This review will cover the title Sunbonnet Sue Visits “Quilt in a Day” – from the Quilt in a Day series by Eleanor Burns.
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First, I need to stress – the quilt shown here is NOT a quilt that can be made in a day. The publisher of the series is called ‘Quilt in a Day’. I thought of this book because we are talking about appliqué this week – and what is more traditional in appliqué than Sunbonnet Sue?
When I made the towels yesterday, we used Pellon Wonder Under to apply the appliqués. For the Sunbonnet Sue quilt, we will use lightweight Pellon interfacing.
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1. Draw the mirror image of your appliqué design onto the interfacing. Make certain the glue side is down.
2. If you are using more than one appliqué, you may draw them all onto the same piece – but be sure you leave at least ½” between images so you have room to trim around them.
3. If you have drawn more than one design on your interfacing, and you will be using different fabrics – you need to cut the designs apart.



4. Next, place the glue side of the interfacing down against the top side of fabric you are using to create the appliqué.
5. Stitch (do not press) the interfacing to the fabric – stitching over the lines you used to draw your design.
6. Cut a small slit in the center of the interfacing (be careful not to cut into your design fabric), and use that to turn the piece right side out. Now your stitching will be to the inside, and the interfacing will have the glue side facing out.

After you have turned each piece of Sunbonnet Sue for one block, lay out the design elements onto the block. I have found it helpful to make a dark copy of the appliqué placement from the book, and place that under my block as I arrange the appliqués. This helps to ensure that each block comes out the same. When it comes time to iron the appliqués into place, I use the Singer Steam Press, which works great for this type of ironing.

For my quilt, I used a blanket stitch (I did mine by hand, but you could use a machine if you prefer). I never added any other embellishment to mine, but if you look at the book, it recommends items like lace, buttons, ribbons, etc. The book has instructions for sizes from a Springtime Wallhanging to Double Coverlet size. This book can be picked up at any Hancock Fabrics store in the quilting department.

This quilt has become quite a favorite in my home, anytime my granddaughter comes to visit, she insists on sleeping with the ‘dolly’ quilt.

Book image and information posted with permission from Eleanor Burns
Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila