A year-long quilt project
Welcome to the eighth 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, the fifth one here, the sixth one here and the seventh 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!
August block: The Seagull
The block is a portrait of a white and grey seagull with yellow legs. The centre is framed by an orange border. The featured embroidery stitch is Fly Stitch which will provide texture on the gull’s wing. The centre of the eye can be completed with a French knot and with backstitch which have been covered in previous posts. 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 4″ dark grey, 3 x 3″ bright yellow; 5 x 5″ white; 5 x 11″ white; 7 x 9″ blue; 14 x 12″ orange
3 x 3″ fusible web (such as Bondaweb)
stranded cotton for embroidery in black
light grey sewing thread for appliqué and piecing
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, including all the shapes, including the wing, beak and eye onto tracing paper.
3 Cut out the paper template of the gull’s body (without the beak or legs), pin this to the white fabric and cut out.
4 From gull body template cut out the two areas of grey feathers. Pin these to the the grey fabric and cut out.
5 Bond the fusible web to the back of the yellow fabric. Cut out the paper template for the gull’s beak and for the legs and feet. Pin the templates to the yellow fabric and cut them out.
6 Cut out the paper template for the post the gull is standing on, adding a quarter-inch extra at the bottom (this will disappear into the border). Pin template to the grey fabric and cut out.
7 Cut a rectangle 8½ x 6½” from the blue fabric for the background.
8 From the orange fabric, cut two border strips 2½ x 6½” and two 2½ x 12½”.
Making the block
1 Begin by positioning the post at the bottom of the picture according to the template. Small appliqué pins are very helpful for holding fabric pieces in place.
2 With grey 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. With a pencil, mark the lower part of the top of the post. Stitch up one outside edge of the post, then all round the top. Cut the threads. Then stitch the second side of the post. Take the threads to the back and finish them off with a knot. Press.
3 Change the sewing machine to zero stitch width and 1.5 stitch length. Pin the gull’s feet and legs in place on top of the post, making sure that the legs are straight. Use a hot iron to bond the feet and legs in place (making sure to protect your iron and ironing board). Then stitch a line down each leg and around the feet as shown.
4 Pin the white body of the gull in place above the legs. Carefully align the beak with the head and use a hot iron to bond the beak in place. Use the stitch setting as in step 3 to secure the beak, stitching a line down the centre of the beak as shown. Re-set machine for zig-zag as in step 2. Starting at the beak, use zig-zag as before to hold the body in place. Finish off threads. Press.
5 Pin the two wing pieces in place and stitch them to the body with a zig-zag stitch.
6 Use two strands of grey stranded cotton to stitch feathers onto the upper wing, using Fly Stitch. You can see a tutorial for this on the Amanda Jane Textiles YouTube channel here.
Use two strands of black embroidery thread to stitch round the outside of the eye and the outside of the pupil using backstitch (see instructions here). For the dot at the cebtre of the eye use a French knot. You can find see the tutorial in the YouTube video here
7 Attach the two orange side borders, pressing the seams outwards. Attach the top and bottom borders, pressing the seams outwards.
Press the block from the back. The seagull block is complete. Set it aside and look out for the next block in September!
This pattern ‘Compass and Stars’ – available here in my Etsy shop – is a beautiful double-bed quilt full of stars:
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