Welcome to Step 10 of making your Candy Corn Sampler!
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After making today’s blocks, you’ll be 2/3 done with your Candy Corn Sampler!
Step 10 is 1 Mini Dresden plate block…
Refer to page 15, to make the Mini Dresden plate.
The hardest part of this block was deciding what color of thread to appliqué the block to the background with because I used a cheddar & a black fabric for the petals.
In the end I decided on my best friend in threads.
I use Sulky’s Medium Taupe 733-1180 thread almost every time I make a Dresden plate with multiple fabrics.
I pieced & appliquéd this entire Dresden Heaven quilt with Medium Taupe.
It blends well with light, medium & dark fabrics.
It also blends well with many colors, not just neutrals.
This is a good time to make the filler blocks if you’ve not already made them.
Find the flying geese blocks on page 16.
Half-square triangles can be found there too if you didn’t make them yet.
We’re back to needing these today.
Also more time for fabric play…
Fun, fun, fun!
Tamara added some pizzazz to the petals of this block!
I love the rick rack prints in this collection. Who am I kidding? I love this whole collection by Need’l Love!
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Welcome to Step 6 of making your Candy Corn Sampler!
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Step 6 is Dresden Pumpkin Blocks.
No need to make the flying geese blocks today,
but you’re going to need to make them sooner or later, lol.
I borrowed these blocks from my new-ish Dresden Pumpkins table runner pattern.
2 Tiny Dresden plates for today & tomorrow.
You’ll need these…
Refer to page 11, for the complete instructions.
A couple more leaves for this block.
If you remember the leaf making video I showed you, use the small bar w beveled end for the straight parts of the leaf then use the pointed end for the round parts.
If you don’t already have Apliquick Bars & Bohin glue you can find them & all the tools that I use for my appliqué on my website by clicking here.
More tiny blind hem stitch for the circle & leaf appliqué.
Can’t wait to see your pumpkins!
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Welcome to Step 3 of making your Candy Corn Sampler!
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Let’s start Step 3!
Tiny Dresden plates are the main topic for today.
Tip for today is to spray & iron all of your fabrics with Mary Ellen’s Best Press. Your plates will lie flatter when they’re complete.
I use the hand pump bottle when spraying yardage & the finger pump bottle when I’m spraying my finished plates or blocks. Its spray is really fine & won’t super saturate the small pieces & make them go wonky.
Refer to page 7, “HOOT Block” to get started.
Good news, Step 4 will be a lighter load, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, sorry, but maybe you can use Thursday & Friday to get caught up.
I again chose to use freezer paper machine appliqué method for this block.
If, like I mentioned in Step 2, you cut multiple appliqué templates at once for the birds, you’re saving time! If not, you can still do so since there are more birds on this quilt.
Just stack up to 6 layers of freezer paper a bit larger than the shape to cut out & staple a template on top.
(Be sure the freezer paper is stacked up correctly. Notice some birds on the quilt face right & some face left, but you can cut them all at once. See notes on each block’s instructions)
Using serrated scissors helps to cut through lots of layers. I use a staple remover to remove the staple without tearing the paper layers.
You know I love this part of the quilt!
Having the right tools makes all the difference!
Use your favorite appliqué method!
Below I show how to manipulate a point with my favorite tools; Apliquick Bars. Use this short video to help with the birds.
Here I show how simple it is to manipulate a circle. Yes, simple! Just practice.
You’ll need them for the Tiny Dresden plates.
If you don’t already have Apliquick Bars & Bohin glue you can find them & all the tools that I use for my appliqué on my website by clicking here.
Be sure you have enough contrast between the background fabric and appliqué pieces then position all the appliqué on the background fabric then glue (or fuse) it in place.
“HOOT” is going to be a tight fit, just be sure you position the letters inside the 1/4″ seam allowance.
I do A LOT of fabric auditioning while designing a quilt. I originally designed this quilt with white birds so that’s where I went with them.
Choosing the right center circles is yet another decision…
My double guessing of myself just wastes time!
For some reason I thought the white birds were too stark so I made black birds.
Obviously they were too dark for me!
As you can see, my original idea of white birds was perfect! I think what makes it work is the pretty black designs in the light cream fabrics.
What I’ve learned over the years is that I like low contrast in fabrics across my quilts. You may think my quilts are too busy, if so, you probably like high or at least more contrast. Make your birds stark white, or maybe orange! lol
Good grief, grandma!!! Lol
I love of the tiny blind hem stitch* for plates & freezer paper appliqué. Done small enough it resembles hand stitching. If you don’t know what I mean, use the blind hem setting, but make the stitch length & width very small. *IF your machine won’t let you adjust the blind hem stitch, use a different one!
#1 rule, have fun oh, & ask questions!
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Hello from Emma, my little pumpkin spice baby, & me!
Welcome long-time followers & all of my new followers
to Step 1 of making your Candy Corn Sampler!
I’m glad you’re taking this sewing journey with us to make my newest favorite quilt.
Hopefully you’ve made at least a few fabric decisions…
This Hootenanny fat 1/4 pack was a large part of my inspiration for this Candy Corn Sampler Quilt. It looks nice with this Grunge piece, don’t you think? I didn’t end up using it but Grunge goes with almost everything!
If you’re still undecided on your fabrics you can order your Candy Corn Sampler kit today from Need’l Love by clicking here.
Let’s start with Step 1!
My first step with any quilting these days is to spray & iron all of my fabrics with Mary Ellen’s Best Press. It doesn’t make the fabric stiff like starch does. It gives it more body & helps it press flatter which is really helpful especially when working with little pieces of fabric. I’ve also noticed that if I need to reposition something & press it again the first creases will press out unlike the results of using regular starch.
I use the hand pump bottle when spraying yardage & the finger pump bottle when I’m spraying my finished plates or blocks. Its spray is really fine & won’t super saturate the small pieces & make them go wonky.
The next task is to start cutting & making candy corns!
Refer to page 4, “Candy Corn Blocks” & “Cutting” to cut the strips then sew the strip sets together. Next, refer to the cutting diagram to cut the “trees”.
NOTE: Do not rotate the template to cut the candy corns or half of your candy corns will be upside down!
The in-between triangles will be discarded or if you’re like me, put away for another day…
Follow assembly instructions, page 4, to make the blocks. I sewed these blocks on my featherweight machine. That was fun!
In case you noticed, “real” candy corn has orange in the middle, but I prefer my fabric candy corn to have the orange on the outside.
Sew the left background onto the candy corn then press.
Sew the right background onto the candy corn then press again. Don’t forget to do the little bit of trimming. These blocks should measure 3 1/2” x 4 1/4”.
Make 48. Don’t worry, they go quickly & you have 2 days to make them (just 1 per hour lol) before we move on to Step 2!
Emma says they’re a snap!
If you’re using super cute fabric who cares how long they take?
I played with one of the super cute Hootenanny rick rack stripes to make a few trees too. I’m not sure where they’ll end up.
I love the ease & accuracy of this block’s construction. ❤️ I hope you do too!
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The pattern is ready for purchase in both PDF & paper form by clicking here.
Get ready to sew with us starting tomorrow, October 1st!
If you’re not already a member of my Sewing With Susan Facebook group, you should join so you can see & share pics of this & my previous quilt-alongs too. You can find it by clicking here to join.
Quilting my way through life! 