Timid Tom Turkey - Finish FREE pattern

Hello again pumpkin lovers!


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Ready to finish this fun Thanksgiving project?

Since you are here, it's assumed that you have 3 units made:

1. Tumbling leaves with the frame strip on the bottom
2. Fence with the frame strips on the sides
3. Checker squares with the frame strip on the top.

If you missed Part 1, here's a link.

Part 2 is here.

Off we go to Part 3!

Now you get to make a decision ...

It seems early in the project to be thinking about quilting, but it's not.

• Do you want to quilt the project before the applique?
• Or continue in the way I did mine.

I don't know which way is better. I only did it the way I did it.

However I wonder if quilting it before the applique may have given it better definition, which I would have liked.

Here's how I think quilting first would have gone down.

1. Sew the leaves to the top of the fence unit, and the checkers to the bottom of the fence unit, completing the frame around the fence.
2. Sandwich the quilt backing, batting and top.
3. Stitch in the ditch around the fence, frame, leaves and checkers.
4. Prepare the applique pieces as described below.
5. Applique the pieces to the quilted backing.
6. Bind, including a hanging sleeve.
7. Hang and Enjoy! 

Ok so that's over simplified.

I kinda wish I'd done mine that way.

I didn't, because I didn't want the applique lines to show on the back.

Now that I see them, I'd have been ok with them. It's the back after all.

Timid Tom Wall Hanging

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda ... doesn't matter now.

Here's how I did mine:

...with more detail this time.

Step 1) prepare the applique pieces.  DO NOT PANIC! You can do this!

You'll need 2 large, fat pumpkins and 1 short, roundish one.

Each pumpkin will also need a stem. I  Googled "pumpkin stem images" to get an idea of what they should look like. Make them proportionate to your pumpkins.

You'll also need 2 yellow turkey feet. Mostly I just cut 3 front-facing, pointed toes and a short, back-facing, round toe. They look absolutely nothing like turkey feet. I'm ok with that.

Draw your pumpkins like mine, or design your own. Just make sure 1 of them is fat enough for a turkey to hide behind. If they don't turn out exactly like mine, remember, mine aren't like the ones in my head either.

Draw the pumpkins onto the paper side of freezer paper.

Meet the contestants:

Pumpkin #1 is 10" tall with measurements 7-1/4" at the bust, 6-3/4" at the empire waistline, and 8-1/2" at the hips.

Pumpkin #2 is 7-1/2" roundish.

Pumpkin #3  is 10-1/2" tall with measurements 5-1/2" at the bust, 7-1/2" at the waist and 11" wide at the hips. Her voluptuous  hips
begin to flare at about 5-1/4" from the bottom.

Pumpkin #3 also has a front piece that is a slender silhouette of herself. You can cut that piece from the same fabric, a different fabric, or not at all. It didn't add as much interest as I hoped it would.

When you are happy with your drawings,  roughly cut them out.

You should have:
   3 pumpkins
   1 optional pumpkin layer
   3 pumpkin stems
   2 turkey feet

For each freezer paper piece, you'll need a larger piece of:
   Fabric
   Fusible Fleece or Batting (or non-fusible if you use spray baste)
   Double sided fusible interfacing like Heat-n-Bond light (not needed if using spray baste)

Use a non-stick applique sheet to protect your iron or pressing surface from stray glue.

For each piece, fuse the glue side of the fleece or batting to the back of the fabric.

Turn the piece over and fuse the interfacing to the fleece or batting. Don't remove the paper yet.

Iron the freezer paper pattern onto the right side of the prepared fabric. Carefully cut out each of the 9 pieces.

Remove the freezer paper. Check to make sure all edges are securely fused. If not, touch them up with the iron.


Step 2) The Hiding Turkey


Decide which pumpkin you want Mr. Turkey to hide behind.

Then decide how many feathers he needs to hide behind the pumpkin but still have a full spray of feathers. 

I liked 7 feathers cut from the same fabric I used for the frame. Unfortunately, the brown feathers blended too well with the brown fence so I added a second layer of  feathers in a lighter color to set them off.

Mr. Turkey's tail is made from a partial Dresden Plate. ( Here's a tutorial if you need it.)

I used this Dresden ruler and cut 7 feathers 4" tall from a 2-1/4" wide strip. If the tail doesn't curve enough to hide behind the pumpkin, go back and sew the Dresden blades with a more narrow angle at the bottom.

If you add a second layer of feathers (not shown here), cut the blades from farther up on the ruler. My second layer was cut using the 8" top of the ruler, from a 3-1/2 wide strip. There are 4 fat feathers, 5" tall. I narrowed the angle quite sharply to get them to fit.

Could you just use a Dresden ruler with a wider angle to start with? Yep... if you've got one.

Once you have those feathers looking like a perky turkey, we are ready to start stitching.

Step 3) Applique the Pieces to the Background

     Remove any paper from the fusible side of the pumpkin pieces.

     Arrange the 3 pumpkins by the fence until they make you happy.

     Pin them to the background then turn the piece over and fuse from the back.

DO NOT fuse the top half of the pumpkin that conceals the turkey. We still have tails to tuck in.

