Friday, September 22, 2023

Home Town Sew Along - Week One - Topiary House Tutorial!!





"TOPIARY HOUSE BLOCK"


Welcome to week one 
and the second tutorial of the 
"HOME TOWN"
Sew Along!
Do you have all of your "tools"
together for building a house today?



Together we are making the 
Home Town Quilt
75" x 84"


The quilt is made with my fabric
 collection called Home Town:)

I hope that you all have all 
received your 
fabric kits by now...
 and that we are all ready to begin!!


If you still need one ...
just do a quick google search for 
"Home Town Quilt Kit"
to find shops who still have some left.




We are also using the
Home Town
Sew Simple Shapes

I have already posted the
 post which details all of the supplies
 for the sew along and how it works.
I have also given the link there 
for the free PDF Download 
of the Sew Along Guide

to download the sew along guide
if you have not downloaded yet.


As per usual for the first block in my 
Sew Simple Shape Sew Alongs
 that FIRST tutorial is a video.

Because I now have my own  
 I have posted the 
 Flag House Block
Tutorial there.
to visit my channel and watch the 
tutorial and I hope that you love it!
Pretty please leave me a comment
over there and let me know:)

to read my blog post
about the Flag House
 that I did on Monday:)

If you like what you see 
and my other videos there...
click on subscribe and click on the
 bell to be notified whenever
 I post another tutorial:)



Here's the Flag House Block 
that I showed you 
how to make in my video:)

Today we are building the 
Topiary House!!


Here is a list of the
  Home Town 
Sew Simple Shapes 
needed for this block:
1 - Q-1
1 - Q-7
1 - Q-10
1 - Q-14
5 - Q-15
2 - Q-17
2 - Q-33
2 - Q-34
2 - Q-35
2 - Q-61

You will need prepared 
1/4" straight bias strips: 
*2 - for the tree trunks - 7" long
*2 - for the planter tops -
they should be about 2 3/4"long
 after pressing both ends under.
*1 - for rooftop rail fence - 5"long
*2 - for chimney tops - 1 1/2" long
after both ends are pressed under.
*7 - for rooftop fence pickets - 1 1/2"
after pressing one end under

You will need a 1" prepared 
straight bias strip for the front porch.
Press both ends under and
it should now measure 3" long after.


Cut your background  
14" x 16"
and sew it to the 3 1/2" x 16" grass
pressing the seams open.
Now press in half for centering 
the house when pinning and glue basting:)


Let's start construction!


First you will need to sew the
 top and bottom planter fabrics together 
before you sew the Q-61 SSS.
Use a 1/4" seam allowance 
and press the seams open.


When you sew to the interfacing...
place the seam right onto 
the center of the traced cleavage:) 


Then sew and trim.
Guess what?
These are the only two shapes 
in this block that need clipping!
The others are simply sewn and trimmed...


Then turned...shaped and pressed
as per usual:)
Now let's go build our house!


Okay...
I have several measurements 
to show you as I took pictures 
while doing the construction 
of a few things before I 
placed them onto my background 
for pinning and glue basting.


The door and door topper
 together measure about 5 3/4" tall.



The house and roof together
measure about 10 3/4" tall.


Measure up 3 3/4" from bottom of house
 to place the bottom side windows.


Measure 1/2" in-between the 
two windows and both should be
 1/2" from side of house.


Center window is 1/2" up from the 
door topper and top windows should be
 even all the way across the top.


Just confirming 1/2" from side:)
P.S. Sunbonnet Sue is my 
cute construction partner!


I centered and pre-glued the trims
 onto the tops of chimneys and planters.  


Okay now to place the house 
onto the foundation!
The house is 1" down into the grass.


And pinned onto the center
 pressed line of the background.


Measure up 2 1/4" from top of grass
and 1 3/4" away from the side of house
 and pin down the 7"strips
 for the tree trunks.


Both tree trunks are glued!


Center the planter with the trunk
 and place the bottom of the planter
1/2" down from the top edge of grass.


Pin and Sue Glue!!


Place the bottom topiary circle
 1/2" up from the top of the planter.


Next place the top topiary circle.
It should measure 10 3/4" from 
top of circle to bottom of the planter:)


Now you can place the middle circle
by centering it right between 
the top and bottom circles...
easy peasy!


Now it's time to pour the concrete 
for the front porch step:)
Place it 2" inform side of house 
and hanging 1/2" down 
and centered on the door bottom. 


Tuck the chimney right under 
the top edge corner of roof
 and measuring 1 1/2" tall. 


Repeat for other side.
*Take note that I did not glue down
 my roof or chimneys yet 
so that I could tuck both the chimneys
 and the rooftop fence underneath.


Measure up 3/8" from the 
top of roof and place the rail.


Place the center picket right on the 
pressed center fold of background.
Each picket should measure 1" tall...


And be about 1/4" apart.


Roof top fence is done:)
Now you can sit up there and 
watch the parade during Town Days!


Now you can Sue Glue everything down
and then check your measurements 
using the 14 1/2" Trim-It Ruler.
YaY!
My Topiary House is built...
with topiaries planted on each side
 and ready for applique!!!!


Afterwards I'll press from the back and
 trim down to 14 1/2" square:)





In my Home Town everyone took pride
in keeping a well tended garden.
 Each house itself was very well 
taken care of and it was a joy to
watch the seasons change in each yard.
It always made me so happy!

Many of the houses had been there
 for generations and stayed
 within the family...including my own
great grandparents and then 
my great great grandparents houses 
going back four generations.

Thus since the day I was born 
began my love of old houses...
gardening...alll things vintage
 and my own family heritage:) 



Thanks so much for sewing with me today
 and for joining me 
 for the very first week of the 
Home Town Sew Along

I'll meet you right back here
on my blog next time for the 
Pineapple House Block tutorial...
xx
Lori

5 comments:

  1. Thank you so very much! All of your hard work and great kindness is truly appreciated 🩵

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excited about this wonderful project ! Love houses!👏🏻

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi! Do you know when the pieced blocks will started to be posted on YouTube? Luving this SAL!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Whew. Got my second one glue down.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful post. Thanks for supplying this
    info.

    ReplyDelete