Free Dove Applique Pattern

November 25, 2024

Use this free dove applique pattern to make all kinds of things!

Download the template pieces and placement guide here.

If you have an electric cutting machine, you can use it to cut your pieces. Download the SVG file here.

The dove combines with all the other free Christmas applique patterns so you can make a quilt, but there are so many other possibilities too! Here are just a few ideas (with links to free patterns) . . .

Here are links to the other free Christmas applique patterns. . .

The dove is designed to make an applique that fits in a 10-inch square block. That makes it really easy to resize as needed. Do you want to make a 4 inch coaster? Print the pieces at 40% size. Do you want to make a tote bag that’s 17 inches square? Print the pieces at 170% size.

You can also easily use this pattern to make half-blocks to break up a standard grid. Just adjust the angle of the wing so it’s not tipped up so high and you’re all set – no resizing needed.

You can find yardage requirements and cutting guides for multiple layout possibilities (including a grid with half-blocks) here.

A Little Extra Help

If you’ve never made a quilt before, I recommend starting here.

If you’ve never done any applique before (or are new to my method) I recommend starting here.

There’s also a single video here that takes you through all the basic steps of my method.

You can find loads of single-topic tutorial videos here, and also by using the search box at the top of the page.

Prep Your Block

Cut an 11” square of fabric for the background, and an 11 inch square of batting.

Press them both (with steam) and let them cool. Layer the background square over the batting square and quilt the two layers together. Do NOT add the backing yet. This video shows some of my favorite straight-line patterns, and this video shows some of my favorite wavy line patterns.

Press the quilted block again (with steam) and let it cool.

This video has a general intro to my Quilt As You Go method, along with complete instructions for how to assemble the block. It’s a long video, but there’s timestamp info to help you skip to the specific instructions you want.

Cut Your Pieces

Download the template pieces and placement guide here.

If you have an electric cutting machine, you can use it to cut your pieces. Download the SVG file here.

The image in the SVG file is NOT reversed. If your cutting machine has you cut your pieces fabric side up, leave the orientation as it is. If your cutting machine has you cut your pieces fabric side down, you’ll need to flip the image horizontally.

Different cutting machine brands import the image at what seems to be totally random sizes. To fit the appliqué on a block that finishes at 10 inches square, check to make sure the small square in the image is one inch, and resize if necessary before ungrouping the pieces. Delete that square after resizing so your machine doesn’t try to cut it. 🙂

Print your templates.

If you’re cutting everything by hand you’ll need to print the reversed and exploded templates. If you’re using printable fusible adhesive you can print those pages directly onto the paper side of your fusible.

I hate to trace so I use printable Heat & Bond Lite for all my quilts – make sure whatever brand you choose is compatible with whatever type of printer you have.

If you’re using a light box you’ll also need to print the placement guide.

Roughly cut around each shape. Leave a little bit extra all the way around each piece.

Follow the package instructions and fuse each piece to the wrong side of the fabric.

Cut out each piece neatly, directly on the solid lines.

Cutting after you fuse ensures that the adhesive goes right to the very edge of the fabric.

Trace the dotted lines onto the fabric. If you hold the pieces up to a window, the light will make the lines very visible – even on dark fabric.

If you want to skip this step, this video shows how to use a light box. If you use a light box, you only need to transfer the eye.

Put It All Together

Peel off the paper backing and arrange the pieces on your background block. Fuse in place according to the adhesive package instructions.

This video shows the assembly with me explaining how I’m layering the pieces.

This video shows the same thing – but using a light box to guide placement.

Stitch all the edges down. You can use any stitch you like, in matching or contrasting thread. I really love the look of a simple straight stitch with black thread.

I demonstrate sewing with different thread weights here.

This post will help you with the order in which to stitch.

This post has tips for stitching tight curves – very helpful for that olive branch.

Finished!

For this bright, saturated color combo I used the Classic Rainbow blenders (plus Elephant Blenders for the white and gray).

