Free Instructions for a Scrappy Owl Block

Are you wanting an easy way to make cute little owls for a quilt, pillow, place-mat, table runner or how about a panel for a bag? I have one for you here, complete with a picture tutorial. You can make it any size you want and give each owl a different personality with easy to make eyes!

                                       Let's get started! 

1. Cut a rectangle of paper to use as a pattern. Make it any size you want, but your owl will turn out to be approximately the size of your rectangle. If you want a short, squat owl, make a short, squat rectangle. For a long, skinny one, make a long, skinny rectangle.

2. Cut the rectangle in half diagonally.

3. Flip one side over and overlap the wide end. You are preparing to make your pattern for the "face" area.

4. Fold or mark the angle make by the bottom piece. Remember, though, that you have flipped this piece to the wrong side, so flip it back over and re-mark on the right side.

5. Here it is flipped back to the right side and marked. Can you see the little "face" triangle on the right side? Make a mark on each piece so that you will know which is the right side. You will be cutting the face area from different fabric, but you may want to leave your pattern intact until you are ready to cut that piece so that you don't have to "figure out the puzzle" when it comes time to sew.

6. Cut out your pieces adding a 1/4" seam allowance. (You can cut without adding the seam allowance and your owl will be a little smaller, but that works too!)

7. Fold back the face portion and mark your fabric where you will be sewing the face on. Alternatively, you can just cut your pattern pieces apart and leave your 1/4" seam allowance.

8. Cut out your face portion from a contrasting fabric.

9. Sew this piece on to the piece you marked by putting right sides together with seam lines together and remembering that you will be flipping it up when sewn. Flip right side over and press. Trim away the fabric from behind the face area.

10. Sew the other side on. You now have the main body of the owl.

11. For the little wings, cut two small rectangles. (I discovered these were a little long. You will be able to trim off any excess, so it doesn't really matter.) The smaller your rectangles, the smaller your wings and vice versa. You may need to experiment to find a size you like with your owl.

12. Fold in half with right sides together. With the fold at the bottom, sew a 1/4" seam down one side.

13. Turn right side out and make a triangle by putting the seam down the center. Press. Trim off the excess.

14. Pin the wings to the sides of the body. (You can choose to make a different style wing and sew it into the seam here, if desired.)

15. Cut and sew border strips. The direction you press your seam will determine whether the wings flap out or in. You can do them either way. I decided my owl was a little too tall, so I cut 1" off the bottom before sewing the bottom border on.

16. The owl with borders sewn.

17. Now the eyes! Find scraps that have flowers, circles, dots, swirls - anything rounded. You might cut a circle out of a piece of paper the size of the eyes you think you want, and look at the patterns of the fabric through this. Flower centers make good eyes with petals radiating out from the center.

18. Trace off two circles the size you want onto the dull side of freezer paper. Press to the RIGHT side of the pattern you want. Cut out leaving a 1/8" seam allowance.

19. Using a glue stick, run a line of glue along the seam allowance on the WRONG side of the fabric circle. Pinch the seam allowance to the wrong side all the way around. Press.

                                                       The eyes will change your owl's personality!

20. Add an outer border and your owl block is finished!

                                    copyright 2011, Linda Winters, All Rights Reserved