We called ours The Big Day Out!


You'll need:
3 x 40cm squares of white cotton fabric
40cm wadding
1m Vliesofix
40cm cotton fabric in light green. mid green, dark green, dark grey, dark red and light red
20cm cotton fabric in mid blue, light blue, black, yellow and mid grey
Scraps of white satin and white cotton
1 square dark green felt
Photograph of your child
A4 sheet of iron-on photo transfer paper (from craft stores)
Coloured sewing threads
Decorative buttons or motifs
Quilter's pins
Velcro strips for putting up hanging

Colour guide
Paddocks: light green, mid green, dark green.
Trees: dark green felt. Road: dark grey.
Sky: light blue.
Car body: dark red. Car bonnet and back: light red.
Car interior: mid blue. Seat back: light blue.
Wheels: black. Wheel rims: mid grey.
Hub caps: light blue. Headlights: white satin.
Star: yellow. Numberplate: white.
Steering wheel: black. Bluebird: dark blue. Colours are a guide only.


Large diagram below


Here's how:
1. Take two 40cm white fabric squares, one to use as the appliqué background, one to back the wadding.

2. Enlarge the pattern on a photocopier 350 per cent until it is 40cm wide. Trace the pattern pieces onto Vliesofix. Cut roughly around each piece and place it, web side down on the wrong side of the appropriate coloured fabric, using the pattern as a guide. Fuse with a dry iron on wool setting for four seconds (or following the manufacturer's directions). Cut neatly around the shapes and peel off the backing paper (except for the wheels).

3. Choose a colour photograph of your child; colour photocopy it onto the transfer paper, enlarging it if necessary The head should be 5-6cm wide.

4. Following the paper instructions, transfer the image on to the fabric; or place the paper, image side down, on the fabric and press with an iron on cotton setting, moving the iron smoothly for 30 seconds. Remove the paper promptly while the fabric is hot. Allow the fabric to cool then fuse Vliesofix to the back of the image. Cut carefully around the picture and remove the backing paper.

5. Assemble the quilt using the picture as a guide, working from background to foreground. Arrange the pieces so adjacent edges overlap and the white background is covered. Begin with the sky, then position the road; next the paddocks, which overlap each other, the edge of the road and the sky. Arrange the trees and the bird and, when you're happy with the look, fuse all the pieces in place using a slightly hotter iron than before for 8-10 seconds. Use a pressing cloth under the iron to protect your work.

6. Make up the front and back wheels with their hub caps and rims. Remove the backing paper from the wheels and press to fuse. Position the car body on the road, tucking the wheels in place under the edge. Position the rear of the car, followed by the interior and back seat Position the child in the car. Place the car bonnet overlapping the bottom edge of the photo. Tuck the ends of the steering wheel under the bonnet, then add the bumper bar, yellow star, headlights and numberplate. Fuse all the pieces to each other and the background fabric.

7. To quilt the finished picture, sandwich the wadding between the appliqué and the backing fabric. Use quilter's pins to hold the three pieces together. Trim the wadding to slightly smaller than the fabric pieces. Topstitch around the shapes by machine, changing thread to match the appliqué pieces.

8. To decorate, sew buttons and embroidered motifs on your design. Use coloured embroidery threads and buttonhole stitch to decorate the edges of the paddocks; work around the star in straight stitch. Work the tree trunks in machine buttonhole stitch. Make little irregular cross stitches in the grass.

9. To finish, place the quilt face down on the third square of fabric; pin together. Machine stitch together 1cm from the edge, leaving a 15cm gap on one side. Turn to right side. Press in the edges of the gap and hand stitch it closed. Blanket stitch around the edge, if you wish. Frame the quilt or attach Velcro strips to the back and hang it.



Source: Better Homes and Gardens