Month 10 - April 2012 - Chocolate Bunnies

(Not This Time Sally Forth)

General description of block: This is nine patch block is very similar in construction to "Dancing Tulips", the block we made in December.  In this case we have chocolate bunnies instead of tulips in the corners.  You are sure to get the ears of your bunny if this quilt is in your home.

Cutting directions: (25 pieces)
FQG - dark and light refer to your kit fabrics

• From dark (green in kit) - cut 1, 5 1/4 inch square. Sub-cut this square diagonally into 4 small triangles.
• From light (white in kit) - cut 1, 5 1/4 inch square. Sub-cut this square diagonally into 4 small triangles.

FQG - lets use pastels for the background (it is blue in the picture) and scrappy browns for the bunnies.

• From background -
  • cut 1, 4 ½ inch square for center
  • cut 4, 4 ½ inch squares for middle edge blocks.
• From various browns -
• cut 8, 2 1/2 inch squares for bunny ears/edge blocks
• cut 2, 5 1/4 inch squares, sub-cut once making 4 large triangles for bunny bodies/corner blocks

Piecing directions:

Corners -   You know how to make these already. 

• Sew one dark and one light small triangle together to make large triangle.
• Being careful not to warp the triangles, iron seams open.
• Make 4.
• Be careful to sew each set in the same order. The finished large triangles should be identical.
• Using the right angle to align the pieces, sew each two colored triangle to a large triangle.
• Trim the excess seam allowance.  (This should be all from the large, single fabric, triangle)
• Being careful not to warp the triangles, iron seams toward the large triangle. 
• Trim square to 4 ½ inches.
• Make 4

Middle Edge block -

• Draw a diagonal line on wrong side of all 2 ½ inch squares. (There should be 8)
• Align  2 ½ square with a corner of a 4 ½ inch square of background fabric with right sides together and the drawn line parallel to the corner.
• Sew on diagonal line.
• Fold brown fabric back so piece is 4 ½ inches square. There should be three pieces of fabric meeting in one corner.
• Iron.
• Continue this process in two consecutive corners of each side block.  If you are using different browns for each bunny and  you want their  ears to match this is the place to take extra care.  In this care the fabrics on two consecutive corners should not match. 
• Leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance, trim excess fabric from back of block.
• Make 4

Block -

• row 1& 3 - corner square with light & dark side on the outside edge; middle edge block with dark green (1st contrasting fabric) next to dark green (1st contrasting fabric) and white (2nd contrasting fabric) next to white (2nd contrasting fabric); corner square with light & dark side on the outside edge.
• row 2 - middle edge block with white (2nd contrasting fabric) to the outside; teal (background) square; middle edge block with white (2nd contrasting fabric) to the outside.
• Assemble rows so that same fabrics are touching to make one 12 ½ inch block (actual size, including future seam allowances.)

I'm loving this one.... I am imagining the fun I could have embellishing the bunnies.  I can see little pink noses and whiskers embroidered with pearl cotton.  AND there would have to be a few with yo-yo bunny tails! 

Bring your finished blocks to the April general meeting of the Frisco Quilt Guild, (April 24, 2012), to be eligible to enter the drawing.  The winner gets to take home all of the blocks entered as well as any remaining kits, printed finishing suggestions, and uncut fabric for this project.