The background block is one of these pre-printed quilt blocks in Classic Rainbow – Dark.

For a slightly subdued color palette I used colors from the Farmers Market collection.

Finishing

If you’re making a quilt, trim your finished block to 10 1/2” square.

If you’re using your block to make something else, just follow the pattern instructions for whatever you’re making. You’ll find a bunch of project ideas (and free patterns) here.

Merry Christmas!

Free – Wavy Waves Applique Pattern

January 26, 2024

Add some waves to your quilts with this free applique pattern!

In addition to the wavy stripes you see in the top image, the free pattern also includes a template designed to use at the bottom of a block, in combination with an animal applique.

Here’s an example.

These waves will work particularly well with the following patterns:

Download the free waves template pieces here.

Have fun with it!

How to Make a Cloth Book

December 9, 2023

People call them cloth books, quiet books, soft books – whatever you call them they’re easy and fun to make and a great way to get extra use out of your patterns.

The instructions below are for a 12-page book, 8 inches square, with flannel “batting” to make the pages extra soft and snuggly.

Plan your Cloth Book

Download this worksheet to plan your pages.

Here’s what mine looked like after filling it out.

The top of the worksheet is your planning guide. It lays out what the pages will look like when you’re reading them.

I decided to call my book Who’s Grumpy? I put one face on each page, including mostly smiling faces but one very grumpy cat. I deliberately placed the cat on an odd-numbered page so when someone is flipping the pages, that’s the immediate “reveal.” I’m imagining a kid pointing and calling out,”He’s grumpy!” as soon as you turn that page. 🙂

My book is a random collection of animals, but you can do anything!

  • Make a collection of a child’s favorite animals.
  • Make a souvenir of a visit to the zoo and the animals you saw there.
  • Make a collection of the animals native to your area.
  • Use this free ABC pattern to put an animal face on the even pages, and the sound that animal makes on the odd pages.
  • Make a Christmas book with the free patterns here.
  • Make male and female versions of all the birds that come to your backyard feeder.
  • Make books for different biomes.
  • It doesn’t have to be animals! Make a book of cars and trucks, or one filled with flowers.

Really – the sky is the limit! I can’t wait to see what you make! If you’re looking for inspiration, Kate has been sharing her amazing books in the Shiny Happy People group. Here’s one collection, and here’s another.

The bottom of the worksheet is your construction guide. It shows how you need to make the pages so that when you put them all together it reads like you planned in the top of the worksheet. So, for example, the animal for page two (the koala) needs to be on the same rectangle of fabric as the animal for page 11 (the hippo).

Materials

You’ll need 3/4 yard of fabric for your book, and 3/4 yard of flannel.

I recommend pre-washing both the fabric and the flannel, and I actually recommend washing and drying the flannel one extra time because that stuff has a tendency to shrink a lot.

You’ll also need fusible adhesive. I use Heat & Bond Lite for all my quilts.

Cutting Instructions and Applique Preparation

From the fabric, cut 6 rectangles each 8 1/2 inches x 17 inches.

From the flannel cut 6 rectangles each 8 inches x 16 1/2 inches.

Print or trace your applique templates. Since my book is 8 inches square and my patterns are all designed to fit in 10 inch squares, I printed all the template pages at 80% size. There’s more info about resizing patterns here.

Instructions

Fold your fabric rectangles in half and press the fold to mark what will be the spine of the book.

Fuse your appliques. (Those little cards with the numbers are my page numbers, just helping me to keep everything organized while I worked.)

I usually make my quilt blocks “snapshot style.” By that I mean I imagine that I’ve snapped a photo of the animal, zoomed way in on its face. Here’s an example.

I’m trying to make it look like she has a lower body – it’s just cropped out of the photo – and I achieve that effect by lining the cut edge of the bottom of the applique like up with the raw edge at the bottom of my block. You can do this in your soft book exactly the same way. Just line up the straight edge at the bottom of the applique piece with the bottom edge of the page so both raw edges get included in the stitching when you finish the page edges.

