Elephant Parade - Week 1 - Large Elephant

Welcome to the Elephant Parade!  Beginning today, I will be showing a block each week and would like to encourage you to quilt along.  You can try out as many or as few blocks as you like.  Make a quilt or make a mini.  Make a cushion.  Make whatever your imagination leads you to make!

The original post about the inspiration for this baby quilt design can be found here.  I have also added a Elephant Parade quilt along page that includes all the information you will need and a weekly schedule.  As each post is published the live links will be added to the schedule.  The Elephant Parade page tab is found just below the blog header.

Happily, Northcott Fabrics is as excited to see this come to life as I am, and will be sponsoring this project.  Follow along and watch as these bright solids from their ColorWorks Premium Solids quilting cottons collection become shaped into these adorable animals!

It is not necessary to purchase the pattern in order to participate.  But if you are wanting to make the complete quilt, as pictured above, and would prefer the convenience of using a printable pdf pattern,  Elephant Parade is available for purchase and includes complete cutting instructions and a detailed guide to finishing the entire quilt.  The pattern is available in my pattern store here.



For one large elephant block, as pictured below, you will need:

Snow 9000-10 (off white)
1 @ 2.5" x 6.5" rectangle, 1 @ 2.5" x 4.5" rectangle, 1 @ 2.5" x 3.5" rectangle, 2 @ 2.5" squares, 4 @ 1.5" squares.

Slate 9000-93 (dark grey)
1 @ 4.5" x 5.5" rectangle, 1 @ 3.5" x 4.5" rectangle, 1 @ 2.5" x 4.5" rectangle, 1 @ 1.5" x 4.5" rectangle, 1 @ 2.5 x 3.5" rectangle, 1 @ 1.5" x 2.5" rectangle, 4 @ 1.5" squares.

Glacier 9000-910 (light grey)
1 @ 2.5" x 4.5" rectangle.

If you are making the complete quilt, you will need 5 of these blocks - 3 facing left and 2 facing right.


Press all seams open and press seams as you go.

Step 1:  Take the 1.5" x 2.5" dark grey rectangle and 2 of the 1.5" white squares.  Draw a diagonal line across the 1.5" white squares.  Place one of the white squares on the top of the dark grey rectangle and sew along the diagonal line, as shown in red.  Trim a 1/4" seam.  Press the seam open.  Place another one of the white squares on the bottom of the dark grey rectangle and sew along the diagonal line, as shown in red.  Trim a 1/4" seam.  Press the seam open.

Sew the 1.5" white square on top of the 1.5" dark grey square.  Sew this unit onto the right side of the first unit.  Sew the 2.5" x 6.5" white rectangle to the top of this unit.

Step 2:  Take the 3.5" x 4.5" dark grey rectangle and a 2.5" white square.  Draw a diagonal line across the 2.5" white square.  Place the white square on the upper left corner of the dark grey rectangle and sew along the diagonal line, as shown in red.  Trim a 1/4" seam.  Press the seams open.

Take the 1.5" x 4.5" dark grey rectangle and a 1.5" white square.  Draw a diagonal line across the 1.5" white square.  Place the white square on the bottom of the dark grey rectangle and sew along the diagonal line, as shown in red.  Trim a 1/4" seam.  Press the seams open.

Take the 2.5" x 4.5" white rectangle and a 1.5" dark grey square.  Draw a diagonal line across the 1.5" dark grey square.  Place the dark grey square on the upper left corner of the white rectangle and sew along the diagonal line, as shown in red.  Trim a 1/4" seam.  Press the seams open.

Sew the 1.5" x 4.5" dark grey unit onto the left side of the 2.5" x 4.5" white unit.  Sew this unit onto the bottom of the 3.5" x 4.5" dark grey unit.

Step 3:  Take the 2.5" x 4.5" light grey rectangle and 2 of the 1.5" dark grey squares.  Draw a diagonal line across the 1.5" dark grey squares.  Place the dark grey squares on the right corners of the light grey rectangle and sew along the diagonal lines, as shown in red.  Trim a 1/4" seam.  Press the seams open.  Sew the 2.5" x 4.5" dark grey rectangle onto the bottom of this unit.

Step 4:  Take the 4.5" x 5.5" dark grey rectangle and a 2.5" white square.  Draw a diagonal line across the 2.5" white square.  Place the white square on the upper right corner of the grey rectangle and sew along the diagonal line, as shown in red.  Trim a 1/4" seam and press the seam open. Sew the 2.5" x 3.5" white rectangle to the left side of the 2.5" x 3.5" dark grey rectangle.  Sew this white and grey unit onto the bottom of the 4.5" x 5.5" dark grey unit.

Step 5:  Arrange your units made in Step 1 to Step 4 in order.  Sew the units together and press the seams open.  Sew a button or embroider the eye on the completed block.  I used iron on stabilizer to back the portion of the block where the eye was embroidered.   I do not recommend using buttons on items intended for use by young children or babies.  For the complete quilt you will need 3 blocks facing left and 2 blocks facing right.

Completed block will measure 8.5" tall by 11.5" wide including seam allowances

Join the Elephant Parade!

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A quilt along button has been added to the right sidebar.  If you are interested in quilting along, please add the button to your blog and help to spread the word.  It's never to late to join in and quilt along!

Please feel free to share via social media!  And add the hashtag #elephantparadeqal

I have also added a new page tab Elephant Parade under the blog header.  Here you will find all the details of the quilt along and a schedule.  Links will be added to this schedule as each post is published.

Keep On Quilting On!

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