It's here!!! Just what you've been waiting for!!!

Amanda's Design Team is posting their mini quilt tutorials today!!!

So, Amanda was sooooo gracious in letting us make mini quilts for her stellar award winning booth (read more about her booth here and here!!)

And this one is mine!

{thanks, Brooke, for letting me steal and edit your pic!! 🙂 }

No more waiting!!

Here's the tutorial:

Supplies:

scraps of patterned fabric…preferably Madhuri by the Quilted Fish

white solid fabric scraps

orange solid fabric scraps

2 patterned fat eighths

embroidery thread

text Template

fusible web

Cutting:

out of 12 prints: cut one 2 7/8" square from each print

out of the orange solid: cut twenty-four 1.5" squares

out of the white solid: cut one 10" square

cut twelve 2 7/8" squares and twenty-four 2.5" squares

cut four 2.5" x4.5" rectangles

out of one print (for the border around the middle panel): cut four 1.5"x10" strips

out of another print (for the binding): cut four 2"x21" strips

Sewing:

For the middle panel:

Download the template here!!

You have two ways to do this…

You can print this PDF backwards (there's a setting on your printer settings)

OR

You can print it regular and use a light table to trace the letters (Happy Day) from the backside of the printout.

Iron the written on fusible web onto scraps of patterned fabric to spell Happy Day!!

Cut out the letters…

Using the template and the light table, place the letters right where you want them!

*before you iron the letters onto the 10" square of white, trace the letters "just because" onto the white fabric. I like to write on the fabric first just in case I mess something up!! LOL!!

Iron on your letters and zigzag aroud your letters. You can use a single stitch instead or a blanket stitch. 

Match up the patterned 2 7/8" squares with the white 2 7/8" squares, right sides together.  Draw a diagonal line down the middle.

Sew 1/4" on either side of the middle line using chain stitching to sew together 12 blocks. Cut in half on the diagonal line to create 24 half-square triangles. (HSTs!)

Fold the orange square in half and place it in the corner of one of the 2.5" white squares. 

Arrange your little bowtie block as the above photo shows. 

Sew your block together, making sure your edges of your little triangle stay in place and don't squeeze out! 🙂

You now have a 3D little bowtie block!

Finish all of the blocks and figure out how you want them placed…

I made sure all of my bowties were facing the same way. Also, put your white rectangle in in the middle of the four blocks on each side. (follow the pic above).

Now, let's put a little 3D border on our middle panel.

Fold your 1.5"x10" strips in half longwise and sew them, raw edge on raw edges, onto each edge of the middle panel. Use a scant 1/4" seam so when you sew again, the seam will be hidden.

Don't worry about the corners…the raw edges will be covered!

 This is how your middle panel should look…

Sew your top and bottom strips together matching seams. Don't forget your 2.5"x4.5" rectangle in the middle!!

Then sew your side strips together. 

Sew your side strips onto your middle panel! Then sew your top and bottom strips on matching seams!!

Now you have another choice here:

You can embroider your middle words "just because" right now, or you can go ahead and make your quilt sandwich  and then embroider! The difference is that you will see your embroidery thread on the back if you wait like I did. 

Use your other scraps to piece your backing…

Pin baste your quilt sandwich and get to quilting!!!

I embroidered the words in the middle first, and then I used mini stippling for the middle. 

I quilted the inside of the triangles with a 1/4" straight seam.

Using your other binding strips, bind your sweet little mini quilt!! yay!!!

and now you have your very own daily inspiration!!!

But wait…

there's more…

Here is the list of the team and their fun mini tutorial to share with you!!!

Brooke's blog!!!

Candice's blog!!!

Jana's blog!!!

Jackie's blog!!!

and …

We can't really show you Steph's quilt because of secrets…

but here's Steph's blog!!!

And Amanda is the ring leader!!!! yay, Amanda!!!

 If you want the same fabrics we used, RUN to Julie's store, the Intrepid Thread and buy your batch of Madhuri HERE!!!!

Have fun creating!!!!