For my book I decided to float the heads in the middle of the block – what I call “emoji style.” When I do that, I just don’t use the shoulder or body pieces. That means I had to choose animals where the head and body are separate pieces, so I didn’t include anything like this bear.

See? No way to separate the head from the body.

That was a little design digression. Now, back to the instructions. 🙂

Center a flannel rectangle on the back of each page rectangle. I cut the flannel smaller than the fabric in order to de-bulk the edges of the pages.

I used spray adhesive because every few years I forget how much I hate it and I give it another try before swearing off it for another few years. It would have been a lot easier (and less messy) to just dab a little fabric glue stick in each corner and a swipe down the center. 😛

Outline the applique. I just use a simple straight stitch with black thread.

At this point I also used fabric paint to add some catchlights to my eyes.

Don’t do that. 🙂

It all worked out fine, but since I used fabric paint for mine catchlights, it means for the rest of the process I had to be very careful not to iron over the eyes. It would have been easier to add the catchlights at the very end.

Now comes the fun part – finishing the pages.

Sew pages 12/1 to pages 2/11, right sides facing, using 1/4-inch seam allowance all around. Leave a 4-5 inch opening for turning.

Repeat with pages 6/7 and 8/5.

Repeat with pages 4/9 and 10/3.

Clip the corners of each page and turn them right side out.

Here’s a close-up of the clipping. You want to get right up to the stitching without actually cutting the stitches.

Smooth all the edges, tuck the seam allowance in at the turning opening, and give it a good press.

You can close up that opening two ways.

  1. Hand sew the opening closed using ladder stitch. This is slower, but completely invisible and results in the softest pages.
  2. Topstitch the edges of the page all the way around, closing up the opening as you topstitch. This is faster, but results in a slightly stiffer page edge.

I chose option 2 – topstitching. I’m pretty sure the page edge will soften up over time, and even if it doesn’t it’s really not unpleasantly stiff. 🙂

Finally, stack the pages as follows.

  • Lay page 12/1 face down so that its back (page 2/11) is face up.
  • Over that lay page 10/3 face down so that its back (page 4/9) is facing up.
  • Over that lay page 8/5 face down so that its back (page 6/7) is facing up.

Sew the three layers together right down the spine of the book, using that pressed fold line as a guide. I stitched my spine twice for extra durability.

Close your book. You’re finished! Here’s my finished book. . .

Here are a bunch of additional ideas and links to further customize your book.

You can change the size of your book – just be sure to adjust the print size for your templates accordingly. I use 10-inches as the base for all my quilt blocks because it makes the math so dang easy. If you want a 9-inch book, print your templates at 90% size. If you want it to be 7.5 inches, print your templates at 75%. Easy peasy.

If you want to add or subtract pages, that will throw off the entire planning worksheet so you’d need to make your own. It also affects what batting you use in the pages. In my tests, even thin cotton batting was too puffy for a 12-page book, but it would probably work for an 8-page book. If you want to make yours longer than 12 pages, I’d recommend stabilizing the pages with interfacing instead of using the flannel.

Go crazy with fun special effects!

Maybe you want to use smooth shiny satin for your frog! Or fluffy fleece for your puppy. Or a little bit of white fur for the inner ears of the koala! This post will take you to the tutorial showing how to applique with satin, and at the bottom of that post there are links to tutorials for lots of other specialty fabrics.

Want to use an easy faux trapunto technique to give the koala a puffy nose?

I have a tutorial for that.

Want to make that frog tongue a 3D piece that kids can move around?

I have a tutorial for that.

Want to give that bunny soft 3D ears?

I have a tutorial for that.

Want to have a page with a house that has a little door that opens so you can see what’s behind it?

I have a tutorial for that.

You can find all the Shiny Happy World quilting tutorials here.

Have fun making a cloth book! I can’t wait to see what you make!

Here are several free patterns that work with my basic 10-inch applique squares – no resizing needed!

