Tuesday Tutorial: Townhouses

We’re moving!!! Remember the Rowhouses we built a few weeks ago?  (See that tutorial HERE.)  We are moving on to bigger and better things…today, we’re building a Townhouse!  

Before we start, please review the Greek Key tutorial HERE.  We will use it for the windows in our Townhouse.

This tutorial is a bit longer than most of the tutorials.  It is still very easy…don’t worry!  I think it might be useful for you to follow along with pen and paper.  Remember...if you can’t doodle a pattern, you won’t be able to quilt it!

Townhouses are constructed in three parts:  The windows, the door,  and then the roof...

Here’s a storyboard for today’s tutorial:

Begin by drawing six lines spaced 1/2 inch apart.  These are our  “rails” or guidelines to keep things straight (plumb —for the carpenters out there).  If you are following along on paper, draw these lines with pencil and erase them later.

Begin on the bottom line and stitch up to the fourth line (this forms the left side of our house).  Stitch two side by side Greek keys to form the windows.

Stitch down to the bottom line again-forming the right side of the house.  Stitch a few stitches on the bottom line then begin stitching the door frame.  The door frame  is stitched from right to left.  The next several photos depict the door:

The door frame is centered under the windows and is stitched on the second “rail”–  (one inch) tall…

After completing the door frame, stitch on the inside of that line to create the door.  Stop on the right side of the door and stitch a small loop as a doorknob…

Stitch down to the bottom “rail” to finish the door and then stitch to the left (under the door)…back to the starting point for the house…

Next, stitch up the left side of the house next to the first line of stitching… then create the roof as seen below:

The roof has a small window which we will create in three steps:

Stitch a half circle and then stitch on the inside of your circle.

Stitch a cross in the window.

Finish at the bottom of the window and continue to stitch to the left side of the house…

Echo quilt around the roof and down the right side of the house …and you are ready to stitch another house…Amazing!  No stops and starts—NO KNOTS!     A One-Pass Townhouse!

Now of course, you can’t stop there…Make a row of houses…Change the windows, add steps, add chimneys, add trees, and flowerpots and dogs and cats and….kids…lots of kids…at least six (like me!)