Free Pattern - Donkey Block

I paired the 12" x 12" Donkey blocks with a 12"x12" 9-patch block (you could pair it up with any 12"x12" block - I just took the easy route).

Here's a closeup of the finished Donkey block. Here's the link to the FREE pattern for making this Donkey block!

Hope you have fun making it!

Bonnet Girl Quilt-Free Pattern Instructions

You can download the embroidery pattern for the Bonnet Girl here.

Fabric requirements:

For two background fabrics or the embroidery blocks: Fabric 1: 1 yard

Fabric 2: 1 yard

For a single background fabric for the embroidery blocks: 1 3/4 yards

For the bar fabric (I used a Robyn Pandolph fabric): ½ yard

For the border fabric (again I used a Robyn Pandolph): 2 yards

Cutting and Sewing Instructions for Bonnet Girl Quilt

For the embroidery blocks:

From background 1: Cut 2 strips 15” x 42”. Cut 6 squares 13” x 15”.

From background 2: Cut 2 strips 15” x 42”. Cut 6 squares 13” x 15”.

(If using one background fabric, cut 4 strips 15” x 42”. Cut 12 squares 13” x 15”.)

Embroider the blocks, Press. Trim squares to 12 ½” x 14 ½”.

Arrange block to your liking in 3 vertical rows of 4 blocks each.

Sew vertical rows.

Bars:

Cut 3 strips 3” x 42. Cut one strip in half for 2 short strips 3” x 21”.

Sew half strip to full strip to create 2 long strips 3” x 63”. Cut each to 3” x 56 ½”.

Tip: We all cut and sew just a little bit differently. For exactly fitting bars and borders, measure your sewn rows of embroidered blocks. Take the mean or average length of all of the rows and cut your bars to that length. Example:

Row 1: 56 ½:, Row 2: 56” Row 3: 56 ¼” . The mean value of the three rows is 56 ¼”. Cut all the bars 3” x 56 ¼” rather than the theoretical 56 ½”. It will be easy to ease in that extra ¼” on Row 1 (56 ½”) and to “stretch” Row 2 (56”) when sewing the bars to the embroidery blocks rows. All three rows will now be the exact same length. (Clear as mud, I know but try it.)

Lay out your sewn embroidered block rows, check you like the arrangement and lay the bars between the rows. Sew bars to vertical rows of embroidered blocks .

Border

Cut 2 strips 10 ½” x 42”. Cut top and bottom borders to 10 ½” x 41 ½”. (See tip).

Sew top and bottom border the embroidered rows/bars.

Cut 4 strips 10 ½” x 42” Sew two strips together to make long strip 10 ½” x 84”. Repeat.

Cut side borders 10 ½” x 76 ½”. (See tip). Sew side borders.

Congratulations: Your embroidered Bonnet Girl quilt top (61” x 76”) is finished. This size is good on a twin bed or as a lap quilt.

Embroidered Bonnet Girl Free Pattern

On Tuesday, our computer went kaput! Fortunately, it gave us some warning-it kept restarting itself-so our resident IT Guy was able to save all our files before it died completely. His diagnosis: the motherboard was shot! We took it in and the shop agreed-turned out they were able to get us a new motherboard and since it was 1/3 the price of a new tower, we went with that option. DS spent yesterday getting our files reinstalled...actually it is still on-going-I'll want to do something and he has to come and install whatever it is he forgot to do (like hook-up the scanner!)


Remember I said I'd show the blocks I've started embroidering and upload the pattern that I traced from my vintage Embroidered Bonnet Girl Quilt...

Here are the two blocks that I've completed...I'm really having a good time "dressing" the girls! They're all done with outline stitch, French knots and Lazy Daisy stitches.

I've used two different background fabrics...a beige and a pale pink. You can see I've added some extra decoration to the girls' dresses , their umbrellas, and even their bloomers! This is so much fun!

You can download the pattern here. Please let me know if you do embroider one or more-a whole quilt's worth like I'm going to do!-it will be so much fun to see and share our "fashion" ideas.

Here's a pix from the original vintage quilt-just so you can compare and see the wonderful possibilities in dressing these girls...I'm telling you-this is as much fun as playing with dolls!

Free Pattern: Elephant baby quilt block

After Micki asked about the elephant pattern I used in the baby quilt I posted earlier this week, I decided to work on my computer skills and share the pattern with everyone. You can download the pattern for the elephant block here.

When I first drafted the elephant block, I used it in this quilt-a stroller or carriage size baby quilt.





Here's the quilt from earlier this week
BTW, the goose is from Debbie Mumm's Quick Country Quilting.



Enjoy the pattern...I'd love to see pictures of any quilts using this elephant block.

Two Original Chanukah Stitcheries

These are some fun-rather silly-Chanukah stitcheries. I've called them Fashionista Girl (poor thing, is she worried her hat will fly off or burst into flames?) and Chanukah Top - a very happy fellow!

She's so cute and tiny, she fits perfectly in this 4 x 6 picture frame.

I made him (I can't help it! he's a boy to me!) into a gift bag-his smile just seemed to suggest "goodies".

I thought I'd share these stitcheries with anyone who would like to make them for themselves or a friend so I made my drawings and stitch guide into Pdf files (and the gift bag instructions too).

Go here to download Fashionista Girl (then click on the button "click here to start download").

Go here to download Chanukah Top (then click on the button) and here for the Gift Bag instructions.

Drawing and making these was alot of fun-I would love your input, let me know what you think. This is the first time I've ever gone "public" with my stitcheries.