This adorable pattern includes all 4 blocks, LABRADOR WITH BUTTERFLY (spring); BEAGLE WITH FLOWER (summer); RETRIEVER WITH PUMPKIN (autumn); FRENCH BULLDOG WITH SCARF (winter). Use them to create pillows, potholders, or a lovely table runner for the dog lover in your life. You can keep these projects out all year!
Welcome to our 2019 Once Upon A Story Row-A-Long. A big THANK YOU to Marian Pena and her hours of preparation time organizing this years event.
My featured fairy tale is The Last Unicorn, by Peter Beagle.
The Last Unicorn is a lovely story about a unicorn who dreams big!
Dream Big
This paper pieced unicorn row measures 9″ x 18″. This includes the outer border. The letters “Dream Big” are machine embroidered onto the finished block. But, any word or name could be used. And if machine embroidery is not your thing, a word could be appliqued in the space above the unicorn.
And now for the GIVE-AWAY! If unicorns are your thing, you will love my new pattern “UNICORN QUILT”. You can win this pattern free, just leave a COMMENT below. I would love to hear what your favorite subject matter is for a quilt.
This quilt is excellent for a beginner. The paper pieced blocks are super easy. The Unicorn is paper pieced, and the flowers and alphabet letters are applique. This is a great quilt to personalize.
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.
DREAM BIG, from Made By Marney
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.
Dream Big Unicorn Pillowcase
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).
Use 7″x 21″ fabric.
Pin the 7″x 21″ piece of main fabric to the unicorn unit, with right sides together.
Lining piece.
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 open.
Press the fabric to the right of the unicorn and the seam allowance towards the unicorn.
This is the back view.
Press only the LINING piece over the back of the unicorn.
Turn under excess and press.
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.
Push the lining aside when attaching the left portion of the pillowcase top.
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 lining in place.
Pin the hem edge of the lining over the seam allowance and pin in place.
This is the back of the pillowcase.
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.
Add the Cuff.
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.
Burrito cuff pillowcase.
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!
=========================================================== 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
One of my proudest moments in 2018 was the creation of the “Doggie In The Window” quilt. The Orange County Quilters Guild in California contacted me in 2017 about using my dog block patterns to create their next Guide Dogs Of America charity quilt. I was thrilled!
Doggie In The Window
The hard working guild members used 30 of my different dog breeds to construct this 60″x 70″ masterpiece. The quilt traveled throughout the US during 2018, and was raffled to a lucky winner in December. This is their big yearly contribution to their favorite charity, Guide Dogs of America.
Close Up
I have been designing paper pieced dog blocks since 2014 and now have about 50 different breeds. This obsession started as a fun way to connect with my customers. They would email me photos of their pets, and I would try to recreate their breed in a quilt block.
I created this quilt pattern, “Dogs Only” after designing my first 11 dog breeds. Then all **** broke loose, and I was flooded from all over the world with requests from customers who wanted a specific breed to substitute into this pattern. Here are some of my favorites…
This is an early Valentine’s gift for my wonderful readers. As a thank you to my subscribers, I am offering this FREE Valentine paper pieced pattern.
The LOAD OF LOVE paper pieced block is FREE to all of my wonderful SUBSCRIBERS. You can find the FREE PATTERN HERE: THIS PATTERN IS NO LONGER FREE, BUT CAN BE PURCHASED HERE. LOAD OF LOVE PATTERN
If you are not currently a subscriber, consider signing up in the SUBSCRIBER BOX on the right (if you are on a laptop) or scroll to the last post (if you are on a cell phone). By subscribing, you will be notified by email whenever I add a new post to this website, which is usually once a week. That’s it! Building my list of subscribers is very helpful, especially for my ability to publish my books. So, if you are enjoying my books and want me to write even more of them, please consider subscribing.
Wouldn’t this block make a cute pillow or potholder? Please show me how you use it to create a clever project by emailing me a photo of your creation at: maryannhertel@gmail.com
Here’s one of my favorite table runner patterns for Christmas, 3 Dogs and 1 Sassy Cat. Please excuse me for reposting this photo, as I have already shared it with many of you, but it is so darn cute and a Christmas pattern that my many dog and cat loving friends adore.
Here’s my friend Lana’s version, made into a wall hanging. Love it!
What could be cuter than the Little Red Truck? Especially with a fun novelty character in the driver’s seat.
The Little Red Truck
This paper pieced block measures 8″x 8″ unfinished and is super easy. Find a cute novelty fabric in your stash to use for an interesting little driver, or leave the window blank. I love using buttons for the wheels…it makes the paper piecing so much easier!
