The Joy of Sewing...and Quilting, Too!: animals

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Zoo Babies Quilted Wall Hanging Pattern

Zoo Babies Quilted Wall Hanging Pattern

My newest quilt pattern is now available at www.craftsy.com. This darling quilt is perfect for a zoo-themed nursery or child's room, complete with nine of the most popular animals at the zoo. Meet Ellie Elephant, and Lucas the Lion, along with other favorites, including Penny Penguin and Molly Monkey, all done up in easy fusible machine applique. Although there are lots of pieces for each animal, their size is deceiving in the quilt illustration, since the blocks finish at 9" square within the sashed quilt top. Make it to use as a play mat or as a wall hanging and help baby learn all about the animals in the zoo...use the blocks to teach them animal names and colors. Colorful sashing and cornerstones make the blocks pop in a simple but easy setting. Nine animals are featured in the quilt pattern, which is available for sale as a downloadable PDF pattern at www.craftsy.com AND, a tenth, interchangeable block...Zachary Zebra, is available as a FREE download, also at Craftsy. Easy-to-trace, full-size templates are included for each animal in the patterns.

Zach the Zehra FREE PDF Download

Ellie Elephant

Jerry Giraffe

Harry Hippo

Lucas Lion

Polly Panda

Penny Penguin

Ruthie Rhino

Molly Monkey

Til next time, keep smiling and sewing,

Barbara

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Chain of Hearts Baby Quilt

Chains of Love

A new baby is always a celebration of love in our family. My newest Grand-Niece, Ella Rose, arrived in October 2014 so I've spent a few weeks creating a new quilt for her and a pattern for you to create quilts for the new babies in your life! Here's Chain of Hearts, the newest "baby" in my pattern store.
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/chain-of-hearts-baby-quilt/124154

I did the basic design a few years ago in my Electric Quilt software but never used it, so I checked there first for possible candidates It's nice as a lap quilt for cuddling and rocking, or you can also use it as a wall hanging in baby's room---just add a hanging sleeve.

Two different 12" blocks alternate across the surface of this sugary sweet quilt, creating chains of love for little Ella. I used pink polka dots on white for the background print that the hearts float across, but a pastel tone-on-tone print or one with a small motif would work, too. If the baby is boy, use a medium blue for the large hearts and scraps from your stash to make a lively blue-and-white version, instead. Substitute red for the pieces of the large heart and use blue scraps on white to turn this into a Fourth of July wall hanging.

You'll make two different heart blocks (Heart and Heart Chain), which were carefully designed and colored to create the chains and float on the background. The piecing directions are arranged so that you can chain-piece the required units wherever possible. The 12-page pattern includes colorful step-by-step illustrations, so you can't go wrong. And, you make the blocks in two sets to keep things organized.

Make more blocks and you can increase this design to any size you want.

Any intermediate quilter will find this an easy quilt to make and a confident beginner who has perfected the 1/4" seam could make it too. Accuracy is the key when blocks have lots of seams!

Like all of my quilt and tote bag patterns, you'll find this quilt in my pattern store at www.craftsy.com

Here are few more baby quilts from my store, to consider for your next baby quilt project. Look for them at Craftsy as well.