Making a Quilting Practice Block - Square With Heart Applique (applique just means the heart shape is stitched onto the square)
You will need:
* 1 yard of fabric in one design or color for the quilt top and bottom, and ¼ yard of a second fabric for a heart shape. This is enough to allow for any mistakes too. The basics of quilting, while easy to learn, may need a few practice tries to get your work as polished as possible.
* All purpose thread in a matching color.
* Sharp scissors
* Pins
* Piece of cardboard (e.g. cereal box or file folder)
* Any size needle.
* A six-inch square of batting.
* Quilting thread.
* A fabric marking pen or pencil.
Making Your First Quilt Square:
1. Cut out a 6-inch square from your yard of fabric. This will be your quilt backing. Use your cardboard to make a template first and then trace around the cutout onto your fabric (with your fabric pen). Cut it out.
2. Cut out a second 6-inch square for your quilt top (use the cardboard as a template again).
3. Cut out a 3-inch square from the ¼ yard of fabric and cut out a heart shape.
4. Pin the heart shape to the center of your 6-inch square.
5. Stitch around it.
6. Cut out a 7-inch square of batting fabric.
7. Place all three layers together. The quilt top first, batting in the middle, and quilt backing on the bottom. Use pins at each corner and one in the middle to keep layers in place. At this point the batting should be sticking out around all the sides.
8. Make a knot at the end of your thread and pull it through the quilt block (pulling the knot through too, causing the knot to get caught in the batting).
9. Make even stitches through ALL three layers (making sure you catch the batting). Go all the way around the square.
10. At the end, pull the thread so that you are on the quilt back and make a little knot. You will have a neat quilt top.
11. Using your scissors, trim the batting around the edge so that only ¼ inch sticks out. Now you are ready to bind your block.
