Tuesday 20 August 2013

The Footsie Block - a Mini-Tutorial


I love baby clothes, and doubly love a memory quilt made with them. 

Baby clothes quilts are my favourite to make, and my favourite blocks are the ones made from footsie pajamas. 


Cute little things, aren't they? And so easy to sew!  

This is how I make my footsie blocks (please be kind and try not to cringe over my crispy-crittered ironing board cover):

Cut off the footsies.
    
      Leave atleast 1-1/2" of leg/ankle on. 


Prep your block.

Get the base block ready. Square it up now because its impossible to do once the footsies are on.

Press the Footsie

Use steam and the cotton/linen setting. You're going for a really nice crease around the foot part. 

Cut Out the Bottom
(before)
(after)
Flip the footsie over. Cut away the bottom, leaving approximately 1/2 inch from the edge.


Shape it up
Give the footsie a nice shape by pulling the top corners of the bottom into the centre as shown. PRESS again on both sides.

Fold the Top




Fold down that big piece of ankle/leg that you left on. Where you fold is up to you, choose a length that looks best. 

PRESS again on both sides (do you see the pattern here?)




Trim the Top

Trim off the excess, again leaving around 1/2" from the edge. 

PRESS again. Make sure all raw edges are hidden.







Pin to Block




Pin the applique footsie to your base block. Take care not to distort either whilst pinning.








Sew it On

Sew the footsie using your choice of stitch. Aim for 1/4" from the edge of the applique piece. 

Back-stitch at the sharp corners. 

I prefer to use my zipper foot for this step.








Oogle Your Creation

Isn't it just adorable?

I sure would love to see YOUR footsie block!

3 comments: