Hi Lovelies!  Rashida Coleman-Hale from 'I Heart Linen' representing for The Fat Quarter Gang!  *Makes the scissor motion with her fingers* Woot!  That's my FQGang sign.  I know, I'm so hardcore. :P 

Who doesn't love the miracle of Aviation?  I love to travel and I especially love to fly, so I came up with this little project, influenced by an awesome vintage print I saw on Pinterest.

You can use this block alone to create a super sweet aviation art quilt, or make a few more and make a quilt filled with Airplanes!  

This project is partially paper pieced.  For those of you new to this method, don’t worry, it’s super easy. Promise! ^_~

 

What you'll need:

7 fat quarters from Art Gallery Fabrics:

•  Summerlove

           Passionate Spirit – Teal, Naivety – Berry, Daydreaming  – Ocean, Malibu –  Haze,

           Beyond Bliss – Ginger

•  Modernology

           Impressions – Sachet

•  Bazaar Style

           Moorish Rug – Aqua

•  Paradise

           Pink Squared Fashion

• Pure Elements

          White Linen

(View this template and get Nose templete, Bottom template, Top template)

Basic Materials:

A printer and paper, Scissors, Rotary Cutter, Cutting Mat, Coordinating Thread.

Finished Size: 24 1/2" x 14 1/2"

 

Preparing Templates & Fabric

 **Note seam allowances are 1/4".  Print templates at 100%. 

Print two copies of the Nose templates and cut out your fabric using the templates.

 

–

Print two copies of the Tail and Wing templates. One copy you will use this as the paper foundation for the paper piecing.  Cut out the templates which include seam allowance.

(Please note that the templates will appear to be reversed which is okay. Your fabric panels will be facing the right direction after paper piecing.  I also included the other side of the pattern to save you some time.  This way you won't have to trace the patterns to make the other Wing and Tail.) 

 

Cut the other set into pieces and use them as patterns for cutting your fabric.  You only need to cut out one section (top OR bottom).  

Fold your fabric in half and pin these patterns to the wrong side of your fabric and cut around them.  Be sure to add a generous 1/4” seam allowance around them using a rotary cutter and a straight edge. You'll have two sets of fabric pieces for the top and bottom.  Set aside.

 

Making the Tail of the Airplane

Starting with the Tail Bottom template, gather your fabric pieces. (TB1, TB2, TB3 &TB4) You want to use the pieces that are mirror images of the template.  

 

Take the template and place it in front of you blank side up.  Place fabric piece TB1 on top of the template in it's corresponding position right side up, lining up the edges and pin in place.  You can hold them up to a light to make sure that the lines are positioned properly.  

Place fabric piece TB2 on top of TB1 right side down.  Line it up as shown in the image above and pin in place.

 

Turn the template over and head over to your machine.  Change your stitch setting to about 1.5, this will help the paper removal easier later on.  Starting and ending with a backstitch, sew through the paper between sections TB1 and TB2

 

Open up the seam and finger press. 

Using the same process as before place TB3 on top of TB1 & TB2 and pin.

Turn the template over as in the previous steps and stitch through the paper between section TB1/TB2 & TB3 starting and ending with a backstitch. 

Open up the seam and finger press. 

One more time!  Place piece TB4 on top of TB2/TB3 and pin.  Turn the template over to the side with the text and stitch between section TB2/TB3 & TB4 starting and ending with a backstitch.  

 

Open up the seam and finger press and Voila!  You have a finished Tail piece!  (Don't worry if the seams don't line up perfectly, you can use the paper as a guide once you stitch all of the panels together.) 

Repeat these steps with the remaining tail pieces and the Tail Top Templates to make the second panel.  

 

Now that you have your two panels, place them right sides together and stitch down the longer edge forming the tail of the airplane. 

Next stitch your 6 1/2" x 4 1/2" panels to either end.  Carefully remove the paper and press the seams open. The tail is complete! Set it aside. 

 

 

Making the Airplane Wings

Now that you've got the hang of paper piecing (I hope! ^_^),  this next section will be easy, breezy, beautiful! You'll basically be going through the same type of process as you did with the tail.  Let's take a look…………

Starting with the Wing Bottom template, gather your fabric pieces. (WB1, WB2, & WB3) You want to use the pieces that are mirror images of the template.  

Take the template and place it in front of you blank side up.  Place fabric piece WB1 on top of the template in it's corresponding position right side up, lining up the edges and pin in place.

Place fabric piece WB2 on top of WB1 right side down.  Line it up as shown in the image above and pin in place.

Turn the template over and head over to your machine.  (Remember to change your stitch setting to about 1.5)  Starting and ending with a backstitch, sew through the paper between sections WB1 and WB2

Open up the seam and finger press. Repeat the process as before with piece WB3 to complete the Wing Panels Bottom and Top. 

Now that you have your two panels take one of your 7" x 2 1/2" pieces and stitch it between the two Wing Panels.  Remove the paper and press the seams open.  You Wings are complete!  Set them aside. 

 

Making the Airplane Body

Lay the 3 3/4" x 6 1/2"  pieces and the remaining 7" x 2 1/2" piece in front of you using the image as a guide.  Stitch two of the 3 3/4" x 6 1/2" pieces together to form one 7" x 6 1/2" piece and press the seams open.  Repeat with the remaining 3 3/4" x 6 1/2" pieces. 

Finally, stitch the 7" x 2 1/2" between the two panels you just made.  Press the seams open.  You've completed the Airplane Body!  Set it aside. 

 

Making the Airplane Nose

 Almost done!  

Gather the remaining fabric, you should have 2 large background pieces and 2 small Nose pieces. 

Taking one of the small Nose pieces and starting at the tip of the Nose, pin it to one of the background pieces.  Go slowly and use lots of pins!

Head over to you machine and slooooooooowly stitch around the curve, removing pins as you go. Clip the seam allowance on the curves and be careful not to clip your thread.  (Embroidery scissors may help here.)  

Press the seams toward the Nose. Repeat this with the remaining two fabric pieces.

Now that you have two panels, stitch them together and press the seams open.  You've made the nose! Woot! 

All that's left to do is stitch all of your rows together!  Line up the seams on your Airplane. Don't worry about the outer edges of your panels, you can square the whole thing up once you finished. 

Now enter to win the exact Fat Quarter bundle used…

Giveaway Rules: 

Leave a comment on Rashida's 'I Heart Linen' blog and let her know "Where would you travel to if you could hop on a plance right now?

And don't forget to be eligible you must …

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Enter to win today! Giveaway open until Friday, Aug, 10th.

Happy Sewing,

<3 AGF Team & The Fat Quarter Gang