mid month potholder LOVE

For this month’s potholders I was thinking of LOVE!

I always try to think ahead a month when making these and this time I got a new die from Accuquilt that I was dying to use!

Here’s what you’ll need for these potholders:

The 8” QUBE set (shapes 1,2,4,5)

and queen of hearts die

And then scraps of white, white and red print and red.

I was able to cut everything out of a WOF to fit the dies (see below)

From the white I cut a 5” WOF and cut out (4) of shape #1 the large square, I also cut 2 1/2” x 5” (x2) for hanging straps

From the white and red print I cut 3 3/4” WOF and cut out (32) of shape #5 (I had to cut 2 strips but you may be able to just use one!)

Then in red I cut a 5 3/4” WOF strip and cut out (16) of #4 and (16) of die #2

I also cut out two small hearts after backing some scraps of the red and white print with steam a seam lite2

Then ironing those two onto two of the white squares, holding down the iron for OVER 20 seconds! If you don’t, the glue won’t melt all the way and it might gum up your sewing machine needle. Don’t ask me how I know!!

While the iron was hot I ironing the hanging strips and then I sewed those together and also made 16 flying geese units and free motion appliqued the two heart blocks

Then I sewed the flying geese to the top and bottom of all 4 white squares and also added the small squares to the rest of the flying geese like this

and soon enough I had two sets of star blocks like this, one set of two with the heart in the middle and two that were blank

I first laid down scraps of batting that were bigger than 8.5” then pieces of insulbright then the front star blocks with the hearts, then pinned the hanging tags at the top in the middle and then the backing star block right side down, so the two blocks are right sides together, I pinned around

Then sewed 1/4” around with the walking foot and leaving an opening at the bottom, I trimmed the batting and the corners and then turned right side out and pressed the opening so it was easier to see how the fabric should fold/ go together.

Then whip stitched them closed in red thread and VOILA! they’re done!

This star block is one of my favorite blocks and it was block #1 in the QAL I’m hosting with Accuquilt dies