It’s that time of year…put away the Christmas decorations and let’s decorate using items that will be cute until Easter. Penguins work for me!
These super sweet penguins wearing a cute collection of different hats make a fun wall hanging or table topper. The penguins are paper pieced, and the flowers are appliqued.
I call these “Belly Button Penguins”. I made mine into potholders, but they would make great mug rugs too!
Starting September 3, you can HOP along with our Row Along. Each day designers will be giving FREE patterns for rows that could be used in quilts, table runners, place mats, etc. Each row correlates to a story or fairy tale.
Click to see lots more GIVE-AWAYS. And, hang with me til the end of this post for my Give-Away. Please visit Seams to be Sew to read the rules for our Give-aways.
My row is vertical and measures 9″x18″ finished. I was motivated by “The Last Unicorn“, written by Peter Beagle.
This is a paper pieced pattern and may be purchased here: CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE.
Here’s a clever idea to use this row in a super cute PILLOWCASE. Here is a tutorial to sew your own Dream Big Unicorn Pillowcase. OR, scroll to the end to see my GIVE-AWAY.
Where better to DREAM BIG than on your pillowcase, right? NORTHCOTT fabrics have been wonderfully generous in suppling us with fabric for our samples. I am using Northcott White 22 136-10 for my main pillowcase fabric, and scraps for the paper piecing. I use French seams and line the back of the paper pieced part of the pillowcase so there are no exposed seams, as this is an item that will be washed repeatedly. Finished size: 20 1/2″x 28″, fits a standard sized pillow.
Cut these pieces from 1 yard of the main fabric:
2 rectangles 2″x 9 1/2″
1rectangle 7″x 21″
1 rectangle 9″x 21″
2 rectangles 21″x 25″
From 1/3 yard of contrasting color cut:
1 strip 10″ x WOF (width of fabric)
From 1/3 yard of fusible fleece cut:
1 rectangle 9 1/2″x 21 1/2″
Sew the 2″x 9 1/2″ strips to the top and bottom of the paper pieced unicorn.
Remove the paper from the back of the unicorn. Steam press the fusible fleece to the wrong side of the unicorn unit. Quilt as desired (there will only be 2 layers to quilt through instead of the usual 3 layers of fabric).
Pin the 7″x 21″ piece of main fabric to the unicorn unit, with right sides together.
Trim 1 of the 21″x 25″ pieces of fabric to 11″x 21″. This will be the lining, although I am using the main fabric so as not to waste fabric. Pin this piece over the 7″x 21″ piece, right side of fabric facing down. Stitch through all 3 layers, using a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Press the fabric to the right of the unicorn and the seam allowance towards the unicorn.
Press only the LINING piece over the back of the unicorn.
Turn under any fabric that extends past the unicorn, and press under to form a hem. You may trim the excess to 1/2″ if preferred. The hem should be even with the raw edge of the unicorn.
Pin the 9″x 21″ piece of main fabric to the left side edge of the unicorn unit. Sew in place using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Press the fabric open. Press the seam towards the unicorn.
Pin the hem edge of the lining over the seam allowance and pin in place.
Hand stitch the hem in place. The front of the pillowcase is now finished.
Assemble the pillowcase using French seams. Pin the 21″x 25″ piece of main fabric to the back of the pillowcase, wrong sides together. Sew together using a scant 1/8″ seam allowance.
Turn the pillowcase with the right sides together, press, and sew the same seam again, using a 14″ seam allowance. This encases the previous seam.
Press the 10″x WOF strip AND the pillowcase open flat. Pin the right side of cuff fabric along the 42″ edge of the pillowcase, right side of cuff facing wrong side of pillowcase. Notice how I am skipping the SELVAGE part of the cuff. It will be trimmed later.
Ross the pillowcase into a tube that will fit inside of the cuff fabric.
Roll the cuff fabric up and over the pillowcase tube and pin in place.
Here you see how I am matching the edges of cuff fabric and pillowcase fabric and pinning in place. Sew through all layers with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Pull the pillowcase out of the tube through one of the side edge holes.
Press cuff flat and trim away any excess cuff from both sides of the pillowcase. Now finish sewing the pillowcase together using French seams.
Fold the pillowcase in half, with the right side out and pin the two remaining sides together. Sew a scant 1/8″ seam allowance on these two sides. Turn inside out and press.
Pin the same two edges with the RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, and sew a 1/4″ seam allowance, encasing the previous seam.
Turn right side out and press flat. How sweet is that? This pillowcase is ready for some BIG dreams!
GIVE-AWAY: Click HERE for the chance to win this Northcott Fat Quarter Bundle, a $20 value.
Now for MY GIVEAWAY. Click to enter to win a FREE paper piece and appliqued pattern to create this super cute UNICORN LAP QUILT. Alphabet letters are included to applique a personalized name on this project, if so desired. This adorable pattern is also available on my Etsy shop. Don’t forget to leave a comment!
Please continue to visit all of our participating quilters:
=========================================================== Tuesday, October 08, 2019 – SNT
Beth Strand Carol Andrews Carol Swift Cindy Pieters Debra Davis Dione Gardner-Stephen Elizabeth Coughlin Linda Bratten Lydia Midday Marian Pena Nancy Myers Pamela Boatright Paula Gilmore Ursula Prandtstetter
Here’s a new paper piecing pattern hot off my sewing machine and just in time for your Autumn tablescape.
To construct this table topper, you could use any 4 blocks that measure 8″x 8″ unfinished. The Jack O Lantern Table Topper pattern has 2 pumpkin blocks that repeat.
One pumpkin has a toothy grin…
And the other is toothless…
Or, be creative and substitute some of my other Halloween blocks for some of the Jack O Lanterns. Wouldn’t it be cute to have a table topper with all black cats?
And my fave…Skat Cat block. These 4 cats would look adorable together!
One thing I love about this octagonally shaped mat, it looks cute from every direction. Whatever you create with my patterns, I would love to see. Email me a photo and I might share it in my next post. My email: maryannhertel@gmail.com