Here are several free patterns that work with just some simple resizing. This post about making coasters has info about resizing an applique pattern that can be applied to any of these projects.

Return to the main Let’s Make a Quilt Table of Contents.

Free Nutcracker Applique Pattern

November 18, 2022

Every year (almost) I release a free holiday applique pattern.

Here are the links to the patterns from previous years.

This year I’d like you to meet the Nutcracker!

Now let’s jump right to the instructions!

These instructions assume you’re already familiar with the applique method I use – Quilt As You Go and applique with fusible adhesive.

If you’re new to my patterns, there’s a detailed video workshop here that takes you step by step through the methods I use. It’s totally free, and you can work your way through the lessons using any pattern you like, including this nutcracker pattern!

Step 1

Download the template pieces. If you’re using paper-backed fusible adhesive and cutting by hand, use this link to download the PDF. If you’re using an electric cutting machine, use this link to download the SVG. On most computers that link will take you to a preview of the file. You’ll need to click on the down-arrow icon to actually download it to your computer.

If you’e using an electric cutting machine like a Cricut. . .

  • Upload the file to your machine.
  • Resize if needed. (The small square in the top left corner should be 1 inch.)
  • Ungroup the pieces and assign colors.
  • Cut.

Step 2

Trace or print the pattern onto the paper side of the fusible adhesive.

I use Heat & Bond Lite for all my quilts, and I love printable sheets because I’m lazy and hate to trace. 🙂

The image has already been reversed, so just trace or print. If you’re tracing, be sure to trace the lines separating the teeth too. You’ll need those for Step 5.

Step 3

Whoa! That’s a lot of pieces!

It’s ok – the numbers tell you what’s what and there’s a video showing how to layer them up. 🙂

Roughly cut around each shape and fuse it to the back of your fabric.

Step 4

Cut around each piece neatly.

This time you’re cutting directly on the solid lines.

Step 5

Remember back in Step 2 when I told you to make sure you traced the lines for the teeth? Now you’re going to use that. Hold the teeth up to a window so the light shines through it. You’ll be able to see all the dotted lines, and the adhesive will stabilize the fabric so you can trace on it without it crinkling up.

If you’re not using a lightbox (I am in my video), trace all the other dotted lines too using chalk or a pencil. They’ll help you position the pieces.

Step 6

If you’re doing Quilt As You Go (I did) then you can quilt your block before adding the applique. So easy!

Cut your background fabric and a piece of 100% cotton batting 11 inches square.

Layer the block with a piece of 100% cotton batting. Quilt any pattern you like!

I prefer to quilt my blocks before I applique. These posts show how I do that, along with lots more info. Start with them.

Some people prefer to quilt after they applique. This post features a gallery of lots of quilt patterns with video instructions showing you how to work those patterns around applique you’ve already done. Of course, you can also stitch these designs before you applique.

If you’ll do the quilting later, simply skip this step.

Step 7

Peel off the paper backing and arrange the pieces on a background block.

Fuse the pieces in place, following the instructions for whatever brand of adhesive you used.

This video has detailed instructions for layering all those pieces and also shows the finished block.

Step 8

Outline all the pieces with black thread and a simple straight stitch – or choose your favorite decorative stitch.

This video has some tips for outlining those tight curves.

I like going around all the pieces three times for a sketchy, scribbly look. This post has some tips for that.

This post has tips for using decorative stitching.

This post has some information about outlining using thicker thread.

Done!

Do you like those little specks of light in his eyes? This post shows you three ways to add those catchlights.

If you’re making a one-block project, go ahead and finish it up!

If you’re making a bunch of nutcracker blocks to join into a quilt -­ maybe adding them to the other free Christmas blocks – have fun!

This post has details about lots of different layouts that work well with my patterns.

This video shows how to trim your finished quilt blocks.

This video shows how to sew your blocks together using the QAYG method I use.

This post has tips for quilting on a cuddle fleece back.

And this video shows how to bind your quilt.

