Il Mistero

I decided to try a mystery quilt this year. As if I don't have a gazillion things to do at this time of year!
Bonnie Hunter posts clues to creating a quilt every year. Some time after Halloween Bonnie introduces this year's mystery. For 2015 we are putting together a quilt inspired by a visit to Allietare, Italy. If you are at all interested in quilting, or travel, or connecting travel to fiber arts, you must visit Bonnie's blog and check out the intro.

Bonnie provides readers with paint chip numbers to help them collect the right sort of colors for their quilts. She tells us how much fabric we will need.

Here are my fabric choices:

I chose the green on the bottom as my "constant". Bonnie suggest a gray, and I'm just not a gray person. The middle swatch will be the backing for my quilt. It is called Renaissance Books, and I thought it was not only perfect because of its rich colors, but it goes with the Italian theme!

Then, we wait for the first clue. I "penned" this poem just before the big reveal on black Friday:

'Twas the eve of Thanksgiving and all through the house

Folks were groaning, clutching full tummies and laying about.

Except for me! I was downstairs in my lair,

Doing the sort of things I love to do there!

I was admiring all of the colors in the stash I collected,

Something other quilters are doing, I kinda suspected.

I have my black, and my gold, I think I'll use green and not gray.

Will my neutrals be neutral enough and not stand out in some way?

I love my reds. They are my favorite. They are warm, not too bold,

Some were bought recently and some are quite old. 

And my backing, a Renaissance print just begged to be bought.

It was a bit pricey, I wasn’t sure if I ought.

But it looked wonderful with the colors. It matches the theme.

It was the prettiest backing I had recently seen.

Tomorrow is the day we thought would never be here;

Give a hoot! Give a holler! Give a big cheer!

Bonnie is posting Clue Number One.

This year’s mystery quilt has finally begun!

Allietare, we are ready. We can’t wait to start.

So, Rejoice! Let the challenge gladden your hearts!

Bonnie posted the first clue. We were to use our constant fabric and neutrals to make two hundred ninety-four HST (half-square triangles). Hey, I love sounding like I know what I'm doing! But, lucky for me, and other quilters out there who may be new, or not into the lingo, Bonnie explains step-by-step what to do, and even has links to videos for us visual learners!

Here are a bunch of my HST's ready to be snipped apart and pressed open.

Who would think that 294 HST's would fit in a baggie and look so inconsequential!

And now....

Oh, Bonnie, that was easy! We snipped and we sewed.

Many of us have 294 two-inch blocks ready to go!

My triangle blocks are bundled in groups of ten,

Stored in a baggie and fastened by pins.

Are you the type to get it finished all in one day?

Or would your rather spread it out, having more time to play?

I have little triangle bits on the floor, everywhere,

But what the heck, they blend in well with all my dogs’ hair.

I haven’t time to vacuum with Christmas ‘round the bend,

And combined with this project, my sewing never ends!

What’s next? We quilters in Quiltville all want to know,

We are ready, Allietare, on with the show!

Let the banners wave across Quiltville land

Press on thread warriors, Clue #2 is at hand.

To recap: (sing along…)

On the first week of the mystery quilt,

Dear Bonnie gave to me,

Two hundred ninety-four HSTs.