Sundrop Designs - quilt patterns and applique block patterns featuring the Wee Folk and the Sundrop Critters

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Thanksgiving Projects
autumn produce

2011 - Thanksgiving still seems to be getting squeezed out by Halloween and Christmas except at the grocery stores. But I have collected some nice clip art images and I found some great kids coloring pages on the internet. If you have access to old kids' craft books for teachers, I'll bet you'll find some great Thanksgiving projects in them that could be adapted to quilting. One thing I noticed while web surfing this year was a lack of Native Americans in the limited Thanksgiving related merchandise. Has it become politically incorrect to include half (or more than half, very likely) of the people involved in the first Thanksgiving? How sad! The costumes and details may not be historically accurate, but a story about giving thanks for kindnesses done is difficult to tell with the benefactors missing. We can celebate Thanksgiving without the historical aspect, but I think you lose the richness it brings. It's a bit like serving pumpkin pie without the whipped cream.

This year, I made time to do a Pilgrim costume for a Pixiekin boy for the large size only. I hope to add a boy's Native American costume before the year is over. My plan is to do the girl pixiekin costumes next year.

If you don't have the Pixiekin patterns and can't purchase them, find a bottle cap that's about the right size to fit under the hat. Trace around the bottle cap to make the head. Two hands can be made by cutting a small egg-shaped piece of fabric about the size of a penny in half lengthwise. Remember to add 1/4 inch seam allowance to both if turning edges under.

Pilgrim Clothes for Pixiekin Boy
pdf

2008 - Last year when I noticed that Thanksgiving was almost totally ignored at my local stores who devoted all their space to Halloween and Christmas, I decided that it was time to do something to reclaim this special holiday of ours. My small efforts might seem insignificant on the grand scale of things, but they say it only takes a mere zephyr to start a hurricane. So, let's see what happens!

Dresden Turkeys
I'm sure I'm not the first quilter in history to see how easily a Dresden Fan or a Dresden Plate block can become a turkey. They sure are cute! And fusible applique techniques make this project an easy one for kids, too.

Dresden Turkey Table Runner

table runner with 3 blocks: 44.5" x 23.5" approx.
On this version, the setting triangles are the same color as the background fabric.

longer table runner

table runner with 4 blocks: 57.5" x 23.5" approx.
This version shows a setting triangle fabric that contrasts with the background fabric.

Dresden Turkey block
8" finished size
I used feather stitch between the feathers & blanket stitch for the rest.

click here for applique pattern (pdf)

Table Runner Instructions
pdf pattern

558 kb

	Navigating the Waters of Friendship pieced crib quilt finished size: 45.5" x 65.5" pdf pattern 10 pages, 189 kb skill level: advanced beginner-intermediate This quilt features the Ship block (also called the Mayflower block), the Crossed Canoes block (the only difficult part of this project!) and the Friendship Star block. To me, these blocks best represented the first Thanksgiving. Alternate color choices are shown below.

	Pattern tester Dena Twite made this twin size version, shown here without the final border showing. Here's a close-up showing some of the lovely machine quilting.

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EQ (Electric Quilt) has several Dresden Fan and Dresden Plate blocks that will make great turkeys.

One block with corner triangles is approx. 11.5" square - a great size for the bib part of an apron or a jumper (adult size).

background graphic by Lisa's Country Clipart