Fuse It and Forget It in March
Posted by Sophie on March 1, 2015 in housekeeping | 4 comments
In March, we are making 9-inch square raw-edged fused appliqué Flower blocks in three variations.
Helen made this one.
The directions for making this block (with the changes noted below) can be found in Michael Miller Fabric’s free quilt pattern:
Bubbly Blooms
We will be making these changes in the pattern for the Block Lotto
1. Fabrics for your lotto blocks should be:
Background – cream/tan tone-on-tone fabrics or other low volume fabrics
Flower Parts – batiks in your choice of color
2. When making your blocks, cut the background square LARGER than specified in the pattern, at 9 1/2 inches square.
3. The appliqué flowers on these blocks are raw-edged, fused appliqué. We will be fusing the shapes but not stitching them down in any way, leaving them for the winner(s) to use their favorite technique to stitch down the flowers on all the blocks they win.
4. We will not be making the pieced sashing in the pattern … though you may want to consider the design for your blocks if you win (or decide to make more of your own).
5. If you make multiple blocks, you may used the same background fabric for multiple blocks. You can also use the batik fabrics in multiple blocks as long as you don’t make any twin blocks. Be sure to make a mix of 1-flower, 2-flowers and 3-flowers blocks.
You may make a maximum of 9 blocks for chances in the drawing at the end of the month. The target set size for the winners will be 48 blocks.
Tips for Making Your Blocks
As usual when printing, it’s good to make sure you are printing the exact size (no “shrink to fit” or other sizing options selected), but that said, making exact-size flowers isn’t critical for your lotto blocks this month, so don’t stress about it.
If you are new to fused appliqué, here is a good video introduction from McCall’s Quilting:
Although you won’t be sewing down your appliqué, the winners will so use light or medium weight fusible (and definitely NOT anything labelled as “no sew”). Karen B also suggests the “Fusible-frame” method where after tracing the pattern onto fusible, you cut out the center of the paper/fusible pattern and leave only a narrow “frame” of paper-backed fusible around the inside perimeter to iron onto the chosen fabric — just enough to get it to fuse to the base or the flower(s) underneath.
Tags and Categories
Add the tag flower to all your blog posts about this block.
The category should be blocks when you are posting photos of your blocks to enter them in the drawing; use the category sent and received when you are posting about mailing or receiving blocks; and the category show and tell to share projects you make from this block (whether they are lotto blocks or blocks you make for yourself.
The Virtual Quilt Returns
Here are some of the blocks made by sneak seekers Elizabeth, Helen, Laurie and Peggy
I’m so excited this is my first time doing this!
I’m sooooooooooo tempted by this one…..now to figure out if I have time to make some this month for a change……
I tried this from my work computer, and was unable to download the bubbly blooms link. Could be I have a blocker at the office, so I’ll try from home. JUst wanted to let you know in case the link is broken.
Is a solid cream ok? When I went to the fabric store I just did not see many tone-on-tones I liked…