Turn the piece right side facing you. Tuck the tail feathers behind the selected pumpkin.

Secure the feathers in place with pins or a long running stitch. (I used WASHABLE school glue.)

Cover the top side of the pumpkin with a pressing cloth and, using a lot of steam, fuse the top of     the pumpkin.

 Normally steam is not used with fusibles. But it's asking a lot to get glue to melt under that many layers. If pieces don't fuse perfectly, you can glue them if you have WASHABLE glue, or use pins if you must.

If you are using the front panel on  pumpkin 3, add it now using the pressing cloth and steam.

Mark the pumpkin detail you intend to sew. Just a line of straight sewing can create the impression of  sections and a dip where the stem will be. (Detail stitching can be added as part of quilting if you prefer.)

With matching or coordinating threads, machine applique the pumpkins to the background with a narrow zig-zag  or blanket stitch. Stitch all around each pumpkin, then go back with a straight stitch and add details.

Using a guide foot (Stitch in the Ditch Foot) and a straight stitch, applique the front layer of feathers. Leave the taller layer loose for now.


Add the pumpkin stems one at a time, and the feet. Fuse from the front with the pressing cloth and steam. 

Applique using a zig-zag, straight or blanket stitch.

I used blanket stitch on the pumpkins for better definition. Then zig-zag on the stems and feet for maneuverability around those point and turns. Then straight stitches on the feathers because that's how I always do Dresden plates.

Step 4) Assembly

Sew the Leaves section to the top of the center section and the Checkers to the bottom completing the frame around the fence.

Press to the frame fabric.

Now go back to the tall feathers. Using matching thread and the guide foot, applique the feathers to the background. If they spill over onto the frame anywhere, call it artistry.


Step 5) Make the Quilt Sandwich

Make a quilt sandwich as per usual: Backing face down, batting in middle, top face up.

Baste as you like. I use spray baste.

How to spray baste a small project:
I do small projects indoors with paper down for overspray. Large projects go outside for ventilation.

   Lay out the backing face down, then the batting.
   Lift back the batting to expose half the backing.
   Spray the fabric and carefully replace the batting.
   Repeat on the other half of the backing.
   Arrange the quilt top on the batting.
   Fold back half the top.
   Spray the fabric and carefully replace on the batting.
   Repeat on the other half of the quilt top.
   Pat gently all over to secure the glue and work out any bubbles.

      Tip for better adhesion with less glue: spray the fabric, not the batting.

 
Step 6)  Quilt any way you like... it's your quilt!


I go by the rule of thumb: Echo applique, Stitch in the ditch patchwork. 


This is how I quilted mine, although not in any order.

I worked as far as possible without breaking thread, then moved to a new place, repeat.

   stitch in the ditch of the frame, leaves and visible parts of the fence.
   echo around the pumpkins.
   echo around both layers of feathers, dropping the stitches down the ditches between feathers.
   echo the stems and feet
   retrace the detail on the pumpkins
   quilt the checkers with a diagonal cross-hatch or orange peel design.


I didn't quilt mine with a continuous line, so there are few thread tails to bury. Here's a great video about how to bury a bunch of thread tails while only threading the needle ONCE. You are welcome!

I'm a minimalist quilter, so that's all the quilting for me.

If you want more decorative quilting that's great! Please share pics on Facebook.  

Step 6) Hanging sleeve, and binding

Since this is a wall quilt, and it will only ever be hung on a wall, I'm sewing the hanging sleeve on with the binding.

This is my favorite Hanging Sleeve tutorial.

Speaking of binding, Here's a link to the binding method that changed my life. I use this method almost exclusively, because I know I'll be happy with how it looks. It's very fast once you get the hang of it.

So there it is! Poor Mr, Turkey trying to escape the inevi-table.

Don't forget to watch Free Birds. It's a fun movie to watch with the family on Thanksgiving Day during the food coma. It's not on Netflix currently, but I'm sure it will come back as we get closer to the holiday. Or... you can rent it cheap on Amazon prime.

Speaking of things not to forget . . .

Here's a link to another Autumn project. A pretty trivet large enough to hold your turkey platter.

Don't forget to share a link to the blog and invite your friends to feed their inner quilter.

Patterns are copyrighted so please share just the link, not the pattern.

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Please leave comments below or photos on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest.

See you next time!

RaeLyn
RB

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Fabric Requirements for the upcoming Quilting Weekend have been posted. You won't want to miss this fun weekend  Fri., Sep. 20 to Sun., Sep. 22 . Nan Baker's awesome pattern is included. Skill Level: Easy.

 If you thought you'd missed this, you're in luck!

Sign-up has been extended to Sept 19. That's TOMORROW!

The 9-patch Design Challenge is still going strong, but it won't last forever. 

Sign up closes Sept 30.

 

 

Joanne Maner's sewing adventure, You Choose, is starting Tuesday, September 24. Each clue will only be available during the 3 live chat times. (Chat times are posted on the main page of Pattern Pastiche.)  The adventure runs until March with new clues every two weeks.

You Choose is a free event. Meaning, you do not have to be a premium member (subscriber) of Pattern Pastiche to follow along.  But you do have to attend live chat to get the clues.