Loving Buggy Barn

I have been having so much fun using the Buggy Barn method this week.  I am making "It Takes a Village" from Those Crazy Kids.  For weeks I've been collecting fat quarters in preparation for starting the fun.  I realized yesterday that my color palette was not only based on my grand daughter's newly decorated bedroom, but could also come from the honey crisp apple I was about to eat.

The pattern calls for 12 coordinating 1/2 yards of fabric.  I changed it up and selected 36 coordinating fat quarters, each different, to make my 36 girl blocks.  This means that every one is different but it also means I have leftover fabric for another project.  Fat quarters were ironed and stacked with alternating reading, small floral, and plaid or bolder designed fabric.

 The cut out design is traced on freezer paper and then ironed onto the top layer of stacked fabric.  I'm working with just 6 layers of fabric stacked and cut at the same time. It seemed more manageable to me. The pattern called for tracing 3 cut out designs and placing them across the 1/2 yards stacked 12 high.  They then cut them all at once.

I placed the cut out design pattern in  a cookie sheet to help keep the pieces organized.

Then it's time for the magic and fun to start.  I removed the freezer paper and put the dress and hat pieces at the bottom of the pile.  Then I did the same with the apron and hat rim but put 2 layers of fabric at the bottom of the pile.  I also removed the head and legs and replaced with solid fabric pieces. As you sew together the pieces the next little girl and her special outfit are revealed.  It's so exciting, almost a party!

Soon, everything is together and it works because you straighten up edges before sewing together pieces such as the arms to the body.

After a good press, the blocks are ready to be trimmed up to a perfect 8 1/2 X 10 inch block with the arms 5 inches from the bottom.

I've made 24 of the 36 blocks so far.  I can't wait to make all those little girls happy as they hold hands!  I think it will make my little Julianna happy as well.