What can you do with just one block pattern? Tons of things!

I have lots of free patterns that you can use with any applique patterns – stockings, tote bags, placemats and more! Find all the free patterns here.

Have fun! And share a photo of what you make! You can share it in the Shiny Happy People group or tag it with #shinyhappyworld on Instagram.

If you like this free pattern, sign up for the Shiny Happy News!

Happy stitching!

Papa and Baby – Emperor Penguin Applique Pattern

May 15, 2021

In time for Father’s Day next month – a Papa and Baby Emperor Penguin applique pattern!

Yep, the 15th of the month means it’s pattern release day in the Funny Faces Quilt Block of the Month Club!

We have a vote last month in the club to see what the next block of the month pattern will be – and this month the penguin pair were the winners – just barely edging out the dragonfly.

If you’re in the club already, head over to the clubhouse to download the pattern. This link will take you straight to the penguin page.

If you’re not in the club yet – here’s the link to join.

Members get an exclusive new pattern every month!

Here’s a quick peek at my penguin pair coming together.

I made the penguins with the Warm Neutral Batiks fabric bundle – plus a scrap of white-on-white print I had. The background block is from the Rainbow Sherbet fabric bundle.

I can’t wait to see all the penguins you make! (Penguins are antarctic, rather than arctic – but they’d be a fun addition to all the cold-loving critters in the Arctic Chill quilt pattern.)

Happy stitching!

Choosing Fabric for Your Backyard Birds Quilt

April 23, 2021

I’ve got a post here with general information about choosing fabric for any of my quilts, but choosing fabric for the new Backyard Birds quilt pattern is a whole different beast – worthy of its own post.

I’ve been making sample blocks for this quilt pattern for months now. This one was a doozy!

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from people who are starting to shop for fabric for their Backyard Birds quilts – wanting to know if there’s a list they can shop with.

Yes! Sort of. 🙂

Fabric Shopping List for the Backyard Birds Quilt Pattern

Click here to download the fabric shopping list for the Backyard Birds quilt.

Please understand that this is by no means a definitive list! It really depends on what birds YOU want to make. I’m making sample blocks (and including instructions for) 100 birds, but there are THOUSANDS of bird species out there – and when you consider the fact that male and females of the same species often look very different. . . well, that’s a lot of variation.

I’ve designed the templates to be mix and matchable – so you can use them to go way beyond the 100 samples I made. That means you’ll probably also go way beyond the fabrics I used. BUT! I can give you some guidelines to create a really useful stash to start with. Just be aware that you may need to go searching for just the right fabric for some of the birds in your quilt.

Before I go into specific colors and patterns, I want to include just a couple of the “rules” I used for my sample blocks. I often decide on rules for a quilt before I choose fabrics. It helps me keep a cohesive look to a jumble of different blocks. For my bird samples, the only solid I used was solid black for the eyes. ALL the other fabrics are prints or batiks. I did this because even the smoothest-looking birds have some variation/texture in their feathers. So I used batiks for the very smooth, uniform-looking birds (less common) and other prints for the rest (more common).

I recommend choosing one color palette for your background blocks, but I’ll have more info about that (and lots of sample photos) at the end of this post.

Solid-ish Neutrals

Not surprisingly, you’re going to need a lot of neutral fabrics. A LOT of backyard birds are colored to blend in with their backgrounds. The Animal Kingdom color collection is a great starting point. That contains multiple shades of grey (ranging from almost white to black), multiple shades of brown (again ranging from very light to very dark), a rusty brown and a golden color. Each of those colors is available in multiple prints, so you can find lots of variety there. You’ll definitely want more variety in the browns and greys – I often liked to use different prints of the same shade to get some contrast between different parts, like you see in this yellowthroat.

The wings, tail, and back of the bird are the same brown – but I used different prints to help create definition.

Applique of a yellowthroat - demonstrating how to choose fabric for a realistic bird

If that large collection is a bit much, you can shop by color here.

Here are some links to the colors you’ll use the most. . .

