Ten-Speed Mystery Quilt Clue Four

Here are even more methods of making HSTs! Pick a method or two and use it to make 24 HSTs from your scraps. One side of the HST will be scrap and the other side will be background. Square up your HSTs to 4-1/2″ unfinished.

Rulers that Cut Triangles from Strips

Easy Angle Ruler, Omnigrid 96 Ruler, Creative Grid 4590 Ruler

Easy Angle shows how to cut the triangles with blunted edges so they match up perfectly, as does the Omnigrid 98L both of which cut QSTs as well. Strips are cut 1/2″ larger than the size of the finished HST. Lay the ruler so the line for the finished size is on the bottom of the strip. It will go over the top.

These rulers use strips the size of the finished block to cut the triangles for an HST block. Just layer a light and dark strip right sides together and use the ruler to cut out triangles. Lay it over a strip of fabric (matching the line on the ruler) to cut your first triangle. The graphic shows the Easy Angle ruler, but they all work the same way.

Then flip it to cut the second triangle. The numbers along the side of the ruler give the size of the HST you will make using each of the strip sizes shown. The 1/4″ seam allowance is built in.

For example, to make 2 1/2″ HSTs, you would use the 2″ line. Because of the blunt end on the ruler, your triangles will already have the “dog ear” cut off. This makes them easier to feed through the machine as the tiny triangle point doesn’t get caught in the feed dogs.

Pam R was kind enough to make these examples for me. She even shows how to use a Bloc-Loc to square up the block!

Creative Grids CGRMS4590 is a dual-purpose ruler that cuts half-square triangles and quarter-square triangles. Use the 45° side to cut half-square triangles from fabric strips. Turn it around to cut 90° triangles for Quarter Square Triangle blocks. Here is a video.

The Essential Triangle Tool

This ruler is very similar to the Easy Angle, but the lines have different colors depending on what you are making. The description says, “Quickly make half-square, quarter-square, flying geese and bonus triangles, plus mark perfect seam allowances with this Essential Triangle Tool. Sew stitch-and-flip triangle blocks from leftover fabric with the bonus buddy ruler, which includes holes to double as a seam guide for your machine and markings to triple as a ruler. Perfect for quilters of all skill levels- get quick and accurate results.” The picture below is of the back of the ruler package. Here is a video by the inventor, Bonnie Hunter.

If you order this on Connecting Threads, be sure to use coupon code ACTKRIS for 15% off.

Creative Grid Half-Square 4-in-1 Triangle Ruler

This 4-in-1 ruler helps you make HSTs and square them up. Whichever technique is used in the pattern you choose can be completed with this ruler.

• Cut ready-to-sew sets of triangles from strips. (Easy Angle, etc.)
• Mark and Sew 1/4″ seam lines. (Traditional)
• Square up eight half-square triangles out of a set of squares. (Magic 8)
• Trim Over-sized HST’s to the correct size.

You can watch the video here.

Rulers for Tubes

I love the Strip Tube ruler for making blocks like the hourglass. You can see my tutorial and download a free pattern here.

But if you don’t have that ruler (you really should get it, though), you can use any ruler with a square corner. Note that you have to put the horizontal line on the actual seam, not the bottom of the tube.

What size strip should you use? The same size as your finished HST. In this mystery, you need 4″ finished HSTs. So you would cut two strips, a scrap and a background, 4″ wide.

Paper Piecing

Thangles

Triangles on a Roll

Like Thangles, Triangles on a Roll is pinned to a fabric packet of dark and light fabrics placed right sides together. In this case, however, the size of the squares is closer to the size that you would use for the Magic Eight method. For the 4″ finished size, you would use 10-1/2″ squares.

Triangulations

Triangulations is a CD that you use to print out a paper piecing template to use making HSTs, QSTs, and Flying Geese Blocks. I would recommend using paper designed for paper piecing rather than regular printer paper, but it is worth experimenting with low-weight paper.

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Next Clue, Next Hour

Don’t forget to send me your pictures! Anyone who sends me a picture of their fabric or blocks during or just after the mystery will receive a free copy of the final pattern as a thank-you. My email address is moc.liamgobfsctd-62f8f5@sngisednoomebeohp.