Outdoor Adventure Block

May 2015...Getting there. Spring heading towards summer....

Time to....

     enjoy planning-planting the garden, 

          taking a trip to the lake on the long weekend, 

               or just an outdoor excursion on the weekends through the countryside. 

Anyway, you enjoy this time of year...
     it's time for the next design for MAY that is inspired by the change of seasonal activities.

PLEASE NOTE:

For any more instruction to prepare the block, please visit my Craftsy page for the PDF pattern (available usually within a few days of this posting). The three other blocks that will remain free for the duration of this series are:

BLUE MOON, IS THERE COFFEE?, and OH...LOLLIPOP!

FABRIC SELECTION

4.) ORANGES

I have chosen my light orange block to embellish for my fourth quilt block in this series. This color theme works fine with this applique design. Not really very much color in the outdoors, yet the grass is greening up; and the planning of the gardening season is underway. 

FRONT OF BLOCK

BACK OF BLOCK

These blocks can be made from scrap fabrics and scrap batting pieces. Making these blocks economical and easy to construct; and perhaps giving you opportunity to learn some new skills in the process.

BLOCK APPLIQUES

A) SIMPLE TREES

These triangles are easy to make if you begin with a square; and then cut each square into two triangles. For the top three triangles use a 4" square; and for the bottom triangle use a 3.5" square. 

Cut these out of fabric or create a more colorful triangle by using pieced strings. If using strings you can first cut squares out of paper to find the size necessary for the triangle shapes. 

TREES

B) THE TENT

The tent can be made from existing scraps or cut from pieced strips constructed from the fabric colors you select. Add fancy or decorative stitching to the tent to embellish it, if desired. The flag and flag pole are cut from scraps.

TENT

My block posted here will not be finished with a binding, as I wish to consider combining several of these blocks into a larger project, that I will share once all my blocks have been stitched. 

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Block

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Enjoy this project... and find the pattern soon at my Craftsy store page, where all applique templates will be included. OUTDOOR ADVENTURE will be available to download for free for the month of May 2015. 

Although this means that the previous month's block: Country Cabin will no longer be available for free. All templates will be available together in one pattern, once the series has run its course. Each new block will replace the previous one until all blocks have been posted. 


Happy piecing...

New Pieced Strings

After having some time away from my sewing room, I may finally be ready to revisit these pieced string blocks from 2014, and share some new appliques, along with tips; and perhaps some more variations to this block.

My continued goal is to use fabrics from my stash; and these mini projects look great -- even with those older fabrics, that may not be current or fit some of the new patterns available.

Thank you so much for your interest in my free mini quilts; and perhaps, you'll see more that interest you. Please visit my Craftsy page for any new additions, coming this year.


Therefore, my hopes for this block series, are as follows:

1.) GOALS
Post a new block (perhaps one month a new applique; and the next month a new idea or variation) depends on my mood and how much can actually be realized. May include:

• a new applique design,
• a variation to the stitching lines that reinforce the strings from shifting during the quilting process, 
• feature a new color theme,
• ideas to make the blocks into a small wall hanging, or larger quilt,
• variations to assembling the block, such as: 1 layer; 2 layers, or 3 layers.

2.) HOW COLOR CREATES THE MOOD
Three of these mini quilts were completed, and are still available for a free download at my Craftsy page. (See links to these projects in the right-side column.)

The blocks shown below are ready to embellish; and these examples showcase how pretty a variety of colors can provide a working block to embellish or practice your machine stitching.

Use only one block or combine several for larger projects. Give it a try...

Three color variations; and Oh Lollipop!

Four Color Variations in Yellows and Browns

Dig into your scrap fabrics and enjoy making up your own variations for some fun mini projects!

3.) TIPS
I found adding the batting and top fabric; and then stitching them as one layer, gave it more stability, when adding the applique design. The stitching adds dimension behind the design, as well.

To further help in keeping things from shifting, add some straight lines to the block before adding the applique design. (Those of you not familiar with free motion quilting; or like me, not brave enough to try it yet, these lines are added using regular stitching.) Certainly, if you wish, you can add free motion stitching over the whole block before or after adding the appliques.

FRONT OF BLOCK

BACK OF BLOCK

As you can see from the photos, you can use scraps from both the fabrics and batting pieces that are leftover from other projects. Once the mini quilt is complete, you would never know that they were made from discarded or leftover pieces from other projects.

To make this project even quicker to assemble, another option is to layer all three pieces together, (front fabric, batting, and back fabric) before adding any stitching lines.

Continue piecing together those fabric scraps, to make beautiful projects!



FEBRUARY 2015 - PROJECT
I will be adding an applique design to the sample shown in pink. It is still in the works, and will appear on this blog when it is ready. You may use any combination of reds, pinks, and whites.


Coming soon... to not miss this or future projects, why not join this blog to see them when they are posted.