A year-long quilt project
Welcome to the sixth step in the 2024 quilt project. (You can find the first one here, the second one here, the third one here,the fourth one here and the fifth one here. As I explained in the New Year’s post here, I’ll be making a quilt this year and inviting you to join with me, here on the blog. This is what to expect:
- a new appliqué block each month
- a new embroidery stitch each month
- cheerful bright colours (but of course you can choose your own colour palette!)
- a quilt celebrating the seaside
There will be instructions at the end of the year on how to put the different blocks together to make quilt measuring 72 x 72″. However, you are welcome just make the individual blocks each month and use them in a different way.
Please note: All the instructions are free and available for your personal use. They cannot be used for commercial purposes or for teaching. I do run a small business, so if you enjoy making the quilt please consider also purchasing one of my patterns from the Etsy shop (link below) and/or tell your quilting friends about Amanda Jane Textiles. Thank you!
June block: The Flag
The block is made up of a navy blue and yellow striped flag flapping briskly in the sea breezes. The flag is framed by a pale green border border. The featured embroidery stitch is blanket stitch which will provide a decorative element to the flagpole. The block measures 12½ x 10½” (12 x 10″ finished in the completed quilt).
Materials
You will need:
solid colours or low-volume prints in 100% cotton fabric: 2 x 6″ dark grey; 3 x 7″ navy blue ; 6 x 7″ yellow; 7 x 9″ pale sky blue; 8 x 17 ″ pale green
a 2 x 6″ piece of fusible fabric (such as Wonderweb)
stranded cotton for embroidery in pale grey
pale blue sewing thread for piecing; yellow thread for appliqué
Cutting
1 Download the templates for the central panel of the block using the pink button below. Set your printer to print at A4/letter with narrow margins.
2 Trace the outlines, of the flag (including the middle stripe) and the flagpole onto tracing paper.
3 From the tracing paper cut out a template for the top yellow stripe, the middle navy stripe and the bottom yellow stripe. Pin the templates onto the fabric and cut out the pieces.
4 Bond some fusible fabric to the back of the dark grey fabric, following the maker’s instructions. Trace the flagpole with its rounded top. Pin the template to the right side of the fabric and cut out.
5 From the sky blue fabric, cut a piece 7 x 9″ for the background. (NB This will be trimmed to size after the appliqué is complete.)
6 From the green fabric, cut two border strips 2½ x 6½” and two 2½ x 8½”
Making the block
1 Place the flagpole on the background blue fabric. Bond the flapole into place with an iron, taking care to protect the iron and ironing board.
2 Thread an embroidery needle with two strands of pale grey embroidery thread and work a row of blanket stitch along the flagpole. You can see a demonstration of this stitch on my YouTube channel here.
3 Pin the flag pieces in place on the background, to the left of the flagpole.
4 With yellow thread in your machine and a regular machine foot, set your machine to zigzag, with a stitch width of 3 and a stitch length of 1.5. Starting at the bottom right-hand corner, stitch around the outside edge of the flag. Then change the stitch width to 5 and stitch the horizontal lines between the yellow and navy-blue areas.
Take the threads to the back and finish them off with a knot.
5 Trim the central panel down to 8½ x 6½”. Attach the side borders, pressing the seams outwards. Attach the top and bottom borders.
Press the block from the back. The flag block is complete. Set it aside and look out for the next block in July!
This pattern, ‘Midnight Ferns’ bag available in the Etsy shop here is for a capacious shoulder bag – excellent for taking to the beach, carrying camping gear, bedding etc if you are going away.
The suggested fabric is ‘Cyprus Cotton Canvas’ a robust and hardwearing material, here printed with my ‘Midnight Ferns’ fabric design. The fabric is available here
Thank you for reading my blog. Quilt Patterns are here, Fabrics are here, Classes are here
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Amanda Jane Textiles 