Day 3: Flower Favorites Blog Hop

Hello! We're back with Day 3 of our Flower Favorites blog hop. We're featuring blocks made with flower fabrics and/or blocks that are themselves flower-themed. We're excited to share these tutorials with you, and hope they'll inspire your next quilt, wall hanging, or table runner! 

Today the Benartex Blog Design Team is using the Palazzo collection by Greta Lynn from Kanvas to make a modern version of a basket block, using fussy-cut fabric as flowers. Keep reading for the tutorial, for directions on how to turn the block into a throw pillow and to find out how you can win some Palazzo fabric for yourself!

Materials:

• 1 fat quarter each of light aqua and green pixelated prints and dark aqua small medallion print
• 6" x 9" rectangle diagonal mesh print
• 1/2 yard large medallion border print
• 1/2 yard light aqua flower print (includes pillow backing--if you're only making the block, you need just four 2" squares)
• Fusible web
• 1 package light green medium rick rack
• 14" square pillow form

From each of the 2 pixelated prints, cut two 3-1/2" x 21" strips. Sew a light aqua and a green pixelated strip together lengthwise. Make 2. Crosscut into a total of eight 3-1/2" wide segments.

Sew 2 segments together to make a four-patch. Make 4 four-patches.

Sew the four-patches together to make the 12-1/2" square block background.

Trace four to six 2-1/2" diameter circles and four to six 1-1/2" diameter circles onto the paper side of fusible web (Hint: We used the bottom of a can of basting spray for the large circle shape and the bottom of a spool of thread for the small circle shape.) Cut the circles out roughly and fuse to the wrong side of the fat quarter of dark aqua small medallion print, center a medallion within each circle. Cut out each circle on the drawn line.

Here's the fabric:

And here's what your fusible circles should look like:

Cut one 5" x 8-1/2" rectangle from the diagonal mesh print and one 4-1/2" x 8" rectangle from the fusible web. Fuse to the back of the diagonal mesh rectangle. Trim the fabric to the fusible web size. Measure in 2" from each of the bottom corners and draw a line from the corresponding upper corner to the mark. Cut on the drawn lines to make a basket shape.

Lay out the basket shape and the flowers on the block background. Play around with placement until you are satisfied. You may prefer to trim the basket bottom slightly if it's too tall for all the flowers you add.

At this point, you can fuse the shapes in place and add the rick rack stems afterwards; otherwise you can cut rick rack pieces for the stems and slide ends into place under flowers and under basket. (Hint: If you add the rick rack afterwards, be sure to use Fray Check on the ends.)

Fuse the flowers and basket in place and stitch down the center of each rick rack stem to secure. Stitch around appliques to secure.

Here's a look at the large medallion border print. For the pillow, we're just using the little check border (but don't worry...we have a bonus project showing you how to use up the rest of this gorgeous print! Scroll to the bottom of this post for more information). Centering the check border, cut four 2" x 12-1/2" strips.

From the light aqua floral print, cut four 2" squares for cornerstones. From the remainder, cut two 10" x 15-1/2" rectangles for the pillow backing. Sew two 2" x 12-1/2" check border strips to the top and bottom of the block. Sew 2" light aqua floral squares to both ends of the remaining check border strips. Sew these pieced strips to the sides of the block to complete the pillow top.

Here's the finished block, ready to be made into a pillow:

Fold one long side of a 10" x 15-1/2" light aqua floral rectangle over 1/2" and 1/2" again. Press. Topstitch to secure. Repeat on the second rectangle. Lay the flower block right side up and overlap the two hemmed rectangles on top, matching raw edges. Pin in place and stitch around all four sides using a 1/2" seam allowance. 

Turn right side out and insert a pillow form. You're done!

And...as a bonus, visit our Sew Interesting Facebook page for directions to make the coordinating pillow, which uses more of the large medallion border print that we cut the check border from for our flower block.

For a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of Palazzo, leave a comment letting us know that you follow our blog (you can sign up via email or a blog reader in the right hand sidebar). For a second chance, follow us on Facebook and let us know that you do. Also, let us know if you're a fan of applique or if you stick to straight piecing. Giveaway is open through Tuesday, May 6 at 11:59 PM EST. 

Be sure to visit Sew in Love with Fabric each day this week for another inspiring 

flower block tutorial.

Don't miss the other tutorials featured in our Flower Favorites Blog Hop!

Day 1: Debby Kratovil from Debby Kratovil Quilts featuring Fossil Ferns and Palm Springs

Day 2: Erica from Kitchen Table Quilting featuring Palm Springs