All of these that I’m talking about here are the tone-on-tone prints that read as solids.

Printed Neutrals

Now we’re talking stripes and spots. You actually don’t need many of these fabrics – but what you need is pretty specific. Here’s a list of the most common prints I used.

  • streaky brown – cream or tan with darker brown streaks or stripes
  • cream or tan with darker brown spots
  • brown with cream speckles
  • a darker brown and a lighter brown dappled print (all-over florals can work here)
  • brown stripes – medium brown with darker brown or black stripes
  • grey with black stripes

Of course, this is not comprehensive – but it’s a good start.

Black and White

You’re going to want some black and white prints.

  • wide black and white stripe – very useful for birds with black and white heads
  • white with black spots
  • white with black speckles
  • narrower black and white stripes (mainly for woodpeckers)
  • black and white check (also mainly for woodpeckers)

Colors

You’ll definitely want some yellows. I was surprised by how many birds have yellow! Get a couple of really bright yellows, some softer yellows, and also some dull mustardy shades.

Blue. Lots of birds have some very bright blue. Get a couple of prints in the same rich shade for the definition I talked about in the neutrals section. The darker shades of these Blueberry blenders work well for iridescent and blue-black birds.

Red. Most red birds tend to be orangey red rather than blue-ish reds, so keep that in mind as you shop. These blenders are true red, and these have a touch of orange.

Pink. We have a lot of pink and pinkish-purple birds here on the east coast. You’ll find a pink with grey undertones (or even grey streaks) pretty useful, and also a bright mulberry shade for several finches.

Greens. Surprisingly, there aren’t a lot of green birds here in the US. You’d think that would be good camouflage. You might want to decide on your birds before you shop for greens, because you could need anything from emerald to olive.

Orange and dark purple. Again – these don’t come up as often, so maybe shop as needed.

Background Blocks

The fabrics you choose for your background blocks can affect the whole mood of your quilt.

For my quilt I chose realistic colors for all the birds, and I played around with several different background palettes using my fabric bundles. I recommend choosing either solids or batiks for your background blocks – but don’t mix them. Besides thinking about the overall look you like, think about the quilting here. Quilting will really show on solids, and will be almost invisible on batiks.

Here are the background palettes I’ve already experimented with.

Backyard Birds made with the Batik Rainbow fabric bundle

These bright batiks will give you very vivid background blocks with nearly invisible quilting. The background fabrics are as vivid as some of the most colorful backyard birds!

Backyard Birds made with the Warm Neutral Batiks fabric bundle

The neutral batiks will give you a more subtle, forest-floor background. The colorful backyard birds really pop against these neutral fabrics, but when you’re putting a brown bird on a brown block (or a grey bird on a grey block) you’ll need to be sure to get good light/dark contrast.

Backyard Birds made with the Solid Rainbow fabric bundle

The solid background blocks in basic rainbow colors. Bright and cheerful.

Backyard Birds made with the Box of Crayons fabric bundle

These are also solid backgrounds, but in a more grown-up rainbow. The colors are still intense, but a little more muted. The yellow is mustard rather than sunshine. There are also some neutrals (brown and a grey) in the mix.

applique birds made with the Rainbow Sherbet bundle of Kona cotton solids

More solids, but this time in soft baby colors. The birds really pop against those pale pastels.

appliqued birds made with the Muted Rainbow fabric bundle

A different kind of rainbow solids. The colors are still bright, but they have a chalkier look. This collection also includes a brown and a grey.

applique birds on soft grey backgrounds

I also love this batch using shades of solid gray.

Green batiks can give you a very realistic background foliage kind of look.

Blue batiks would also work also really well – suggesting the sky.

Whew! That’s a lot of information! I hope it helps you shop for fabrics for your Backyard Birds quilt. Get the pattern here!

Happy stitching!

