New and Improved! A Cute Koala Applique Pattern

Plus - a gorgeous arctic quilt 😍

I finished remaking the koala pattern!

This cutie was one of the earliest Funny Faces Club patterns - way back in 2019. That’s before I was including SVG files for use with cutting machines, and before I changed my formatting to be lightbox-friendly, so he was due for a bit of an update!

As usual, I made three different color versions. :-)

The one you see up top is for a new bundle of Australian animals I’m working on. The palette I’m using is all from the Sea Breeze collection of slightly faded, desaturated colors - like they were once brightly painted but have been left out on the sun for a summer or two. :-) The backgrounds blocks will all be the solids with the quilting lines printed on them and the animals will all use blenders. I’m going for fanciful colors that sort of suggest the actual colors of the animals, but aren’t really realistic. I find it SO helpful to start with a clear (and limited) palette like this when I’m choosing fabrics. It just makes everything work really well together.

Just a reminder - you don’t have to work with my actual fabrics to use my palettes! You can print (or screenshot) the cover image of a palette you like and bring it to your local fabric store to help you choose colors. You can find all my palettes here.

Sometimes I use one palette for both the background blocks and the appliques, but I often pick one palette for the backgrounds and a different palette for the appliques, like this block. . .

For this one I used Animal Kingdom blenders to applique on a Farmers Market background. That’s the palette I’m using for the ABC quilt I’m working on. Here’s my status so far with the koala added to my sketch.

Finally, I made one more sample.

Someone recently asked me about a bundle for endangered animals. I think that’s a great idea, so I picked a palette (Animal Kingdom on Classic Rainbow) and used it for my third koala sample.

Make It a Little Extra

Koalas look so cuddly and soft - this is a great block to use with a specialty fabric if you want to experiment a little bit. You could make the whole thing with cuddle fleece or minky - there’s a tutorial here showing how. I also think it would be adorable to use some scraps of white faux fur with a long pile for those tufts inside his ears. There’s a tutorial here showing how to use faux fur for applique.

Get the koala pattern here!

If you already have the koala pattern, I’d love it if you left a review! Just go to the listing and scroll down to the reviews section where you’ll find a link to Write a Review. These reviews are so helpful to new quilters! There’s even the ability to upload a photo so people can see the colors and fabrics you chose!

Thanks!

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A Quick Question

I’m still focusing only on faces through the end of the month, but the wheels are spinning about something I’ve been thinking about doing next year. Before I get too deep into it, I have one quick question.

Thanks!

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Behind the Scenes

I’ve been reading up a storm! The Silent Reading Party I mentioned last week was just delightful - a little over a hundred people sitting in the shade of an enormous oak tree, quietly reading together for a couple of hours. This introvert can’t imagine a better way to spend an afternoon. 😂

I started (and finished the next day) A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths - the fifth book in the Ruth Galloway mystery series. I love Ruth! She’s a forensic archaeologist and the mysteries all involve dig sites in England. If the series is new to you, start with The Crossing Places.

I also read Nora Goes Off Script - a romance novel by Annabel Monaghan. It was sooooo good! Definitely recommended for fans of Book Lovers by Emily Henry. It’s got a really great dry humor, and I loved the big role that the kids play in the story.

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Awesomeness from the Shiny Happy People group!

Look at the stunning quilt that Patsy made with the Arctic Chill pattern - plus some additional animal blocks she designed! She even made matching pillowcases!

Head over to the Shiny Happy People group on Facebook to see lots more wonderfulness people are making with my patterns—and to ask questions and share photos of your own projects. It’s my favorite place on the internet!

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The archives and sale now have their own newsletter every Friday. Last week this tutorial got the most clicks. Not surprising - it answers a question I get a lot!

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If you know someone who’d like to read this newsletter, please share! 🥰

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Happy stitching!

I hope you have a fabulous week!

Best,
Wendi
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PS - This doll is just so weird and adorable! I love the checkered pants and chunky shoes!