Sweet + Spooky Halloween Mini Quilt
Happy Halloween! Lisa Calle of {Vintage Modern Quilts} here today with a sweet and spooky mini quilt perfect for Halloween. This mini finishes at 21″ square so if minis are not for you, it can easily be made into a 20″ pillow cover instead. I used a variety of orange precuts from my stash for the bunting and letters. The black triangles were cut from honeycombs but the background yardage listed below includes enough fabric to use for your triangles.
Whichever precut you decide to use for your orange pieces, be sure to start at 2½” wide. Use the 60 degree line on your ruler to cut 2½” triangles or a {mini 60 degree triangle template}. Ask your LQS to order one from United Notions for you!
10 black triangles
9 orange triangles
1 yard black fabric
¼ yard binding fabric, cut into (3) 2½” x WOF strips
21″ square of lightweight fusible interfacing (optional)
Batting measuring 24″ square
Transfer pencil
Small sharp scissors (embroidery scissors work well)
Basting glue (Elmer’s glue works fine)
Cut black fabric for the mini quilt background and backing. You will need:
2 rectangles: 8½” x 21″ and 10½” x 21″
1 square: 22″ x 22″
Set black fabric pieces aside for now and let’s make the bunting strip. Sew each orange triangle to a black triangle. Press to the black fabric.
Join 9 orange black triangle pairs into one long strip, adding the 10th black triangle to the final orange one. Press and trim to 2½” x 21″. Pin the triangle strip to the top rectangle of background fabric (8½” x 21″) so that the triangle points face away from the seam. Sew together and press. The triangle points should be facing down.
Sew the other rectangle of background fabric to the bottom edge of the triangle strip. Press. Fuse lightweight interfacing to the back of the mini. (This is optional but it will help stabilize the fabric for decorative stitches.)
Add decorative stitching in orange thread around the orange triangles.
Print out the Happy Halloween template. Trace the front side (it will appear backwards) of the letters using a transfer pencil. Use a hot iron to transfer the design onto your pillow top. The cursive text will be filled in with decorative stitching and the block text outline will help you place the appliques.
Retrace the block text if necessary and cut out letters. No need for perfect cutting. Place the HAPPY letters printed side down on various orange scraps and set the transfer ink using a hot iron. Use embroidery scissors to cut out the letters. Run a small bead of glue on the back of each letter and place right side up on the quilt top, using the outlines as a placement guide. A hot iron will help dry and set the glue.
Outline each letter with decorative stitching.
Turn off the feed dogs on your machine and outline the HALLOWEEN text. I went over it several times to make it bold and thick. Using a thicker thread (40 wt instead of 50 wt for example) will also help. If you are not comfortable using your machine to do this step, use a Perle cotton with a crewel needle to hand embroider the text instead.
Baste, quilt, and bind your mini. I used clear pushpins in each corner to hang it.
Lisa Calle
{vintagmodernquilts.com}
