Salute to the Troops
by Janet Foggy-Befort
"Salute to the Troops" (24" x 24"), ©1991 by
Janet Foggy-Befort of Plant City, Florida. Jan made this charming little wallhanging as a
tribute to her many friends and relatives in the armed forces.
OVERALL SIZE: 23"
BLOCK SIZE: 5 1/2"
MATERIALS
Yardage is estimated for 44" fabric. The flag body is cut from striped fabric and the
blue corner is a star print fabric. All fabric is 100% cotton.
- 3/4 yard unbleached muslin
- 3/8 yard red
- 1/8 yard red-and-white stripe (small stripes look best!)
- 1/8 yard blue with tiny white stars
- 5/8 yard blue print fabric for background, border and binding
- 6" square of navy blue for flagpoles
- Scrap of yellow for flagpole tops
- 3/4 yard fabric for backing
- 26" square of batting
- Freezer paper
CUTTING
All dimensions given include seam allowance.
- Cut 1: 24" square, unbleached muslin, for backing
- Cut 5: 6" squares, unbleached muslin, background for flags
- Cut 4: 6" squares, blue print fabric, background for hearts
- Cut 5: 1" x 5 1/2" strips, navy, for flagpoles
- Cut 12: 1 1/2" x 6" strips, red
- Cut 2: 1 1/2" x 19" strips, red
- Cut 2: 1 1/2" x 21" strips, red
- Cut 2: 1 1/2" x 21" strips, blue print
- Cut 2: 1 1/2" x 23" strips, blue print
- Cut 4: 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" squares, blue print
- Cut 3: strips 3" x 44", blue print, for binding. Sew these strips end to end,
fold lengthwise (right side outward) and press. Be sure not to stretch the fabric. In
addition, use the full-size pattern pieces and cut the following pieces from freezer
paper:
- Cut 5: flagpole tops
- Cut 5: flags
- Cut 5: flag corners
- Cut 4: hearts
DIRECTIONS
Select the appropriate fabric for each of the freezer paper pieces.
Place the fabric right side down. Pin the freezer paper pieces to the fabric, being sure
to leave enough space between pieces for a 1/4" turn-under allowance around each
piece. Cut out each piece, 1/4" larger on all sides than the freezer paper.
|
When you have all the pieces cut out, fold the 1/4" of fabric over
the freezer paper and gently iron it in place. The wax on the paper will hold the fabric
down. You may now remove the pins. Janet says, "This method makes a nice sharp edge
for appliqué. Leave the paper in place as you appliqué - it will be removed later.
|
Take the 1" x 5 1/2" navy strips. Fold each in half
lengthwise, right side outwards. Do not press. Stitch along length of the piece, 1/4"
from the raw edge. Trim the seam close to the stitching line. Then, with your fingers,
gently maneuver the seam so that it is centered along the back of the piece. Finger press,
then press with an iron. Janet says, "You may also use a 1/4" Celtic bar for
this procedure."
|
- Using your favorite stitch, appliqué the hearts to the center of the 6" blue print
squares. Make 4 heart blocks. NOTE: Janet says, "I use a #10 sharp needle to
appliqué. After securing the thread in the fabric, I start my stitches under the piece to
be appliquéd, catching the background fabric, then exiting out the very edge, sliding
under the freezer paper. I then enter the needle under the piece again. This way, no
stitches will be seen at all! Use very small stitches for the best finished look.
|
Referring to the diagram, place the pieces for a flag block on a 6"
muslin square. Be sure that there is sufficient space between the yellow ball atop the
flagpole and the seam line around the 6" block. When placement is satisfactory, pin
the flagpole in place and remove the other pieces. Appliqué the flagpole first, turning
under the bottom end. Then appliqué the yellow ball, the flag, and the blue corner in the
flag. Make 5 flag blocks.
|
|
ASSEMBLY
- Using 1/4" seams throughout, join a 1 1/2" x 6" red strip to the left and
right sides of a completed flag block. Do the same with 2 completed heart blocks. These
will be the center blocks in each row of the finished quilt.
|
|
- Join a heart block to each side of the center flag block. In the same way, join a flag
block to each side of the 2 center heart blocks. You now have your 3 pieced rows of
blocks.
|
- Take another 1 1/2" x 6" red strip. Join a 1 1/2" blue print square to
each end. Then join another 1 1 /2" x 6" red strip to both ends of this pieced
strip. Make a second red-and-blue pieced sashing row exactly like the first.
|
|
- Join the rows together, working from top to bottom. Start with a row with 2 flags and a
heart. Stitch a red-and-blue pieced sashing row to its bottom edge. Continue adding rows
in this order: the row with 2 hearts and a flag, the second red-and-blue pieced sashing
row, and the second row with 2 flags and a heart.
|
- Join the 1 1/2" x 19" red strips to the left and right sides of the
wallhanging.
|
- Join the 1 1/2" x 21" red strips to the top and bottom edges of the
wallhanging.
|
- Join the 1 1/2" x 21" blue print strips to the left and right sides of the
wallhanging.
|
- Join the 1 1/2" x 23" blue print strips to the top and bottom edges of the
wallhanging.
|
- When piecing is complete, turn the wallhanging face down and cut a small slit in the
back of each appliqué piece. Using tweezers, you will be able to remove the paper from
the appliqués. Cut through the back of the flag and into the blue corner piece, but you
can leave the paper inside the yellow ball atop each flagpole, as the area is so small.
|
- Press the wallhanging. Janet notes, "Remember to press the seams toward the dark
fabric. Also, if you intend to quilt the six-inch blocks 'in the ditch,' pressing the
seams away from these blocks will make the quilting easier."
|
- Sandwich the top, batting and backing, and baste for quilting. Janet adds, "You can
also bind small pieces like this before quilting and baste with large pins."
|
- Quilt closely around the hearts and flags, and around the blue corner of each flag.
Quilt around each flagpole and the yellow ball. Quilt in the ditch, or closely around the
inside of each flag and heart block. Quilt around each of the small blue print squares and
around the border.
|
- Bind using the 3" x 44" strips.
|
- Be sure to label or sign and date your quilt.
|
To Printout the full size patterns for Salute to the Troops, click here.
Back to Free Patterns Page.
|
