Today is the last day of the
Easter Bunny Hop hosted by Lilac Lane and it is my stop :) I am super excited to share this ever so cute quilted Easter Bunting :) This is a fun project that sews up quick but creates a big impact for your Easter Decor. (Which honestly, the basket and the figurines were the extent of my Easter decor, so it really needed some help :)
So let's get to it . . .
YOU WILL NEED:
1 Charm Pack or large scraps (shown with Happy Ever After by Riley Blake)
A large scrap of batting
Ribbon or embroidery floss
A water soluble Marking pen
A pair of pinking shear
Printed
Easter Bunting Templates (Just click on the link to print the templates)
First off, you need to decide on a layout. The fun part about this bunting is you can mix it up any way you want. Do as many bunnies, chicks, and/or eggs as you like in any order you like. The template includes the bunnies and chicks facing both left and right so remember that when you are determining your layout.
Once you have decided on what figures you want in your bunting . . . you are ready to start tracing your templates. There are 2 ways to trace your templates. You can either . . .
Cut the template out and lay it on your fabric and trace around the template.
Or, you can tape the template in a window or on a light box and then tape the fabric in front of the template and simply trace the template outline.
Whichever way you decide is fine. Trace as many fronts as you desire in your bunting. For me, I did 1 bunny, 1 chick, and 8 eggs.
However many figures you cut out, cut the same amount of 5" x 5" batting squares from your scrap of batting and also gather the same amount of 5" x 5" charms or scraps to be used as the back of your bunting.
Now, you get to make some mini quilt sandwiches :) Layer a mini sandwich with the backing charm right side down, followed by a batting square on top of that, and then the traced fabric on top with right side up. Put some safety pins in it to baste the sandwich.
Now, decide on what colors you want to stitch on each figure. It is helpful to use bold and bright colors that will stand out on the print. Stitch a straight stitch directly on top of the traced line of each sandwich. Be sure to back stitch a few stitches at the beginning and end to secure it in place. If you have a walking foot it would come in handy here :) Hint . . . If you can stitch the eggs without raising your presser foot you will get a much smoother curve and take your time on the bunny and chick and raise your presser foot lots to keep the details.
Once the outline is done it is on to the fun part!! Adding embellishments :) This is where you can totally let your creativity roam free!! But if you wanted to simply highlight the fabrics you can leave them un-stitched. The decision is totally yours so that you can get the look you want.
For the bunny and chick, I decided to keep it a little simple and just added a eye using a basic zig-zag stitch and then a straight stitch to add a leg and wing.
The eggs are a whole lot of fun to embellish!! And the options are endless. . I decided that a little Free Motion Quilting would be fun on some of the eggs. If you are new to free motion quilting this is a great time to practice!! You can see my
videos on FMQ to give you some basics I did a basic loops and meandering on the first 2. (And ya, the eggs are reversible, more options :)
And with the second two I got a little fancier and did some echoed paisley's and some swirls. I just love micro stitching, it is so much fun!!
And hey, if Free Motion Quilting isn't your thing, you can always embellish with some basic stitching. The first egg is embellished with basic stitches on my sewing machine. Just start at one edge, backstitch a few stitches and sew across and then back stitch at the end. I didn't bother with marking or anything, but if you want to ensure your lines are straight, you can always mark lines with your water soluble pen first. The second one was some fancier geometric lines.
And then if you have a super fancy machine that has lots of pretty stitches that never get used . . . well now is your chance to try them out. I had a blast sewing on all these stitches that I didn't even know I had. Once again, just remember to backstitch at the beginning and end :)
Once you are finished embellishing all of your figures, grab your pinking shears and cut around the stitched edge of the figures leaving about 1/8". The eggs are simple. The bunny and chick take a little longer but come out so cute they are worth the time. Notice, I didn't cut all the way in between the chick's feet. It isn't necessary and is near impossible :)
Now, go ahead and lay your figures out according to your pre-decided layout plan. I am going to show 2 ways to stitch your bunting together. You can either . . .
Stitch each of the figures using some embroidery floss or bakers twine. Just thread your needle and go down at the edge of the stitching in the first figure and up through the edge of the stitching of the second figure. Tie a bow or a knot and then keep repeating until the entire line is sewn together.
Or, you can do like I have done in the example and sew them to a ribbon. Simply lay the first figure onto the ribbon, about 12" in from the end for hanging, and then stitch 4-5 stitches along the top of the figure securing it in place. I like to stitch, and then backstitch and then stitch, and then backstitch so that I know it's not going anywhere. Space the next figure with about an 1" between the first one and stitch it in place. Repeat until you have added all of the figures.
And that is it!! Now just find a fun place to hang it and enjoy!!
Thank you so much to Melissa of Lilac Lane for having me as a designer for her Easter Bunny Blog Hop. It was such a fun project to put together!! And thanks to Fave Crafts for having me as part of their hop!
And last, but certainly not least, what would a blog hop be without a Giveaway??
GIVEAWAY CLOSED - Leave a comment telling me your favorite color to dye Easter Eggs and you will be entered to win your choice of 3 of my patterns.
I will choose 3 winners on Sunday, the 10th :) One comment per person please and international entries are welcome :)
Have a Hoppy Quilting Day!!!
