Toadstool Quilt Block Tutorial

Toadstools are one of my favorite fairy tale motifs. I even dressed up as one for the Texas Renaissance Festival a couple years ago. Since I started quilting, I've been sketching potential toadstool quilt blocks. Yesterday, I returned to the idea and quickly came up with a block that I liked. My test block turned out perfectly, and finished it as a little mug rug.

It's a simple block that would make a great scrappy quilt or pillow. To make your block, you will need four fabrics: a cap (red in this case), beige for the gills, tan for the stalk, and your background.

From the cap fabric: 

A) 5.5" x 3" - (1)
B) 1" x 1" - (2)

From the gill fabric:
C) 1.75" x 1" -  (2)

From the background fabric:
D) 1" x 1" - (2)
E) 2" x 2" - (2)
F) 2.25" x 2" - (2)

From the stalk fabric:
G) 2" x 2.5" - (1)



Place piece A and the two E pieces right sides together and attach them as corner square triangles with a diagonal seam. Trim the seam allowance to .25". Use the D and B pieces to make two 1" unfinished half square triangles by sewing a diagonal seam and trimming the seam allowance to .25". The rest is basic assembly, illustrated below.

The block measures 5.5" x 5" unfinished or 5" x 4.5" finished. I added borders to my block and made it into a mug rug.