Come On Get Happy!

A tutorial of sorts...

Come On Get Happy

When the sewing "work"slows down I like to use my free time to sew the kinds of things that "I" really like sewing. I have an unrealistic amount of stash fabric so I came up with this little number to use up some of that extra fabric that is taking up space in my sewing studio.

 

I started with cutting 12-1/2" squares of white fabric. I then created my templates. I made my large teardrop template based on a 10" circle then folded the paper in half and drew the teardrop point freehand and cut the paper to make a usable template. It measures 13" from top of the circle to the tip of the teardrop.  Make a 7-3/4" circle template and a 6-1/4" circle with a 3" hole in the center.  Make a 5" circle with a 3" center hole.

To begin: Trace around the teardrop template and cut the fabric out into a teardrop shape. Center and applique the whole teardrop with a blanket stitch to the 12-1/2" block. Using a 7-3/4" circle template, center template over the appliqued teardrop and trace around it with a washable marker. Carefully poke a hole in the top colored fabric only and cut that center piece of the fabric out. Sew with a blanket stitch around the inside of the teardrop.

For the inner circle template cut a 6-1/4" circle with a 3" donut hole center. Fold that in half to make it easier to cut around. Place and pin the fold of the template on the fold of the fabric and cut both of the arcs to make your fabric ring. I used a tone on tone fabric for the teardrop and a little bit busier tonal fabric for the center ring.

After completing the blocks piece the top together and add 5 circles that measure 5" with a 3" center hole at the intersections as seen below. Again, blanket stitch the inside of the ring first then the outside, this helps to keep it nice and flat.  I added white sashing around each block cut at 1-1/2".  I floated the quilt top with 3" of an inner white border then I added a 2-1/2" mitered border with some of the fabrics in the quilt and finished it off with another 2-1/2" white final border and bound it in white. I did an allover spiral free motion quilting pattern. I named it Come On Get Happy because it reminded me a little of the Partridge Family birds from my childhood and this quilt makes me HAPPY!