The 100 Day Project 2021 – 100 Birds

February 2, 2021
black-capped chickadee applique pattern

For the last few years I’ve participated in the 100 Day Project. Last year was the first year I actually finished it. 🙂

The 100 Day project is awesome. Participants decide on any creative activity they want to pursue for 100 days. It can be ANYTHING! A few that I remember off the top of my head are a jeweler who made 100 pairs of earrings, a potter who came up with 100 different handles, a baker who made 100 different pies, and an artist who designed 100 different alphabet fonts – the sky’s the limit!

Last year I designed a different repeat pattern every day – AND I used that pattern to mock-up a new applique design. Here’s just one example.

illustrated orangutan - cute

I hoped to have a fabric collection come out of it, but I got something else instead. SO MANY QUILT BLOCK IDEAS!

I’ve already designed a quilt pattern using the arctic animals I mocked up.

arctic chill applique quilt pattern cover

I love how it turned out – but it was relatively easy. Just design all the blocks, make a sample, record the video tutorials, and write the pattern!

But one of the ideas that the project sparked last year was a Mix & Match Backyard Birds pattern. As I was drawing some of the birds I see at my feeder, I realized that a lot of the basic parts are pretty much the same. I wondered if I could create some basic templates that could be used to applique just about any of those classic feeder birds. I noodled around with the idea for ten of my hundred days, and it seemed like it would work!

backyard birds applique pattern design process

I’ve taken the months since then to draw up a bunch of templates and now I’m finally ready to test them – just in time for a new 100 Day Project!

The new tests won’t be mock-ups. They’re actually appliqued blocks that I’ll be able to join into a quilt. So exciting!

Here’s Day 1 – a black-capped chickadee, one of my favorite birds.

black-capped chickadee applique pattern

Will I be able to make 100 different recognizable birds using just a few pages of templates? We’re about to find out. 🙂

You can follow along with my progress on Instagram. And the applique pattern will be available at the end of the project – maybe even sooner if the testing goes smoothly and I don’t need to design too many additional templates. 🙂

Update! The project is finished and you can find the pattern here!

Want to join in the 100 Day Project? There’s more info here.

Happy stitching!

Meet Ellen the Elephant!

January 15, 2021
cute green applique elephant

I love the 15th! It’s pattern release day in the Funny Faces Quilt Block of the Month Club!

The new pattern this month is Ellen the Elephant.

I made her in three different colors and this silly green elephant splashing around in pink lemonade was my favorite. 🙂

If you’re in the club already, head over to the clubhouse to download the pattern. This link will take you straight to the elephant’s page.

If you’re not in the club yet – here’s the link to join.

Members get an exclusive new pattern every month!

Here’s a quick peek at my elephant coming together.

I ended up making elephants in three different colors.

Most African elephants are grey, so I made a grey one.

I used the Warm Neutral Batiks bundle for the elephant and Box of Crayons for the background block.

Asian elephants can also be grey, but they’re more often a reddish brown.

I used the Warm Neutrals fabric bundle for the elephant and the Rainbow Sherbet bundle for the background block.

Finally – here’s that silly green elephant.

This one uses the Dots and Gingham Play fabric bundles for the elephant and the Batik Rainbow fabric bundle for the background.

I can’t wait to see the elephants you make!

Happy stitching!

Gingerbread Cookie – Free Applique Pattern

December 9, 2020
three versions of applique gingerbread cookies faces

Every year (almost) I release a free holiday applique pattern.

What to do this year?

Here are the links to the patterns from previous years.

I’ve been having a lot of fun with Mix & Match patterns lately, so I decided to make a gingerbread cookie with lots of parts for you to play with!

Here’s a quick intro. . .

Now let’s jump right to the instructions!

These instructions assume you’re already familiar with the applique method I use – Quilt As You Go and applique with fusible adhesive.

Step 1

Download the template pieces. If you’re using paper-backed fusible adhesive and cutting by hand, use this link to download the PDF. If you’re using an electric cutting machine, use this link to download the SVG.

If you’e using an electric cutting machine like a Cricut. . .

