Mystery Quilt! Mystery Of Halloween: Clue #2
Making the Strip-Pieced Bands and Cutting Triangle Units
Welcome back to The Mystery of Halloween! This subtly spooky design will delight kids of all ages and backgrounds. There are no ghosts, witches, or other “supernatural” motifs – everything is nature-based and just creepy-crawly enough to create (and cuddle) a few goosebumps.
This Halloween mystery quilt was designed by former Quilting Daily editor, Kathryn Patterson. If you haven’t already done so, please refer to the Materials list in the Halloween Mystery’s introduction post & clue #1 and get your fabric selections together.
Clue #2 requires a template shape (download here). We recommend using quilter’s template plastic for this purpose, as cardboard template edges tend to get inaccurate over time and many cuts. It also might be helpful to watch a video with tips for strip piecing before you begin. Kathy used contrasting thread in her photos so you can easily see the stitching, but you will want to go with coordinating or neutral thread for best results.
Ready for more mysterious fun? Let’s go!
Cutting (for Clue #2)
Dark, medium-dark, and light solids or tone-on-tones
from each, cut: 8 strips 2” x WOF for bands
Medium-light and bright solids or tone-on-tones
from each, cut: 4 strips 2” x WOF for bands
Be sure to save all trimmings and remaining fabric for upcoming Clues.
About this Quilt
This fun quilt design is a great way to showcase Halloween fabric collections or even solids and prints from your stash. Kathryn used Northcott fabrics, including prints from the Elegantly Frightful collection and some coordinating ColorWorks Premium solids.
Making the Bands
Sew together 2 dark, 1 bright, and 1 medium-dark 2” x WOF strips as shown to make Band A. Make 4.
Sew together 2 light, 1 medium-light, and 1 medium-dark strips as shown to make Band B. Make 4.
Press the seam allowances in the directions shown by the arrows. Bands should measure 6 1/2” wide from raw edge to raw edge.
Preparing the Template
Print the template shape provided at the beginning of this Clue at full size (100% on your printer).
Trace it on see-through template plastic, including outer lines and all seam lines.
Cut out on the outer lines. Roll small bits of tape and apply to the wrong side of the template as shown.
Cutting Triangle Units
Place prepared template tape side down on Band A, aligning horizontal seam lines with strips.
Use a rotary cutter and acrylic ruler to cut along both angled sides of the template. Rotate the template and reposition on the band, aligning edges and seam lines. Cut along angled side. Continue in this manner across the band, rotating the template for each subsequent triangle unit.
From the 4 A Bands, cut 24 Unit 1 and 24 Unit 2.
In the same way, use the template, a rotary cutter, and a ruler to cut triangle units from the B Bands.
From the 4 B Bands, cut 24 Unit 3 and 24 Unit 4.
That’s all you need to do for Clue #2.
Join us next week for clue #3!
The Halloween Mystery Quilt series originally published August 9, 2018; updated on October 3, 2024. Designed by Kathryn Patterson.
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Would you share the dimensions of the Clue 2 template? My printer is very unreliable, and I will need to draw my own. Thanks!