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    Home » Quilts

    Hello Sunshine Mini Quilt Pattern

    Updated: May 20, 2019 by Melissa Mortenson · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 3 Comments

    Hello Sunshine Mini quilt on white wall

    There aren’t many many things as wonderful as a warm day after a cold winter! Sarah Ashford captures the bright and cheery feeling of a warm summer day with this free Hello Sunshine Mini Quilt Tutorial. 

    Hello Sunshine Mini quilt on white wall

    Finally, after what seems like a very long winter, the sun is making an appearance, and I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to wake up to blue skies and sunshine streaming through my bedroom window.  It really does put everyone in a much better mood when the sun shines, and everything seems that little bit brighter and the world a better place!  So it’s sunny days that are the inspiration behind this mini quilt.  I do hope you get the chance to make it, and that the sun will shine brightly every day for you!

    Hello Sunshine Summer Mini Quilt Pattern:

    Hello Sunshine Mini quilt on white wall

    You will Need:

    FPP Templates – Left and Right   -Text template- download in the Sewing Template Library

    Selection of yellow and orange scrap fabrics for the sunshine

    6” square blue fabric for ‘Sunshine’ letters

    12 ½” x 6 ½” pale orange background

    Embroidery Hoop (Optional)

    Embroidery Thread

    Lightbox (optional)

    EPP Glue pen

    Basting spray

    Batting – 14” square

    Backing fabric 14” square

    Binding fabric – 55” long

    Usual sewing supplies – sewing machine, rotary cutter, mat, scissors etc.

    Step One: Foundation Paper Piece the Sun Rays

    First of all, you need to make the sun rays of the two Foundation Paper Pieced blocks.  If you’re unsure how to do this, please refer to my foundation paper piecing tutorial, (here) to tell you exactly how.  You will notice though that this pattern has curves.  You don’t need to stitch this section with FPP.  Don’t worry, I have an easy technique to get around this!

    Hello Sunshine mini quilt block construction steps

    Now stitch the two sections together so that they form an arc.

    Hello Sunshine mini quilt block construction steps

    At this point, you should still have the papers in.  We are now going to prepare to put the center of our sun in.  Rather than remove all the papers (and for the block to lose stability) just tear away the papers an inch from the arc of the block.

    Hello Sunshine mini quilt block construction steps

    Using the arc template, draw on the reverse of your central sun fabric on the reverse side and cut out.  Use a glue pen and put a small amount of glue all the way around the curved edge of the wrong side of the semicircle.  Adhere to the block.  (This method is better than pins as it helps stabilize things and doesn’t’ ‘weigh it down’ but keeps things nice and flat).  Stitch close to the edge all around the arc to complete the sunshine block.

    Step Two: Assemble the Block:

    Hello Sunshine mini quilt block construction steps

    Step Three: Embroidery

    Next, we move onto the embroidery.  I love a bit of embroidery and the chance to slow down and listen to a podcast or two!  But first to prepare.  If you have a lightbox, this will be really useful, but if not, then holding the fabric up to the window should do the trick.

    Take the ‘Hello’ template and place behind the fabric.  Remember you’ve got to allow enough room for the word ‘Sunshine’ but you mustn’t be too close to the top.  As a rough guide, I suggest that the right-hand tip of the ‘H’ is 1 ½” from the top.

    Hello Sunshine mini quilt block construction steps

    I like to use a mechanical pencil to trace my lines as it means the lines are thin and crisp.  Trace the ‘Hello’ onto the background fabric.

    Use a backstitch to embroider the word hello in a contrasting color – you need to ensure that it stands out enough that you can read it!  You may find it easier to use a small hoop for the embroidery.  This makes it easier to stabilize and produce even stitches.

    Hello Sunshine mini quilt block construction steps

    Step Four: Finishing

    Give it a good press.  Using a ¼” seam, stitch it to the sunblock.

    Hello Sunshine mini quilt block construction steps

    Take the ‘sunshine’  template and cut out the letters.  Draw them onto the reverse of the fabric, ensuring that the letters are back to front.  (I find a fine liner pen is good for this.)  Using embroidery scissors, carefully cut out the letters.

    Use spray baste to fuse the letters to the background, in the center where the two blocks meet.

    Hello Sunshine mini quilt block construction steps

    Stitch around the edge of each letter to secure in place.  Pull the beginning and end threads to the back and tie off.

    Hello Sunshine mini quilt block construction steps

    Now you are ready to quilt.  Create your quilt sandwich in the normal way.  I like to use basting spray as it negates the need to use pins and is much quicker and easier.  Quilt as desired.

    Stitch all the way around the edge to ‘seal’ the quilt.  Add the binding using your chosen method.  For small projects, I like to use single fold binding, as it’s less bulky and uses less fabric.

    And da-ta, you are finished!  A mini quilt using lots of skills: foundation paper piecing, embroidery, raw edge appliqué, quilting…I hope you have a piece you are proud of!

    Hello Sunshine Mini quilt on white wall

    Happy Quilting,

    Sarah x

    About the Maker:

    Sarah Ashford is a British Quilter and embroiderer and founder of the GreatBritishQuilter challenge on Instagram. Sarah regularly contributes projects to magazines and loves to spread the joy of quilting everywhere she goes. Follow her on Instagram at @sarahashfordstudio and be sure to check out her beautiful sewing room decals in her Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/sarahashfordstudio

      

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    About Author

    Melissa Mortenson

    Melissa Mortenson is a blogger, designer, and content creator. She is the Polka Dot Chair blog founder and has been sharing fresh and creative ideas with readers since 2008. She is the author of “Project Teen, Handmade Gifts your Teen will Actually Love.” Her work and designs have been featured on HuffPost, TODAY, Pioneer Woman, HGTV, BuzzFeed, Better Homes & Gardens, and many other established publications. Her first fabric line, “Derby Style,” debuted in January 2015 through Riley Blake Designs.  Additional fabric collections have followed it in subsequent years. A mom of 3, she considers herself lucky to be living in Kentucky.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shelly S. says

      May 07, 2019 at 4:48 pm

      Hi, Melissa. I cannot seem to find the download for the Hello Sunshine templates. I follow the link and am able to see/fownload all orher templates, but am not seeing a link to the Hello Sunshine templates.

      Such a cute mini quilt, and I could use a little sunshine this week.

      Thank you

      Reply
      • Melissa Mortenson says

        May 07, 2019 at 5:00 pm

        Try a refresh on your browser or click the ASC or DSC buttons at the top. You might just be loading an old version of the page.

        Reply
    2. sam says

      May 13, 2019 at 9:49 pm

      Melissa this is so cute. Definitely makes me smile. Thank you very much.

      Reply

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