Crafts : Quilting : November Quilt Block : Home & Garden Television

We think you'll gobble up this block and invite Tom Turkey to stay a while. Welcome back to HGTV's Strolling the Block, quilt block of the month project. Let the autumn leaves fall while you get busy with this month's block.

Materials:
fabric selection - Use any desired fabrics. We selected 100-percent cottons in these prints:
- light marble blue fabric for sky background
- leave print medium brown fabric for middle (fallen leaves)
- light brown wheat/fall grass print fabric for ground (foreground)
- light yellow/green printed fabric (tree top)
- brown/green/red plaid fabric for house
- red print fabric for leaves, door and chimney
- yellow print for dormer, leaves and corn on door
- floral print fabric for windows
- yellow/brown/white check fabric for corn husk and turkey feathers
- dark brown print for turkey body/head, tree trunk and leaves
- light green print fabric for leaves
- light brown print fabric for leaves
- orange print fabric for leaves
translucent template plastic
Steam-A-Seam 2 double-sided fusible web
embroidery floss - black, white, orange and red
rotary cutter and mat
craft scissors

Steps:
Creating Templates
You can make templates from various materials including pieces of heavy card stock, cardboard, freezer paper or template plastics. Some of these templates will be reused in future blocks so it's recommended that you use a translucent template plastic due to the durability factor. Keep in mind the finished fabric shape will be the mirror image of the template pattern.

PDF
Figure A

PDF
Figure B

Print out the template patterns (figures A and B). The new templates are in figure B. You'll re-use the house templates seen in all previous blocks so there's no need to re-print or re-cut figure A if you've kept those. The turkey feathers are made using the large leaf template.
Place a piece of template plastic over the printed patterns and trace the outline of each using a permanent marking pen (ultra fine Sharpie works great).
Cut out and label each template piece. Plan to store them flat for future use.

Figure C

Background
Does the background piece look familiar? It's similar to February, May and August. The finished background consists of three colors of fabric and measures 12-1/2 inches square (unfinished). It can be assembled using a fusible webbing technique or a machine-piecing technique. Decide on a method then follow the directions below. One helpful extra step is to make a template square measuring 12-1/2 inches, then mark or cut it into three sections as shown in figure C to provide a cutting guide and indicate the look of the raw background piece.

Figure D

Fusing Method

If you wish to use fusible webbing to create the background piece, cut fabric pieces as indicated in figure D.
With right sides up, place a 12-1/2" x 1/4" strip of fusible webbing (or any desired fusible product) along the bottom portion of the sky section. Next, overlap the middle (fallen leaves) fabric 1/4 inch, making sure the fabric covers the fusible webbing. Fuse the fabrics together, using a pressing cloth to protect your iron from any exposed webbing. Follow the same process to fuse the final (foreground) section to the background piece.

Figure E

Trim the finished background piece to a 12-1/2-inch square (figure E).

Figure F

Machine-Piecing Method

If you wish to use a sewing machine to create the background piece, cut the fabrics as illustrated in (figure F).
Begin by placing the sky and fallen leaves fabrics right sides together, matching the raw edges across the bottom. Due to the diagonal cut, the sides of the background piece will be out of alignment but that's how it should look. With the sky fabric on the bottom, use a 1/4-inch seam to stitch the sky and fallen leaves pieces together. Press and trim away the excess fabric.

Figure G

Add the foreground fabric by placing it right sides together with the piece sewn in step 2, matching raw edges across the bottom sky/fallen leaves section and foreground fabric. Using a 1/4-inch seam allowance, stitch the water fabric to the middle fabric. Again, press and trim away the excess fabric. The background piece will still be lopsided at this point (figure G).

Figure H

Trim the finished background piece to a 12-1/2-inch block (figure H).

Applique
A quick word about fusible web—follow the manufacturer's instructions for whichever type you decide to use. There's a wide variety of fusibles available on the market and you may want to experiment to find the right product for you.
For this project, we use a double-sided type of fusible because it allows us to reposition the pieces when desired. Double-sided fusible comes sandwiched between two pieces of paper. Here are a couple of ways to use it with this pattern.

Outline Method
This method is more time consuming in the beginning, but will eliminate stiffness in the applique, which makes for easier needlework later on. The secret? Start by transferring the template patterns onto fabric, then cutting them out. Next, use a 1/4- or 1/2-inch, double-sided fusible tape to outline the back side of the template fabric pieces, leaving the protective cover on the tape until you're ready to fuse (see step 5 in the Full Fuse Method).

Full Fuse Method

Cut the fusible into smaller, manageable pieces that will accommodate each template size, keeping the protective paper of the fusible intact.
Using a pencil, trace around each template onto one of the paper-covered sides of the fusible. Trace the large leaf template 10 times (five times for turkey feathers and five for leaf fabrics). Trace the medium leaf template 13 times and the small leaf template five times.
Peel away the opposite paper side of the fusible (the one without the tracing) and adhere it to the wrong side of the desired fabric.
Cutting along the traced lines, cut out both the fusible web and fabric for each pattern piece.
Next, position the pieces onto the background square. There's a lot of room to customize the block with this step. Plus, you don't have to fuse anything until you're sure you like the design. Here's how we did it:

Figure I

Position the house fabric on the background square. Tuck the chimney fabric (small side down) so it stands out behind the house (figure I).

Figure J

Figure K

Position the door on the house. Our objective is to place everything slightly off kilter in order to give the block a bit of a folk art feel. To accomplish this, position the windows and dormer at a slight tilt (figure J). Position the door on the house and place the cornhusk at a very slight angle (figure K).

Figure L

Referring the picture, position the treetop and trunk beside the house and randomly place the various leaves on the treetop and falling towards the ground (figure L).

Figure M

Tom the Turkey stands proudly in the front, right corner of the house (figure M). Place the five turkey feathers behind the turkey's body. Refer to the picture for placement of the turkey's head and beak.

Once you're pleased with the design, follow the manufacturer's directions to press the pieces into place. Avoid fusing any pieces in the 1/4-inch perimeter of the block to allow for the addition of sashing.

Media
Figure N - Click for a video demonstration from Simply Quilts, episode 664, featuring guest Margaret Peters and host Alex Anderson.

Finishing

Finish the block by covering the raw edges of the applique pieces with blanket-stitching(figure N). Using two-strands of black embroidery floss, outline the house, treetop and trunk, leaves and Tom Turkey.
Fill in turkey's eyes with white satin stitching and tie a French knot using black thread for the center. Form the turkey's legs with a backstitch in black embroidery floss.

Optional Challenges
Depending on your skill level, here are additional ideas for finishing the block:

Want a real challenge? Add a 1/4-inch to the template patterns and use a needle-turn method of applique.
Instead of using black floss for the blanket-stitching, consider color coordinating the floss to the fabric color.
If time is not on your side, do the finishing work on a sewing machine. Depending on your machine's capabilities, employ a zigzag, satin, buttonhole or blanket stitch to finish the raw edges of the applique.
Be creative—use your imagination to make the block your own. We look forward to creating the last block of the quilt with you next month.

___________________________________________
Editor's Note:
Only one month to go! Next month, look for final block instructions as well as piecing and finishing techniques to wrap up your project.
Meantime, check out the June block instructions for border and sashing tips, plus check out this transcript of a chat held in June with Strolling the Block's project designer Jan Schmidt. The approximate size of the finished quilt is 56" x 69".

Resources
fabric
Gina's Bernina Sewing Center
Website: www.ginasbernina.com

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November Quilt Block

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November Quilt Block

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