Celtic Solstice Mystery with V Block Trimmer

I am a Bonnie Hunter fan.  Why?

       She does an incredible job with scrap quilts.

       She has some great tips in organizing your scraps.

       She is generous in sharing her knowledge/patterns.

When one of my friends mentioned she had a mystery starting in late November -- I was intrigued.  When I saw it was using V Blocks I was hooked and decided I needed to make it.  The V Block is one of my favorite quilting units as it can give the illusion of curves with straight piecing.

Information on the Celtic Solstice Mystery are here.  Here are also the blog posts regarding Clue 1.

I've started on Clue #1 - which are the V Blocks.

V Blocks Work in Process

Bonnie provided a number of different suggestions of how to piece these units.  I choose to go a different route and use a different specialty ruler the V Block Trimmer ™  from Deb Tucker's Studio 180 Design.

I've have enjoyed using the recommended Tri-Recs rulers in the past.  In fact I think I was probably one of the first purchasers of the rulers.  I was taking a class from Joy Hoffman in Fargo and she was offering a class that used her newly produced tool.  They didn't even have the packaging available -- so I purchased it in a zip-lock bag.  Instructions for using Tri-Recs are available with the Clue 1 instructions from Bonnie Hunter.


I used TriRecs for many years and loved cutting the units with the tool.  One thing I struggled with was stretching during the piecing process.  Not a fault of the tool -- but a reality of my own construction process.

A few years ago, a vendor at the MN Quilt Show was demonstrating a new group of rulers by Deb Tucker's Studio 180 Design.  Their rulers are based on the concept of oversized cutting with trim-downs of the finished units to the correct size.  One of their rulers was designed for the V Blocks.

V Block Trimmer by Studio 180 Design

The ruler has the same angles as Tri-Recs.  But also has lines for cutting down oversized units.

For these 3-1/2" units (3" finished), I started with 4" strips.

Once I sewed the long sides together, I use the ruler for trimming the units to 3-1/2" x 3-1/2".  I've marked the "measurement lines" on the photo with red so you can see what I am matching up.

It guarantees me an accurate 1/4" seam at all intersections.

Centering Lines for First Trim. Trim top and right sides.

Rotate block under ruler. See new centering Lines for Second Trim. Trim top and right sides.

Finished unit now measuring exactly 3-1/2" x 3-1/2".

In my pattern "It's a Mystery", I figured out the cutting angle for the these oversized units if you don't have the tool (along with instructions for those who wish to use the V Block Trimmer). 

You will want to start with 4" strips.  There is no need for using the following charts if you have the Tucker Trimmer or TriRecs.

Optional Rotary Cutting without Specialty Rulers

Optional Rotary Cutting without Specialty Rulers

To do the trim-down without the Tucker Trimmer, I suggest marking the seam allowances on another ruler with a sharpie marker on InvisiGrip put on the ruler.

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I will admit that I prefer using the various specialty rulers as I think it makes me a more accurate piecer.


Happy quilting.

Kari Schell
On Point Quilter