Apple Core Bats

Halloween is tomorrow?! How did that happen? I'm nowhere near ready for this. But I did get my bats, which I've been planning for months, finished this morning.

Did you realize you can make bats with the AccuQuilt Go! Cutter and the Apple Core die? Want to try some of your own?



In addition to the Apple Core die, you need some black cotton and paper backed fusible web.

For each bat, cut two rectangles of black fabric and one of fusible web. I cut my rectangles 6" x 8". If you're using a different apple core pattern, measure and cut a rectangle slightly larger than the cut shape. Iron the fusible web to the wrong side of one black fabric rectangle, then peel off the paper backing and iron the second black fabric rectangle to the exposed fusible web. You're creating a slightly stiff sandwich of fabric.



Cut out your apple core. The die leaves a little triangular tab in the center of each curve to aid in piecing. Trim those off so that the outline of your bat is smooth.






To give the wings some dimension, sew a straight seam down the center of the piece, using the longest stitch length on your sewing machine. Leave long strings on either end and do not back stitch.



Gently tug on the threads to gather the bat's body. When you've got it how you want it, knot the thread at both ends and trim it.



For the body of your bat, cut two 1 1/2" wide strips of black fabric. This time, you'll add the fusible web to both pieces.



Lay one 1 1/2" strip under the wings and one 1 1/2" strip over them, carefully lining up the edges. I used one of the bigger pieces of paper backing left over from the wing sections to make sure that none of the fusible web got onto my iron. Gently press the pieces together until they're fused. It will flatten your bat's wings a bit.





Trim the ends of the strips to shape the bat's head and tail.



I plan on joining a dozen or so bats at their wing tips to make a bunting.