Seriously..I think it needs stitches.: Zipper Quilt Block Tutorial

Happy Thursday!

The next block on my list for my National Days scrap quilt project is this zipper block for National Zipper Day which was back on Apr. 29. Here is my fabric zipper.

🤐😊

It has zero clip and flip corners. Here's how it goes together. I'm going to show you a quick hack. You probably already know about it, but just in case.. :)

Fabric A (blue/outside zipper):

(1) 1 x 9" rect.

(2) 1 1/2 x 2 1/2" (**)

(2) 2 1/2" sq.

(2) 2 1/2 x 3 1/2"

Fabric B (red/zipper):

(1) 1 3/4 x 9" rect.

(6) 1 1/2 x 1 3/4"

Fabric C (yellow/inside zipper):

(1) 1 x 1 1/2" (>)

(1) 1 1/2 x 2" (#)

(1) 1 1/2 x 3"

(1) 1 1/2 x 4"

(1) 1 1/2 x 5"

(1) 1 1/2 x 6"

Here's the hack. If you have several identical units, you can stitch a couple of long strips together, and then cut all your pieces from that.

For instance, our red rect. needs to finish as 1h x 1 1/4w". So if we were cutting a singular piece, we would cut it 1 1/2h x 1 3/4w". So if we need six units, we would just multiply the CUTTING height (not the finished height) by 6, 1 1/2 x 6 and we get 9. So we should cut a 9"h x 1 3/4" w. rect. or 1 3/4 x 9 as I have it listed.

For the blue rect., it needs to be 1"h x 1/2"w finished, so we would need to cut a single rect. 1 1/2"h x 1"w. Multiplying the CUTTING height by 6 b/c we need six units (1 1/2 x 6), comes out to 9 again. So we would cut a strip 9"h x 1"w. Or 1 x 9 as I have it listed.

Stitch these two strips together at their long edges. Then cut into six equal 1 1/2w x 2 1/4h" units.

Assemble as shown below, using scant quarter inch seams. You'll have an 8 1/2" (8" finished) zipper block.

Originally, I was trying to draw a zipper block that had a zipper pull, but it just kept not working out. It just didn't look right. But when I abandoned the pull, and worked it into this one, I asked my almost 14 y.o. son what this was, and he took one look and said a zipper. That's when I knew I had it.

I'll be back soon with the last of the April blocks, for my National Days scrap quilt project, and guess what day that is!?

NATIONAL BUGS BUNNY DAY. haha! I thought it would be fun to have a rabbit block, that represented Bugs Bunny b/c those are the cartoons I grew up on. Anyone else? They just don't make cartoons like that anymore! I never expected to make it look just like Bugs Bunny, but I was drawing it up last night, and.. you guys...

RIGHT???? It took a LOT of tweaking, A LOT, but I'm super glad that I didn't give up and just settle b/c I'm soo happy with how he turned out. I can't wait to make him! He'll have some pretty small clip and flips, but it will be worth it! I love him!

I'll be back soon to share the tutorial for him when I get him all diced up!

In the meantime, if you make any blocks or designs, come find me on social media and tag me/show me! I love to see! Esp. if it involves excited kids with their quilts! I love knowing they will have lifelong memories of the person that made them their special quilt! Anyways, here are all the places to find me.

@kellifanninquilts on IG

FB page

sew along group on my FB page

If you'd like to see lots of blocks made up from this, or the Minecraft, Harry Potter, or Pokemon sew alongs, come join the sew along group on my FB page.

Meet you back here for Bugs Bunny! I'm seriously excited for how he turned out. haha!

Happy Stitching!

xoxoxo