FREE Puppy Love Block for Block Mania Blog Hop

Can you believe we’re on Month Six of the Blog Hop already? Time really flies when you’re having fun in the studio. Here’s a quick a look back at the blocks we designed for past months. Remember that the patterns and the SVG files are all available on our website, www.TheWhimsicalWorkshop.com!

This month’s block for the blog hop may be my favorite, but ssh don’t tell the others! I’m thrilled to introduce Puppy Love - this sweet guy is modeled after Macaroni Ahern (he even has his own Instagram page @Macaroni_Ahern). You may not know this about me, but I’m a huge dog lover. Currently I’m puppy-free, but this sweet guy belongs to Sarah, our Social Media Guru, so I borrowed him as inspiration for this design! 

 

In this month’s video we walk through the process of uploading an SVG file, like the one used in Puppy Love, to the Cricut Design Space for quick and easy cutting. If you’ve never seen one of these machines in action, this a great sneak peek at how they operate. And if you’re a happy Cricut owner who has yet to try it out for quilting projects, let me show you the ropes! I also cover making the Puppy Love block and how to select the perfect threads. 

 

Once everything’s been imported, it’s time to start cutting. If you do not have a Cricut maker, don’t worry, I have written the pattern for the traditional method as well, complete with templates. 

Once all of our pieces are cut, it’s time to start assembly! For this block, we’re using an Appli-Fuse sheet, as well as the included placement drawings, to make up the treats bag and Puppy. 

Once we have these two built, let’s add the finishing touches. First draw on the details using an iron out pen; then embroider along the drawn lines to add the toe lines and garland.

Once the lines are drawn, carefully add the hearts to the garland. I pressed up to the drawn line, but not over it since it is an iron-out pen. No worries if you “erase” part of the line, you can always re-draw it after pressing the little hearts down in place.

Now that we have our block assembled, it’s time to pick our favorite Aurifil threads for the finishing stitch and move to the sewing machine. 

I selected hot pink to go around the hearts to really make them pop. Since the dog fills most of the image, I wanted give the hearts some more pizzazz so they aren’t overwhelmed. I also went with a more dull, dark brown to help outline the dog. As always, I am using Aurifil Cotton threads. 

Now time for my favorite part – adding the edge stitching. If you don’t do this much, I recommend drawing a heart or star shape and fusing it to scrap fabric. Practice on this piece before jumping into the main piece. Edge stitching is just like quilting;  you have to warm up before really starting on the piece. 

For the final touch, add the embroidery details. I use my machine and a Triple Stitch setting to sew along the garland and toe details. You can hand embroider these as well. If you’re just starting out or don’t feel like doing embroidery, another option is to use a permanent marker like a Micron Pigma Pen and just go over the lines. Once you have drawn the lines in place, iron the drawn lines to set the ink. NOTE: Test the pen on a scrap piece of fabric first to make sure it will not bleed. 

And just like that, you’re all finished! 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s free block. Make sure to visit all the other designers on the Blog hop to collect your free Romance blocks!

Each month a group of top designers in the quilting industry will each create a FREE 12” block that fits the month’s theme and color palette. We will all post our blocks on the first Tuesday of the Month. You can hop from blog to blog to learn more about each designer and collect your free block pattern. This month’s theme is “Romance” and I created our sweet Puppy Love block for you. The pattern is available on our website. The Block Mania Blocks will only be available free of charge for the first two months afterwards they will be for sale for $5.00 as a digital download.

Check out all the great blocks on these Blogs!

Chain of Hearts by Carolina Moore
Heart Postage Stamp by Slice of

Pi Quilts
Special Delivery by Appliques Quilts and More
Intertwined by Devoted Quilter
Interlocking Heart Halves by Blockofthemodotcom
Romantic Patchwork Heart by Love to Color My World
Love Notes by Blue Heron Quilting
Woven Together at Patti's Patchwork
Love Arrows by Cotton Street Commons
refracted heart at Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Puppy Love
Be Mine by Perkins Dry Goods
Love is family at Puppy Girl Designs
Love Owl-Ways by Studio R Quilts
Lacy Hearts by QuiltFabrication
Piece of My Heart by Orange Blossom QDS, LLC
Quilting by Candlelight by Snowy Days Quilting
Sunset Walk Block by Sara Flynn
Mini Log Cabin Heart by Katie Mae Quilts
Flowers and Candy by PhoebeMoon Designs
On Point Heart by Oh Kaye Quilting
Love My Gnome
Love Conquers All
Blue Bear Hug by Blue Bear Quilts
Love Me Knot by Pretty Piney Quilts
Pieceful Heart by Off the Wall Quilt
Rose Buds by Rona the Ribbiter
House of love
First Love by Sarah Marcina
Love postcard by Capaquilts