I'm thrilled to be one of the contributors to Kim's Home Sweet Home Quilt Along!
Kim is the creative behind Project Quilting that I've been participating in. I love that she has chosen to do a fun quilt along in between the weeks of Project Quilting!
And the blocks have been so fun…
Now, are you ready for the last block?
My block was completely inspired by the art of Junelle Jacobsen and her class that I'm still taking right now!! (The Art of Wild Abandonment!)
I love the way Junelle used different scrapbook papers on a branch and couldn't get that idea out of my mind. I transferred the idea to fabric by using a bunch of scraps!
Here it is…Branch Sweet Branch!
We are doing pretty much an applique/embroidery block!
Here is what you need to cut:
8.5" square of muslin
2 8.5" x 2.5" for top and bottom borders
2 12.5" x 2.5" for sides borders
1 1" strip for chimney (4" long is long enough!)
1 3.5" square for roof
lots of scraps for leaves
1 piece (fat eighth) big enough for the tree branch
double sided adhesive (like HeatnBond or Steam-A-Seam lite)
embroidery thread/hoop/needle
light table (optional)
chalk pencil
Instructions:
Place your chimney down even to the bottom of your muslin.
Place your roof square on your muslin right sides together.
Using a ruler and a chalk pencil, draw a diagonal line from the right edge to the bottom edge of your roof square.
Sew on that line…
Cut the excess roof square (and chimney excess) and fold down your corner and press your roof down!
Sew your top borders on first, and then sew your side borders on! Make sure you watch which way you attach your directional fabric on if you are using it!
It's time to applique. You can use the method you are used to the most. I love raw edge applique right now, so I traced all of my shapes onto my HeatnBond paper right along the lines. If you want to do needle-turned applique, make sure you cut out with an extra 1/4" to turn it in!
Also, TIP: make sure you trace your branch backwards, ie…turn your paper upside down on the light table and trace it!
Trace 7 x 3 of the leaves (or however many you want!! This is your sweet block!!)
Iron your traced adhesive onto the wrong side of your fabric.
(see how it is going the right direction? over the roof? I love that!!)
Iron your leaves onto your scraps! This project is perfect for that big basket of scraps for sure!!
Cut all of your pieces out and lay them on your block to check out where you want them!!
Iron your branch down first and then leaving your block on the ironing board, set up your leaves where you want them. Make sure you take the paper off!! teeeheeee!!
Also, I think it is adorable to have the pieces overlap onto the borders! Iron those suckers right down!!
Now is the time where you can add your text! You can trace the template that I wrote, or you can write "home sweet home" yourself. It's fun to personalize your block with your own handwriting!
Remember, there are no quilt policemen hovering over you making sure you do something a specific way! This is your quilt! It can be however you want! Even if you want to put different words…it's fine!! 🙂
And you have your block!!
A couple of things…
Depending on how you are going to quilt it, you can use your zigzagging around your appliqued pieces as your quilting! You can also do a free-motion little swirlie over the chimney as a little smoke swirl! fun, huh? Lots of options here!!
I used Aneela Hoey's Little Apples fabrics from Moda to make my sweet block.
Thanks again to Kim from Kim's Crafty Apple for letting me participate!!
Can't wait to see your interpretations of this fun little block!!
I LOVE it! The embroidery is the perfect finishing touch for these blocks! Thank you Thank you!
Love it too! Beautiful! I’ve saved all the patterns but haven’t started them yet. I was trying to decide what colors. Your block has inspired my color story! I LOVE turquoise and red together….so happy! Thanks so much
Love your block! Can’t wait to make it! Thanks for sharing!
Love your block! Adorable!
Gorgeous quilt block Sally!!! I love it!!!
So cute, Sal! I love the black and turquoise!