Kissed Quilts

Cool Penguin Quilt Block

by Marlene Oddie

Here is a tutorial for making a penguin quilt block. Maybe you’d like to set it in snowflake blocks and make a child-sized quilt or just put a border around it.

Several years ago I designed a quilt using two blocks—the bear paw and the traditional snowflake. The idea was a baby bear being protected by the mama bear and I called it ‘Protection from the Storm.’ It was the perfect gift for my cousin and her baby son, who was born in the middle of a blizzard.

This year, penguins seem to be very popular. I wanted to come up with a block for penguin feet and make something similar. Well, the numbers just don’t work the same. I ended up with this little penguin quilt.

There is an on-line tutorial for the snowflake block available from CraftyFox at: http://www.acraftyfox.net/tutorial/snowflake-sampler-block-2-traditional-snowflake/.  I liked how the diagonal elements created a secondary pattern in ‘Protection from the Storm.’ By alternating the centers of the snowflakes between dark and light, your eye continues to move around the quilt.

The penguin is made up of 3 different blocks. Each block also uses a mirror image of itself to make up the total of 6 blocks. I used my Electric Quilt Software v.7 to draw these up.

Fabric requirements for the penguin blocks: Black 3/8 yard [2 – 12.5” squares, 2 – 4.5” x 12.5”, 2 – 2.5” x 12.5”, 2-3” diameter circles], white 1/3 yard [2 – 6” circles, 2 – 12.5” x 10.5”], orange ¼ yard [2- 2.5” squares, 2 – 3.5” squares, 2- 12.5” x 8.5”], background ¼ yard [2 - 3.75” squares, 4 – 2.5” squares, 2 – 8.5” x 12.5”]

Block 1: 2- 6” diameter white circles, 2 - 3” diameter black circles, 2 - 12.5” square black penguin face. 2 - 2.25” beak square, 2 - 3.75” quilt background square. On the wrong side of the background fabric, mark 2.25” from the corner in both directions. In the opposite corner, draw a diagonal line 3.75” from the corner in both directions. Take a ‘beak’ square, placing right sides together with the black background at the corner you’ve marked of the same size. Sew on the marked diagonal. Press towards the corner of the black background. Trim to ¼”

seam. Repeat for the 3.75” corner with a background square. Appliqué white circle then black circle in center of 12.5” square. Repeat to make two blocks.

Block 2: 2- 12.5” x 10.5” white penguin belly, 2 - 2.5” x 12.5” black body, 2 – 3.5” square beak. Sew black body strip onto white belly. Repeat to make two blocks. Set together, so black strips are on the outside. On both blocks, on backside of inner upper corner, draw a diagonal line from the top 1.5” from the corner down the side 2.5”. Place right sides together with the beak square and sew on the marked line. Repeat for opposite block. Trim seams. Press beak towards corner. Trim blocks to 12.5” square.

Block 3: 4- 2.5” quilt background around feet squares; 2 – 4.5” x 12.5” black body, 2 – 12.5” x 8.5” feet, 2 – 8.5” x 12.5” background around feet. Mark 2.5” diagonals on the back of the black body fabric on two corners on the same long side of the fabric. With right sides together with the background square on a marked corner, sew on diagonal line. Press and trim. Use a 12”x8” piece of cardstock to draw the penguin feet shape. Trace on feet fabric. Cut out and apply onto the background around feet using you favorite appliqué method. Be sure to center the feet leaving ¼” seam allowance on all sides. Sew foot block

and lower body block together.

Assemble all 6 blocks to make the penguin.

If you’d like the .PJ7 file for this, send me an email to: marlene@kissedquilts.com; subject: “Penguin PJ7 file please”

Here’s to having Happy Feet!

Marlene Oddie is an engineer by education, project manager by profession and now a quilter by passion in Grand Coulee, WA. She enjoys long-arm quilting on her Gammill Optimum Plus, but especially enjoys designing quilts and assisting in the creation of a meaningful treasure for the recipient. Follow Marlene’s adventures via her blog at http://kissedquilts.blogspot.com or on http://www.facebook.com/kissedquilts