‘Australia’

I am on a roll! Another pattern I have been working on is ready.

This pattern is for a foundation-paper-pieced map of Australia. The pattern is for the block only and includes templates for two sizes: 6 inches and 12 inches. A few minutes by a photocopier could easily convert it to an 8-inch block too.

This block pattern started life as a mug rug, about 6 by 9 inches. In 2016, our sewing group swapped mug rugs instead of Christmas gifts. I started plotting an Australian-themed mug rug in secret, and this is what I came up with.

This mug rug was my first version.

I hand sewed a label on before giving it to my friend Trena.

I was inspired by a photo I saw on Pinterest by Peta of She Quilts a Lot, but her pattern is English paper pieced (I think), a crib size and far, far too big for what I needed. I also wanted to separate the states by colour, so I drew my own with the help of a school atlas.

Friends in my sewing group asked for instructions, so I started tweaking what I had drawn and resizing it to a more user-friendly 12 inches. My experimental prototype also had a few bulky seam intersections that I wanted to remove.

When remaking the blocks, I used the same fabrics in each size.

Funnily enough, a year later, I found myself drawn to make the new versions in the same colours as the original. In every version, I included an apple print for Tasmania. The random elephants in the north of the country are simply because I do not have any kangaroo or crocodile prints.

I made a cushion cover from the 12-inch block.

I added 2-inch sashing on all sides to create a 16-inch cushion cover.

I almost put a pompom fringe around the edge of this cushion too.

I expanded my original block idea to 12 inches, a more sensible size.

And I made a pouch from the 6-inch block.

I included in the block in a Lola pouch (a slightly tall version of the large size).

I used some cheery yellow squared elements for the lining.

I resisted the temptation to sew pompom fringe on the cushion and finished it with piping instead, but I could not resist adding a tiny line of pompoms to the pouch.

I suspect that the market for fabric reproductions of maps of Australia is niche, to say the least, but I had fun making it.

‘Australia’ block pattern by Granny Maud’s Girl

A link to Etsy, where the pattern can be downloaded, is in the sidebar. A list of local shops that stock it can be found on my patterns page.

My friend Amei made a knitting bag with her block when she tested the pattern. What would you make with an Australia block?

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