Good Friday Morning, Quiltvillians!
Yes, I'm back from my whirlwind trip to England. What a magnificent time we had!
I absolutely love traveling with quilters (and yes, their ever-patient spouses!) and seeing this beautiful world of ours.
Part Two of this mystery released on Black Friday just before I left for the airport. Part Three was posted in the morning hours while we were in Bath, and here I am home again for Part Four.
I purposely kept Part Three a bit easier so everyone would have a chance to catch up if they got a bit behind.
Our Craftours Group at Highclere Castle of Downton Abbey fame!
Click to view All My Tours and join me in my 2025 line up to discovering the crafts, culture and cuisine of Iceland in June, a celebration of quilting & textiles in France, Germany & Switzerland in September, and the treasures of a Bavarian/Austrian Christmas in December.
In January of 2026 we'll be somewhere warm with an exclusive arts & crafts experience in Morocco followed by the culture, crafts and traditions of Romania in June. September 2026 has us exploring all the quilting inspirations of India.
I am so excited about this whole lineup over the next couple of years and I hope you'll join me.
Space is limited, and there is an early booking discount if you reserve your spot before Jan 1, 2025. Don't miss out!
Also - I made a request in yesterday's post. If you are only checking out my blog on Fridays - could you flip back there and help me out? Thank you!
Click HERE for Part Four PDF.
Poland is full of beautiful architecture!
Beautiful street scenes!
Rose gardens and interesting statues.
Fantastic building colors and interesting rooflines.
Are you ready for what Part Four is bringing?
Half-Square Triangles!
25 sets of 8 matching!
Units will measure 2 1/2'' unfinished and finish at 2''.
That's 200 half-square triangles total, sewn in sets of 8 - each set uses the same coral/melon and the same neutral per set, but you can use different pairings for each set if you wish.
Traditional Rotary Cutting for ONE SET:
From coral/melon fabric cut:
4 squares 2 7/8''
From Neutral fabric cut:
4 squares 2 7/8''
Pair neutral squares with coral squares with right sides together. Slice on the diagonal from corner to corner to yield 2 half-square triangle units ready to sew from each pair of squares.
The sewing is the same as the Essential Triangle Tool Method below.
You can use ANY method to make these, keeping in mind the unfinished and finished size.
Pair a 2 1/2'' melon/coral strip and a 2 1/2'' neutral strip with right sides together. We are cutting in already matched pairs, ready to sew.
Square off end of strip set.
Using the 3rd red line for
2'' finished half-square triangles, place the line at the top of the strip set
and cut as shown.
Pivot the ruler and continue cutting, placing the 2'' finished red
line on the bottom of the strip set on the fabric as show. Cut.
Continue to pivot the ruler, cutting 8 half-square triangle pairs ready to sew from each fabric pairing.
Cut 25 sets of 8.
Stitch half-square triangle pairs along
diagonal edge. Gently press toward the
coral/melon fabric.
Remove dog ears and trim to 2 1/2'' as
needed.
If your units are too small, scant
your seam allowance and try again.
Chain pressing for the win!
(Yes, press them toward the colored fabric.)
Try this. Sew your half-square triangles all with the same color up. In my case, I send them through with the neutrals on top.
Clip your chains behind the presser foot after each completion of the sets of 8 - this keeps chains shorter than the length of your ironing board, preventing tangling from chains that are too long and unweildy.
CHAIN PRESS! Meaning, don't cut things apart until after you have pressed them. It's faster, and it keeps everything facing the same direction.
If you cut things apart first, you have to pick up, and rotate and rearrange and press one at a time...it's much quicker to work down a chain.
I use scissors to snip the chaining threads (Or sometimes a seam ripper if it is handy) and then trim dog ears into a scrap container on my ironing board.
Some of you may have that razor-blade thing for cutting apart chains, and that's great, but try pressing your chains first before you cut them apart.
One set of 8 matching.
Make 25 sets total.
Now that I'm home from England and we are back in full-on-mystery-mode, I want to give you a heads up.
The holidays get busy. People set things aside to get back to them after New Years.
Even if things get a bit hectic, it is helpful to check the blog daily so that you don't miss anything.
I've been known to throw in some "surprises" along the way, and they don't always come on Friday! LOL!
Don't worry, if I sneak in a whammy, the next Friday clue will refer you back to what you may have missed. And that's the fun of this whole thing being a mystery, and keeping it a mystery for everyone.
As always - Download and print/save the PDF copies for each mystery post - not just the ones that come on Friday.
Okay, that's it for now!
Quiltville Quote of the Day!
And this is more true during the holidays than any other time of the year.
Am I right?
Happy Friday, everyone!
This mystery pattern is given for personal use only.
No part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical including printing or photocopying for sharing, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the author.
Please no uploading and saving of this file with intent to share, email or distribute, either digitally or in hard copy.
It is a reader appreciation mystery, something I give back to my readers for their support over the years.
Please help me continue to design and show your support by sending your friends to my blog to print their own copy.
Please check out my other designs found in the Quiltville Store where my books (paperback) notions, tools, and other goodies along with my digital patterns are found right at your fingertips.
©2024 Bonnie K Hunter. All Rights Reserved
Excellent! Good thing I have lots of 2.5" triangles on a roll paper. This has been so fun, can't wait to get started.
ReplyDeleteMy sewing room is always cluttered and upside down yet I still manage to turn out quilts week after week for charity and natural disasters :0). I'm comfortable in my "clutter". Happy Sewing!
ReplyDeleteLove the quote of the day!! My house exactly.
ReplyDeleteRight now I have 2 6ft tables in the middle of my living room, 15 yds of batting on the roll on the floor, a cordless iron, gal bottle of Elmers glue and blue tape on my kitchen counter! Turning way too many quilt tops into way to many quilt sandwiches that will wait their turn for the mid-arm. Someday they will be done????? I'm 80 and must live forever!
ReplyDeleteI think you’re peering into my home. The sewing room, living room, kitchen island and table are covered!!
ReplyDeleteI tend to be a slower sewist, presser, cutter, and even crocheter, lol. I really enjoy the process. Sue
ReplyDeleteBonnie, after I mailed fabric strips to you yesterday I realized I had neglected to enclose the note of appreciation I had intended to send along with them. So here it is: Please know that of all the quilters I have learned from over the years, you are by far the most influential. Your generosity and skill have had a profound effect on my quilting style. From you I have learned the imperative of accurate cutting and piecing, how to use value to incorporate a wide array of scraps into one quilt, and yes, if it's still ugly just cut it smaller! I have learned the delight of using the smallest of pieces to build a beautiful fabric mosaic. Your generosity is exceptional as you share with us free quilt patterns -- such as the annual mystery quilt, and leader and ender challenge -- that other bloggers would charge for. Your warm, can-do attitude fans the flames of creativity in all of us. Truly, thank you so much for all you do!
ReplyDeleteWell said!! I have also learned so much & she is always my "go-to" for patterns when I need a quick one. :-)
DeleteI totally agree with K. L. You are an inspiration to all of us. Thank you.
DeleteLove today's quote. Made me giggle......I alway tell my Hubs that it is "organized clutter" and laugh and laugh.....I know where everything is.....Did you bring home any Polish Pottery?
ReplyDeleteI call the mess in my room "Organized Chaos!!" HA!!
ReplyDeleteLove the color this week. I was wondering when it was going to come into play! Today was my last day at one school district, Tuesday I'll be starting with another, smaller one. Hoping it's a better fit for me. Have a fabulous weekend everyone! :)