LOVE IS JUSTICE “I believe firmly that to practice love is to disrupt the status quo which is masquerading as peace…the pursuit of justice is loving and this kind of love shakes the tables.”

— Austin Channing Brown

This pattern was designed for Social Justice Sewing Academy by Kitty Wilkin, inspired by an original quilt block by an SJSA Youth Artivist Justin Brown and the writings of Austin Channing Brown.

Our July 2020 Block of the Month Love is Justice can be used

for free, noncommercial use.

Make it. Share it. But don’t sell it.

July

Founded in 2016 by Sara Trail, the Social Justice Sewing Academy (SJSA) is an art program that bridges artistic expression with activism and empowers youth to amplify their voice through art that advocates for social justice. By using textile art as a vehicle for personal transformation and

community cohesion, SJSA empowers youth to become agents of social change. We support youth to become civically engaged artists as they are challenged to tackle current social issues in their community that directly affect their lives. A unique part of our program intentionally bridges generational, racial, and socioeconomic divides by sending youth art blocks to hundreds of embroiderers across the world. To donate or become an SJSA embroiderer visit: http://www.sjsacademy.comOn Instagram: @sjsacademyOn Facebook: www.facebook.com

socialjusticesewingacademy/

Kitty Wilkin is a quilter, designer, photographer, teacher, and occasional blogger who aims to create beautiful things every day. Between designing quilt patterns for machine and hand sewing alike, sewing with gorgeous fabrics, capturing the wonder of the world in photographs, and adventuring with her husband and three little kids in rural Maine, Kitty’s busy making the world a more beautiful place.

Read Kitty’s blog at: http://nightquilter.comFind Kitty on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter as: @nightquilter

LOVE IS JUSTICEJoin Sara, Justin, Kitty, and SJSA in “shaking the tables” with love that supports justice .

Fabric Requirements: Background fabric (white): ¼ yd./Fat Quarter, subcut into (2) 1 ½" x 12 ½" strips, (1) 7 ½" x 12 ½" rectangle, (4) 2" x 2" squares, and the remainder for foundation paper piecing the background for the letters Letters (black): ¼ yd. / Fat Quarter Center Applique: 4" x 6" red fabric, 5 ½" x 5 ½" black fabric, 4 ½" x 3 ½" dark red/brown fabric Fusible interfacing such as HeatnBond Ultra Hold, No Sew

Tools & Supplies: Fabric and paper scissors, small scissors for trimming threads, rotary cutter and cutting mat, seam ripper, tweezers for paper removal, a stiletto, chopstick, or other tool, lightbox or bright window for tracing appliqué, coordinating thread, iron and ironing board, sewing machine

Piecing the Letters1. Paper piece all sections (A-Q) for the letters. Work with fabric pieces

larger than you need, and use a stiletto, chopstick, or other tool to help feed the smaller pieces through as you sew.For Love is Justice you do not need to include piece 9 on template Q. Simply trim with a ¼" seam allowance from the outer edge of the “e” as shown. For Justice is Love you do not need to include piece 14 on template C. Trim with a ¼" seam allowance from the outer edge of the “e” as shown (Figures 1–2). Note: You will sew each word twice. Take your time, listen to a podcast or reflect on justice and love, as you watch the message slowly grow.

2. Once you have sewn each individual piece of the letters Love is Justice twice, carefully trim along the dotted ¼" seam lines. Note the tips following the assembly instructions (Figure 3).

How to Assemble Love is Justice: Sew A to B. Sew AB to C. Sew D to EF. Sew DEF to G. Sew H to I. Sew HI to JK. Sew HIJK to L. Sew MN to O.  Sew MNO to P. Sew MNOP to Q. Sew ABC to DEFG.  Sew HIJKL to MNOPQ. Sew ABCDEFG to HIJKLMNOPQ. How to Assemble Justice is Love: H to I. Sew HI to JK. Sew HIJK to L. Sew MN to O. Sew MNO to P. Sew MNOP to Q. Sew D to EF. Sew DEF to G. Sew A to B. Sew AB to C. Sew HIJKL to MNOPQ. Sew DEFG to ABC. Sew HIJKLMNOPQ to DEFGABC. Piecing Tips: Sew “s” and “t” together first. Then sew the letters together into words. Remember to include background piece L between the “s” and the “t” in Justice, and the background piece G after “is”.

Creating your Block Finished block size: 12"x 12" (12.5" x 12.5" unfinished). All seam allowances are ¼"Preparation: Print 2 copies of the paper piecing template page and 1 copy of the appliqué guide. Print the templates at 100% or Actual Size.Unfamiliar with Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP)? Read Kitty's tutorial here: https://nightquilter.com/2014/06/03/tutorial-basic-foundation-paper-piecing/.

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3. Press the seams. In some cases, the seam will clearly want to be pressed toward the least bulk. Where there is too much seam bulk, press the seams open to help distribute the bulk.

Piecing the Letter Strips1. After piecing Love is Justice, your letter strip should

be about 10" x 2". Sew a background 2" x 2" square to each short end of this strip (Figure 4). Press toward background squares.

2. Fold the letter strip in half the long way, gently finger pressing to mark the center. Fold a 1 ½" x 12 ½" background piece in half the long way, gently finger pressing to mark the center (Figure 5).

3. Align the center of the background strip with the TOP center of the Love is Justice letter strip, using the folded lines as a guide (Figure 6). Pin the center and outside edge of background strip in place

4. Sew the background strip to the top of the Love is Justice letter strip. Trim edges to align with 12 ½" wide background strip.

5. Repeat for Justice is Love, sewing the background squares to the sides and background strip to the BOTTOM of the letter strip. Set aside both strips for use in the piecing the block.

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Assembling the Center Applique1. Using a lightbox or holding it up to a bright window, trace the reverse

side of the pattern pieces for the heart, hand, and fingers appliqué guides onto the paper side of your fusible interfacing. Include the center point and guide lines.

2. Carefully cut fusible interfacing between each section: heart half, hand, fingers. Note: Do not cut directly on the lines yet.

3. Following the instructions on your fusible interfacing, fuse the appliqué pattern pieces to the wrong side of your fabrics: heart half to 4" x 6" red, hand to 5 ½" x 5 ½" black, fingers to 4 ½" x 3 ½" dark red/brown. (Figure 7)

4. Once fused, carefully cut along the lines to cut out each piece.5. Fold the 7 ½” x 12 ½" background fabric rectangle in half gently in both

directions to mark the center. Fold top to bottom, then gently press, open. Fold side to side, then gently press, open.

6. Using the center point and center fold guides on the appliqué templates, align your appliqué shapes as shown (Figure 8). If you have a lightbox, you can position the appliqué guide under your background fabric to help with accurate alignment.

7. Fuse in place.Note: If you are using a different, lighter weight interfacing, stitch the appliqué shapes down AFTER fusing. A straight stitch about ⅛" inside each edge with coordinating thread works great. Or, embrace another moment for reflection and hand stitch the edges using a blanket stitch or whip stitch.

Piecing the BlockSew the Love is Justice strip to the top of the center panel. Sew the Justice is Love strip to the bottom of the center panel. Press toward center panel. (Figure 9)

Congratulations on finishing your block!

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Foundation Paper Piecing Templates (Print two copies of this page.) The dotted line indicates the ¼" seam allowance.Shorten stitch length to 1.4 or 1.5 when foundation paper piecing to allow for easier paper removal.Print page at 100%/Actual Size. Do not choose the Fit to Page setting on your printer.Always check the size reference square before beginning your project.

Applique Templates

Center