| This nine-patch and sunbonnet Sam quilt was made with the help of my 9, 7
and 5 year-old children. We had lots of fun putting it together. The quilt
combines 13 9-patch blocks with 12 Sunbonnet blocks. The Sunbonnets were colored by
the kids using crayons. The quilt measures 45" x 45". It is made from 9" (finished) blocks. Materials needed:
Sunbonnet Blocks: Cut the muslin into 12 9 1/2" blocks for the Sunbonnets. Iron a design in the center of each block. If you don't want to purchase embroidery transfers, you can trace pictures from a coloring book. Cut freezer paper into 12 9 1/2" squares. Iron them onto the backside of the Sunbonnet Squares. Put a paper towel down first. The transfer ink will come off on your ironing board. Now get the kids together, get the crayons and start coloring. The freezer paper stabilizes the fabric, making it much easier to color the designs. We used any crayons that were around the house. Once the designs are colored, bring them back to the ironing board, put the design face down on paper towels and iron again. Use a cotton setting to melt the crayons and set them into the fabric. You can remove the freezer paper. Nine Patch Blocks: I sewed these, but if your children are learning how to use the sewing machine, this is an excellent block to start with. Instructions follow for two piecing methods. Strip Pieced:
Sew the strips together into sets of three. Two sets will be - print, muslin, print. One set will be muslin, print, muslin. Cross cut these strips into 3 1/2" sections. Arrange the sections into 9 patch blocks and sew together. Individual Cut Square Pieced:
Arrange the fabric into 9 patches and sew together. To complete the quilt: Alternate the 9-patch and sunbonnet blocks. Sew together. To care for the quilt: Wash in your machine on warm with a gentle soap. I've only washed mine once and it came out good, but I don't plan on washing it too much. Kim Bunchuck |