Love with a Twist: Toddling Turtle

Our second dose of small and cute for April

This month’s second Love with a Twist block is one of my personal favourites. Toddling Turtle. He’s cute, he’s friendly and he doesn’t take long to put together.

And he’s wearing full body-armour, which I think is what I need to install on my 8 year old! This is what happens when you let dads play with their sons unsupervised folks…. a buckle fracture caused by too much fun on the trampoline, followed by an evening in the paediatric emergency dept. Life…. it’s what happens to you while you are trying to quilt!

Toddling Turtle is our second option for Love with a Twist Block 8, and our alternative for Bonny Butterfly, who we saw a few weeks ago. Keep reading to collect your turtle balloon pdf pattern and find out all the details for making the most of the next block of the Love with a Twist quilt along.

About the Love with a Twist Turtle Balloon Appliqué Block

Today’s turtle balloon appliqué is the second option for Block 8 of the throw size versions of Love with a Twist. Of course, you will also need to collect Toddling Turtle if you are making the full twin-size quilt. Block 8B sits under the LOVE centre block on the throw quilt, and right next to Bonny Butterfly on the twin quilt.

Things to remember as you sew along with Love with a Twist

• There are two throw versions of this quilt, which can be re-mixed into a twin size quilt. The instructions to cut and construct the throw quilts can be found here and for the twin quilt, here.
• Today’s Toddling Turtle is Block 8B of Love with a Twist, and our eighth download to date. It can be interchanged with Block 8A, which was Bonny Butterfly.
• We have also already had the Dippy Dog and Pretty Poodle blocks in January. The Lasting Love and Pretty Pig in February. And the Kuddly Koala and Graceful Glider swan in March.
• The appliqué templates provided are drawn in red lines and black lines. If you are doing raw-edge appliqué, ignore the line colours and simply work with the shapes supplied. If you want to do turned-edge appliqué, you will need to add a seam allowance to the black edges only. The red edges are where the shapes overlap and extra fabric allowance has already been added.

Download your Toddling Turtle pdf pattern here

The cute-as-a-button turtle appliqué pattern can be downloaded here. Clicking on the balloon turtle appliqué picture directly below will download in a new tab. Using the red button will open the pdf right here under your nose.

**** It is really important that you print this pdf at 100%, otherwise your pattern pieces will be the wrong size for the quilt blocks. Turn off any “fit to page” options in your printer dialog and ensure that the printout size is set to 100%. There are check boxes supplied in the document. If your printout is successful, these will measure 1″ square. The document is designed to fit on US Letter and A4 paper. ****

What you will need to make the (raw-edge appliqué) Toddling Turtle block:

If you have not pre-constructed your quilt top, you will need background fabric for your appliqué:

• If you are making Block 8B for the throw size quit you will need a background fabric piece of 11.5″ x 9.5″. This measurement does not include any trimming allowance.
• To make Block 8B for the twin size quilt you will need a background fabric piece of 12.5″ x 9.5″. Again, this measurement does not include any trimming allowance.
• So, if you use a piece of fabric 13″ x 10″ or larger, you will keep your options open and have a small trimming allowance 🙂

You will also need:

• one main fabric for the turtle’s upper shell (6.5″ x 7.5″), and two other fabrics for the body and lower shell. You only need a really small amount of each….. (approx. 4″ x 5″ for the body and less than 2.5″ square for the lower shell parts). My turtle was made from Island Batik fabrics from the Ditty collection, given to me by Island Batik.
• scraps of white and black fabrics for the eye
• fusible paper-backed fabric adhesive , approx. 10″ x 10″
• thin batting for trapunto or your favourite stabiliser for stitching (optional)
• general tools and notions: sewing machine, iron etc, teflon ironing sheet or non-stick paper, small sharp scissors, pencil, quilting pins, grease-proof/tracing paper, machine embroidery or sewing threads for appliqué and embroidery

How to put together the Turtle Balloon Appliqué

Trace your appliqué shapes directly onto the backing paper of your fusible adhesive. Fuse the shapes to the back of your fabric, according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Then cut out each shape and remove the backing papers. They go together as follows:

Step 1

Place the layout diagram supplied under an ironing sheet/non-stick paper. Position appliqué pieces T1, T9 and T13 in place and secure them temporarily by touching them briefly with the tip of a hot iron (or tack down with a small appliqué iron).

Step 2

Add pieces T2, T3, T11 and T14.

Step 3

Add the rest of the turtle’s body by placing down pieces T8, T10 and T12

Step 4

The rim of the turtle’s shell, T4, goes on next.

Step 5

Followed by shell pieces T6 and T7.

Step 6

Fill in the last gap with piece T5.

Finish with the eye, and mark in a line for the mouth.

Use tracing paper to mark the positions of the eye and mouth as described in the tutorial for the balloon poodle (step 6) if you need help getting them into place.

Step 7

Give your appliqué a thorough pressing and transfer to your background fabric.

Stitch your appliqué turtle down using your favourite method. The sample I have shown uses free-motion straight stitching over a low-loft polyester batting. I layer my appliqué over the polyester batting and secure with quilting pins. Then I stitch around my shapes 5-6 times to secure them thoroughly. And finish by removing the excess batting with curved blade scissors/snips.

Have you started your Love with a Twist quilt yet?

Share your Love with a Twist blocks with me! You can fill the Chameleon and me with joy by sharing your Love with a Twist blocks via email, or on Instagram (mention @cleverchameleon or tag #lovewithatwistquilt). Or by posting on my Clever Chameleon Facebook page. Or by adding your beautiful work to the Chameleon’s Colour & Inspiration party right here on any Tuesday.

Hope to hear from you soon!

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The Chameleon turns rainbow with pleasure when he hears from you. I am more reserved, so I will respond in gratitude by email instead. Now that it’s your turn…. Scroll right to the end, leave me a comment and tell me, what do you think? Thanks for connecting!

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