This month's project doesn't have a sunbonnet in it, but I was so much fun, I want to share it with you. Hopefully we can train a new generation of Sunbonnet makers! Brownie troops can earn a sewing badge. So I designed this quilt block to use a lot of different techniques so the girls could earn their badges. Since my daughter's troop only has 10 members, it took us 2 meetings to finish our projects. With larger troops it would take longer or you would need to have more sewing machines and adults. We had two adults and two sewing machines.. Here's a very blurry picture of the girls holding their finished projects.
To make ONE project you'll need:
The girls had a choice of turning their finished block into a pillow or doll quilt. To make the pillow:
To make the doll quilt:
Starting the project: First we talked about Appliqué and how one piece of fabric is applied to another. Each girl picked a 6 1/2" neutral square to do her appliqué on. Then each girl got a 5" square to make the heart. Finally each was given a 5" square of the fusible interfacing. Each girl folded her fusible interfacing square in half (bumpy side in). Using a pencil, each drew a half of a heart on the fold, making the heart template. Each girl cut out her heart shape. With an adult at the iron and with lots of help, the girls ironed their interfacing heart to the back side of the colored fabric square. The textured side of the interfacing goes against the fabric. After waiting for the fabric to cool, each girl trimmed around her heart. Next the paper is peeled off and the heart are ironed onto the neutral 6 1/2" squares. Embroidery Lesson: Part of earning the badge is embroidery, we worked on the blanket stitch. The blanket stitching went around each heart and secured it to the background. This was easier said than done! The girls had some trouble with the blanket stitch. Some of the girls finished their heart with a simple running stitch along the edge. To make the embroidery process faster, pre-thread the needles with 2 strands of the black embroidery floss before coming to the meeting. Patchwork: The first girls to finish their embroidery got to start on the patchwork. The girls took 4 3 1/2" squares. At the sewing machine they assembled the four-patch block. An adult supervised each girl and talked about sewing machine safety. Each girl had to go through this process twice, so they each had 2 4-patch patchwork blocks and two heart appliqué blocks. Making these blocks the girls learned
Put it all together: The four pieces were assembled at the sewing machines into finished blocks. The girls talked about making a quilt out of all the blocks, but decided they would rather have their own projects. We assembled the pillows by laying the 13" square and the quilt block right sides together. With an adult's help, the girls sewed around the block leaving 3" for turning. The pillow was turned, stuffed and then returned to the sewing machine for an adult to sew the opening closed. For those girls who wanted doll quilts, a 13" piece of batting is placed on a table. On top of that the 13" square is placed, right side UP. Next the quilt square is placed, right side DOWN. Put in pins to secure the "sandwich". With an adult's help, the girls sewed around the block, leaving 3" for turning. The quilt batting and backing is trimmed. Then the quilt is turned. Finally an adult sewed the opening shut.
It was a lot of fun and for most of these girls (ages 7 and 8), it was their first time sewing. ENJOY! Kim Bunchuck |
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