  • Upload the file to your machine.
  • Resize if needed. (To fit a block that finishes at 10 inches square, the image should be 15 inches wide.)
  • Ungroup the pieces and assign colors
  • Cut.

Step 2

printed pattern pages for free gingerbread applique pattern

Trace or print the pattern onto the paper side of the fusible adhesive.

I use Heat & Bond Lite for all my quilts, and I love their printable sheets because I’m lazy and hate to trace. 🙂

The image has already been reversed, so just trace or print. If you’re tracing, be sure to trace the eyes and (optional) eyelashes too. You’ll need those for Step 5.

Step 3

printed gingerbread applique pieces fused to fabric

Roughly cut around each shape and fuse it to the back of your fabric.

Here’s a video showing those first two steps. . .

Step 4

Cut around each piece neatly.

This time you’re cutting directly on the solid lines.

This video has more info about that step.

Step 5

Remember back in Step 2 when I told you to make sure you traced the eyes and eyelashes? Now you’re going to use that. Hold the face up to a window so the light shines through it. You’ll be able to see all the dotted lines, and the adhesive will stabilize the fabric so you can trace on it without it crinkling up.

gingerbread applique in progress - eyes marked on cookie

Trace the lines to show where the eyes go. If your cookie will have eyelashes, trace those too.

Here’s a video with more info about this step.

Step 6

If you’re doing Quilt As You Go (I did) then you can quilt your block before adding the applique. So easy!

quilted block

Cut your background fabric and a piece of 100% cotton batting 11 inches square.

Layer the block with a piece of 100% cotton batting. Quilt any pattern you like!

Find all the Quilt As You Go tutorials here.

If you’ll do the quilting later, simply skip this step.

Step 7

Peel off the paper backing and arrange the pieces on a background block. Have fun creating your own custom cookie!

Mix & Match Gingerbread pattern - all pieces layered

Fuse the pieces in place, following the instructions for whatever brand of adhesive you used.

This video has detailed instructions for layering the cookie decorations.

And this video is a shorter version with no explanation – just music – perfect for folks already familiar with my techniques.

Step 8

Outline all the pieces with black thread and a simple straight stitch – or choose your favorite decorative stitch.

This video has some tips for outlining those tight curves.

I like going around all the pieces three times for a sketchy, scribbly look. This post has some tips for that.

This post has tips for using decorative stitching.

This post has some information about outlining using thicker thread.

And this video has me talking through the path I followed to outline my sample block – and also shows you the other two blocks I made.

Done!

If you’re making a one-block project, go ahead and finish it up!

If you’re making a bunch of gingerbread blocks to join into a quilt -­ maybe adding them to the other free Christmas blocks – have fun!

This video shows how to trim your finished quilt blocks.

This video shows how to sew your blocks together using the QAYG method I use.

This post has tips for quilting on a cuddle fleece back.

And this video shows how to bind your quilt.

What can you do with just one block pattern? Tons of things!

Check out this page I’ve been slowly building – 100 Things to Do with an Applique Pattern. 🙂

Have fun! And share a photo of what you make! You can share it in the Shiny Happy People group or tag it with #shinyhappyworld on Instagram.

If you like this free pattern, sign up for the Shiny Happy News! Subscribers get a weekly newsletter full of sewing tips and tricks, free patterns, special discounts, and other things to make you smile. 🙂

Happy sewing!

Meet Corbin the Camel

September 15, 2020

I love the 15th! It’s pattern release day in the Funny Faces Quilt Block of the Month Club!

The new pattern this month is Corbin the Camel. I’m so jealous of his eyelashes!

If you’re in the club already, head over to the clubhouse to download the pattern. This link will take you right to Corbin’s introduction.

If you’re not in the club yet – here’s the link to join.

Members get an exclusive new pattern every month – and they get to vote on the next month’s pattern!

Here’s a quick peek at Corbin coming together.

I also made a camel who escaped from the Emerald City Zoo and has been seen roaming Oz. 😉

Happy stitching!