Bonus Technique -3D blanket!

I messed up on the Lotus flower block, (several times actually.) I’m going to just call them “Design Elements” and continue on with my life. The block was too small, so I added a thin border around it to bring it up to size. And I actually made it a bit too big. Instead of trimming it, I decided to make it into a little quilt that can actually hang off the elephant’s back and move around.

So, the first thing you need to do, is to make the block 7” instead of 6.5” as the pattern calls for. Second, you need a solid piece of backing. If you want to add batting or flannel in the middle, you can. I did not, however I did add a little piece of lace trim at the bottom.

The second modification is to use the elephant color for Block E in your pattern. Just cut a 6.5” block and sew it in place of the block. This will make a naked elephant. Can I say naked on this blog? I guess I just did!

Place the 7” blocks right sides together. If you use a lace edging like I did, place it between the layers. If you want to use batting/flannel, put it on top of the backing. Stitch around 3 sides, leaving the top side open. Fold it inside out, and if you want, top stitch around the the edges and add some quilting. Line up the block with the raw sides on top of the Block E. Be sure the quilt is at least a quarter inch from the left-most edge. Pin in place and sew piece G to the top of the elephant’s back as described in the pattern. Continue to finish the pattern, sewing the A/B/C sections to the back of the elephant. When Quilting, to keep this loose, be sure to lift it up, quilt over it, and drop it again.