 7" × 13" | 1 | finishes 6" × 12" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 6½" × 12½" |
| Dark | HRT rectangle, “\” diagonal | 7" × 13" | 1 | finishes 6" × 12" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 6½" × 12½" |
| Fabric | Shape | Cut size | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | HRT rectangle, “/” diagonal | 8½" × 16" | 1 | finishes 7½" × 15" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 8" × 15½" |
| Background | HRT rectangle, “\” diagonal | 8½" × 16" | 1 | finishes 7½" × 15" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 8" × 15½" |
| Dark | HRT rectangle, “/” diagonal | 8½" × 16" | 1 | finishes 7½" × 15" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 8" × 15½" |
| Dark | HRT rectangle, “\” diagonal | 8½" × 16" | 1 | finishes 7½" × 15" — sew the diagonal, then trim to 8" × 15½" |
How it goes together
Make one HRT of each handedness, then join them along the tall edge. Press that centre seam open — it carries four layers of bias and will not lie flat any other way.
Tips
- Make the two halves in separate batches. Right-hand units and left-hand units are different pieces and mixing them up is the only real way to ruin this block.
- Press the centre seam open. Nesting is not worth the bulk where four bias edges meet.
- Set the blocks in columns rather than rows if you want the zigzag to run the length of the quilt — it reads much longer that way.
How much fabric for a HRT Chevron quilt?
Yardage for a whole quilt of HRT Chevron blocks, computed the way the studio does it — every piece packed across a 40″ usable width with 10% added for waste.
| Quilt size | Blocks | Finished | Top fabric | Backing | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby 36×48 | 12 | 36" × 48" | Background 1¾ yd · Dark 1¾ yd | 2½ yd | ⅜ yd |
| Throw 60×72 | 30 | 60" × 72" | Background 4⅜ yd · Dark 4⅜ yd | 3⅞ yd | ½ yd |
| Queen 90×108 | 72 | 96" × 108" | Background 10⅜ yd · Dark 10⅜ yd | 8¾ yd | ⅞ yd |
What it looks like in a quilt
A single block only tells you half the story. Set sixteen of them together and the secondary pattern appears where the blocks touch:
HRT Chevron questions
How is this different from a chevron made from half-square triangles?
The angle. An HST chevron always points at 45°, which looks blunt at any size. On a 1:2 cell the same chevron leans at about 27°, which is the long, elegant version people usually have in mind.
Do I need a special ruler?
It helps a great deal but is not required. Cut generously and trim to the size in the cutting list, and any ruler with a diagonal line will do.