Tag: Huggables

If you received this post via email delivery yesterday, please discard that copy. My apologies! I later found a typo in the list in step #8. This is the corrected version.
No matter how many times I proofread, I always find typos as soon as I click “publish”. Usually, it’s simply a mistyped word but in this case – typos matter!

This little Huggable is based on the free pattern by Bonnie Hunter available on her Quiltville blog. The pattern is called Streak of Sunshine and you can find it here.

You can download a slightly condensed version of the Huggable size to print or save to your computer at the end of this post.

Fabric Requirements

4 different strips 2 ½” by width of fabric (minimum 42” wide)

2 identical strips 2 ½” by width of fabric (border )

Piecing Directions:

Step 1: Cut the set of 4 strips in half (approximately 21” long) and number them from 1 to 4.

Tip! If you read through the instructions, you’ll notice toward the end, I changed my arrangement of strips before I finished piecing the top. To avoid having to do this – place the fabric with the most contrast in the #4 position as that will give your finished quilt more symmetry. If you look at the example, the boldest of the four prints is the bright blue.

Sew the first half of strips together and press the seams DOWN.
Sew the second half of strips together and press the seams UP.

Step 2: Cut the strip sets in half so there are 4 identical sets approximately 10 1/2″ long.

Step 3: Take the two sets with the seams pressed DOWN and sew them together keeping the fabrics in the same order. (The #4 fabric of the top set is sewn to the #1 fabric of the bottom set.) Repeat with the sets that have the seams pressed UP. Do not press these seams yet!

Step 4: Bring the bottom fabric up and sew it to the top fabric to create a tube. Repeat with the second set. Do not press these seams yet!

Step 5: Leave the tubes inside out to make cutting easier. Fold in half so that the previous unpressed seams of the tube are at the top and the bottom.

Cut each set into 2 1/2″ wide segments for a total of 8 tubes.

Step 6: Turn all of the strip tubes so that fabric #1 is on top.
Alternate the tubes so that each one is next to a tube with the seams pressed in the opposite direction. This will ensure that your seams will “nest” later.

Step 7: Turn the tubes right side out.

Step 8: Use a seam ripper to open the seam of each tube between the two fabrics in the order listed below. This will create a stair-step design.

1-4
1-2
2-3
3-4
1-4
1-2
2-3
3-4

In this example, to help make sure I didn’t accidentally get one of the strips turned upside down, I kept checking to make sure the strips were always turned so that the orange fabric was below the bright blue fabric.

If you look at the top fabric in each strip set, you’ll notice they’re in this order from left to right: 1 – 2 – 3 -4 -1 -2 -3 -4

Step 9: You can change the order of the strips now if you want. I chose to rearrange them so that the blue fabric would be in the bottom left corner and go diagonally to the top right. I only had to move the far right strip to the left side. Before finalizing my choice, I made sure the the orange fabric remained beneath the blue fabric in each strip AND that the seams were pressed in the opposite direction of the strip next to it.

Once you have the strips arranged the way you want, number them from 1 to 8 across the top to keep them in the correct sequence as you finish the piecing. You can now press the seams from steps 3 & 4 above, in the same direction as the rest of the strip.

 Step 10:  Sew the long strips together

Step 11: From the border fabric cut:
2 strips 2 1/2″ x 16 1/2″ and sew to the sides
2 strips 2 1/2″ x 20 1/2″ and sew to top and bottom

Your little huggable is now ready to quilt and bind!
The finished Huggable measures 20″ square.

You may have noticed in one photo the diagonal angles to the right and in the other photo, to the left. It’s the same quilt – because it’s a square, the direction of the design is simply determined by how you turn the quilt. 🙂

Here are the simple instructions to create the Huggable unicorn quilt top. This is not meant to be a formal pattern and it’s intended for quilters with basic quilting knowledge. I’m sharing it here so you can make one too if you want without having to calculate the math. 🙂

The quilt is based on a free pattern by AZ Blankets 4 Kids called Picture Frames that you can find at this link.

I used width of fabric for some of the pieces and fat quarters for others. To make it less complicated, the cutting info is written as if all the pieces are cut from fat quarters.

Please note: if you’re using a directional fabric, one of your two prints will be rotated 90 degrees. In this example, blocks made the unicorn fabric will remain horizontal but, the blocks made using pink calico will be rotated.

All strips listed below need to be at least 21″ long. The border is optional, omit it if you plan to use a half width of fabric for the backing.

Cutting Info:

2 strips 3 1/4″ x 21″ focus fabric (unicorn)
2 strips 3 1/4″ x 21″ coordinating fabric (pink calico)
4 strips 1 1/2″ x 21″ framing fabric (light teal)

4 strips 2 1/2″ x 21″ optional border (dark teal)

Begin by sewing the 1 1/2″ framing strips to each side of the 3 1/4″ strips.

It doesn’t matter which direction you choose to press the seams. I pressed everything to the framing pieces (the light teal in the example) so the seams nest later when the rows were sewn together.

Cross cut each strip set into 4 pieces 5 1/4″ long.  There will be 8 squares from the focus print and 8 squares from the coordinating print.

Depending on your quarter seam accuracy, the units should measure 5 1/4″ square.

Arrange the blocks as shown, 4 blocks across and 4 blocks down. Notice that all of the blocks with the calico print were rotated  so they’re now vertical.  All of the blocks with the unicorn print remained horizontal. 

Sew the blocks into rows and then join the rows.  The top measures 19 1/2″ square at this point.

If you wish to conserve backing fabric, stop here. You can cut it on the fold for a half width, saving the other half for the next little quilt.

To continue with the optional border, begin by sewing the first 2 1/2″ wide strip to the right side of the quilt top.

Stop sewing a few inches from the end.   (The remaining length will be longer than the quilt top. Don’t trim it off!)

This partial seam will be completed after all the border strips have been attached.  This first border strip is the only one sewn with a  partial seam. The other three borders will be  sewn all the way to the end.

Press the seam open and add the remaining border strips in the order listed below,  pressing each seam open as you go.

• Top border – Figure 1
• Left side border – Figure 2
• Bottom border – make sure that tail end from the partial seam right border is out of the way. – My apologies for neglecting to take a photo for Figure 3
• Lay the partial seam tail end of the  right border fabric in place and finish sewing the partial seam all the way to the bottom. (Stitching across the previous bottom border strip.) – Figure 4

Your little top is complete and should now measure 23 1/2″. ♥

Consider experimenting by using all the same print for the 3 1/4″ wide strips (rather than two different ones), or by using two different sets of the 1 1/2″ framing strips (one set for the horizonal blocks and one set for the vertical blocks) to highlight the woven look.  I plan to try this option next time!

This is always a fun design to make and I hope you enjoy making it as much as I did!