An Irish Blessing–Free Pattern

Due to my promise to upload a freebie stitchery as soon as I hit 150 followers – here you go!

This was one of our biggest sellers when we were in business.  I always found that the small, heartfelt stitcheries sold really well.  People couldn’t commit always to a big project, but who doesn’t have the time to stitch a little wall hanging like this?  They were always winners.  I loved trying to find new sayings, new sentiments.  This was one of my favourites.

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An Irish Blessing

Finished Size 18” x 34”

Please read all instructions carefully before beginning project.  It is recommended that fabrics be 100% cotton, prewashed and ironed before use.  Requirements are based on fabric being approx. 44” wide.

Please note that all instructions and designs included in this pattern are protected by copyright and may not be sold or reproduced in any form except for personal use.

Requirements:

20 inches cream fabric for stitchery backgrounds

5 inches of ten assorted fabrics for pieced borders

Assorted scraps for applique

12 inches fabric for inner border and binding

24 inches backing fabric

24 inches of wadding

Vliesofix (or other fusible webbing)

Whisper weft (or other stabiliser for back of fabric)

Pencil or micron pen

Stranded embroidery cotton – we used DMC

• 154 (very dark grape
• 315 (medium dark antique mauve)
• 435 (very light brown)
• 437 (light tan)
• 902 (very dark garnet)
• 930 (dark blue)
• 3031 (very dark mocha brown)
• 3051 (dark green grey)

Sewing machine and general sewing requirements

Quilting requirements (rotary cutter, mat, ruler etc.)

Cutting Instructions

From cream, cut

• (one)  6” x 12” (for centre)
• (four)  6.5” x 12” (for centre)
• (two)  2.5” x 12.5” (for top outer borders)
• (two)  2.5” x 32.5” (for side outer borders)

Assorted fabrics cut

• (ten)  1.5” strips (one of each colour)

Inner Border cut

• (two)  1” strips x 11.5”
• (two)  1” strips x 28.5”

Binding cut

• (three) 2.5” strips

Backing cut

• (one)  24” x 40”

Wadding cut

• (one)  24” x 40”

Ensure that you press after each step.  All seams are quarter inch unless specified otherwise.

Applique Instructions

• pattern sheet 1
• pattern sheet 2
• pattern sheet 3
• pattern sheet 4
• pattern sheet 5

Tape each pattern piece provided to a light box or windowpane and with care trace words and borders lightly in pencil onto the four larger background pieces, being sure to centre the design in the middle of your fabric.

Due to issues with some printers and the differences between Australian paper sizes and overseas, your pictures/words may print out at different sizes than the ones I have intended for each picture.  After printing your diagrams, be aware that each of the four large word diagrams should measure 9.5” wide and 4.5” down from the edge of each corner of stitching.  You may need to adjust them if required.

The smaller applique background piece should measure 9.5” x 3.5” from corner to corner of stitching.

Leave outer borders for now. 

Trace the general location of your appliqued shapes onto the smaller background piece.

Locate applique designs on the pattern sheet provided.  Trace designs onto the smooth side of the vliesofix.  Please note that designs are reversed.  Leave about an inch between each shape.  Cut roughly around each shape in the space provided.

Decide what colours you wish to make each applique shape from.  Use our photo for placement if you need.

With your iron on the dry setting (no steam) lay the rough side of the vliesofix onto the wrong side of the fabric you wish to use for each appliqued piece.  Fuse the webbing to the fabric by ironing over each piece for a short time.

With sharp scissors cut each shape out on the traced line.  Peel off the backing paper of each piece and lay into place over the traced pencil lines on your background fabric. 

When you are happy with the placement of your applique pieces, iron into place.  Do not move the iron about much as the fabrics may move into an incorrect position.

Iron whisper weft to wrong side of background fabric following manufacturer’s instructions.

Using a new needle and two strands of your matching embroidery floss, blanket stitch around all exposed edges of your appliqué shapes. 

Using three strands of embroidery floss (colours indicated on pattern sheet), stitch words in a back stitch.  Using three strands throughout stitch remainder of designs as indicated on design sheet.  Stitch only the centre panels.  Do not stitch the other borders yet.

When complete, trim centre designs to the following measurements:

Applique (first) panel – trim to 4.5” x 10.5”

Second, third, fourth and fifth panel – trim to 5.5” x 10.5”

Piecing Instructions

• info sheet one
• info sheet two

Stitch your ten 1.5” strips together lengthways so that when complete, it should measure 10.5” by the length of the fabric (it won’t line up evenly at the end, all fabric is different lengths).

Now we will cross cut (cut across the finished 10.5” width) into 1” strips.  You will need to have six strips that are 10.5” long that you will use as your centre sashings and two strips 27.5” long that you will use as your side sashings.

Using rotary cutter and ruler, cross cut your 10.5” wide fabric into twelve one inch strips.  Put six strips away for now and join remaining six strips together  end to end to make one long length, and crosscut this into two strips measuring 27.5”  Set aside remainder for now.

Following photo for placement assistance, stitch a shorter border length to top and bottom of applique block.  Stitch a border length to bottom of remaining stitched blocks.  Press seams.

Stitch the centre panel together in rows as shown.

Stitch a long border length to either side of centre panel and press well.  your designs should now measure 11.5” x 27.5”.

Stitch first inner border (1” x 11.5”) to top and bottom of design and press.

Stitch remaining inner border (1” x 28.5”) inner border to either side of design and press.

Your design should now measure 12.5” x 28.5”.

Stitch a 2.5” x 12.5” cream border to top and bottom of wall hanging and press.  Stitch remaining two cream border lengths to either side and press.  Design should now measure 16.5” x 32.5”.

Cross cut remaining pieced strips into 1.5” lengths.  Join these lengths together to make two borders measuring 1.5” x 34.5” and two borders measuring 1.5” x 16.5”.  Stitch shorter lengths to top and bottom and remaining longer two lengths to either side and press.

• outer border sheet a
• outer border sheet b
• outer border sheet c
• outer border sheet d

Tape the four diagrams together, being sure to overlap where indicated.  Also be sure that your width and length measurements as indicated on the pattern match.  It should measure 19.75” by 14.75 inches from end to end of your stitching.  Again – adjust this if necessary.   As you are stitching a row of running stitch to frame your vine, I find it best if you use this as your best guide. 

Using pencil or pigma pen and following instructions previously given, trace outer border diagram onto outer cream border fabric.  Stitch designs following instructions on pattern sheet.

Quilting

Press backing fabric.  Smooth out onto a table right side down.  Lay wadding over top and ensure it is smooth and free from wrinkles.  After pressing wall hanging lay onto wadding and baste or pin the three layers together in place.  Quilt your hanging in the ditch of each seam.

Press quilt again and trim the three layers, wadding backing and top so that they measure the same size and excess wadding and backing is removed.

Binding

Sew the lengths of binding strips together along the short length, with right sides facing.  Fold in half right sides out and press the whole length.  Lay the wall hanging right side up and with care lay the binding on top so that all raw edges are lined together.  sew bindings to the quilt using a 1/4 Inch seam taking care not to stretch binding and to ensure that corners are mitred.

Turn the folded edge of the binding to the back and hand stitch it in place.

That’s it!  I hope it’s clear enough for you.  Please, as always, email me if you need clarification.

 

Suzie