Desperate Housewife's Quilt

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream."  I remember chanting this when I was a little kid and I still love ice-cream. When lovely Jane from Want it, Need it, Quilt asked me if I'd like to make a block for the Desperate Housewife's Quilt, I wanted something with a summery feel so my mind turned to ice-cream and since I'm really hooked on English paper piecing at the moment, I thought I'd combine the two.  The block is 8 1/2 inches square.  I used fabrics from the Tea Garden range from Westminster Fibres.





What you will need:

• One 4 1/2" square of fabric for the centre of the block
• Two  2 1/2 " x 4 1/2" strips of white fabric
• Two 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" strips of white fabric
• A small piece of fabric for the ice-cream cone
• A small piece of fabric for the ice-cream
• A small red button for the cherry
• A piece of light weight card. 
• Matching thread + stranded cotton

You can download the template HERE.  Trace the templates onto the light weight card or print directly onto the card.

Sew the short sides of the white fabric to the centre square

then the longer sides.  I pressed the seams towards the centre.

Cut the cone and ice-cream fabrics 1/4" bigger than the cardboard templates.

Sew a few lines of running stitch across the cone.  I used two strands of stranded cotton

Tack the fabric to the templates. Iron well. I used a small spray of ironing aid.
Sew the cone top to the cone, then the ice-cream to the cone top with small stitches.

Lightly starch again then remove the card.

Position the ice-cream on the background.  I used a small amount of fabric glue to keep it in place.

Attach the ice-cream with tiny stitches. then sew the cherry button on top.

You can include this block into your Desperate Housewives's Quilt or use it to decorate something else. Mine's going to be turned into a book cover for a recipe book.