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

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Who will be the Fan Favorite?

We're down to our final two quilt patterns in the March Madness-inspired Fan Favorite contest! Thanks to everyone who has helped narrow the patterns down from our original 42 to the Sweet Sixteen to these final two.  As a thank you for your participation, this final round of voting will include the opportunity to win fabric prizes! 

Drumroll, please! 
Our final two patterns are:

Movement in Squares

Movement in Squares by Wendy Sheppard, 

featuring Op Art Reflections from Kanvas

Glass House

Glass House by Stitched Together Studios featuring Palazzo

Which one will be the fan favorite quilt pattern?

Here's how to vote AND how to enter the giveaway:

• To vote: Leave a comment below with the name of your favorite quilt, Movement in Squares or Glass House. One comment per person, please.  You can also vote a second time on our Facebook Group – Sew Interesting. 
• To enter the giveaway: Send an email to socialmedia23 (at) gmail.com. In the subject line of the email, name which fabric line you'd rather win if you are randomly chosen, Op Art Reflections (used in Movement in Squares) or Palazzo (used in Glass House). 
• Both the voting for Favorite Pattern and the giveaway will be open through Monday, April 7th at 5 pm EST. We'll announce the Favorite Pattern and giveaway winners on Tuesday. 
• Prizes: The grand prize winner will receive the kit to make the quilt of their choice (Movement in Squares or Glass House). Runners-up will receive a fat quarter bundle of the fabric line of their choice (Op Art Reflections or Palazzo). We'll choose one runner-up for every 50 email entries received. Winners will be randomly chosen from received emails and will be notified by email as well as announced here on the blog. 

Good luck to both of these fantastic patterns! 

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March Madness: Final Four Game 2

Here's the second of our two Final Four games! In this round of voting, we're sharing a bit more information about the quilts. We hope you enjoy hearing what the designers have to say about their patterns and the fabrics they used! 

Find voting information at the bottom of the post.

Ambrosia Star

Ambrosia Star by Tailormade by Design, featuring Ambrosia

Melanie and Joanie talk about Ambrosia Star:

How did you come up with the quilt design?  

We use Electric Quilter which allows us to "play" with the different fabrics and blocks until we are dizzy. We like to use two or three blocks and see if we can get the illusion of other blocks or layers...it is just a twisted game we play together!

What do you like best about the design?

The white circles that happen around the stars and the soft trellis chain that happens on top of everything.

Why stars?

No reason...we weren't really thinking stars, they just happened.

You chose to use just a few prints and stay in a single colorway. Any reason why?

We wanted it fresh and simple looking.

Can you talk about how the quilt is constructed? It looks complex.

It really isn't!  The quilt is made up of two fairly simple blocks. One has a flying geese section which can be a little bit of a challenge if it is your first time working with triangles, but everything else is just sub-cutting strips for four-patches and framing.

What appealed to you about the Ambrosia fabric collection?

It's soft florals and airy feel.  

Glass House

Glass House by Stitched Together Studios featuring Palazzo

Stephanie and Linda talk about Glass House:

How did you come up with the quilt design?

This was a combined effort with both of us adding unique elements as the design evolved. We actually started with the border and worked out the center of the quilt last.

What do you like best about it?

The modern feel using some pretty traditional quilt blocks.

What prompted you to do such an "untraditional" design?

We both love mixing the traditional and modern aspects of quilt design - this fabric line just called for something a little "funky."

Why did you choose to use such a variety of block designs in the quilt?

The outer border was so strong visually that we felt that the center of the quilt needed to be just as strong. By using lots of different blocks and many of the fabrics in the line we kept the two components of this quilts balanced.

Talk about the inner/outer border.

The inner light border became really cool negative space reminiscent of a body of water around an island.  The outer choppy border was the first element that we designed in this quilt...we wanted it to look like pieces of the center that floated away.

What appealed to you about the Palazzo fabric collection?  

The colors! We love aqua and teal and the addition of the greens made these colors all blend perfectly!

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Leave a comment below with your vote for this game (choose Ambrosia Star or Glass House). One comment per person, please. You can also vote a second time on our Facebook Group – Sew Interesting, and you can see all of the fabrics in each of the featured line on our Facebook page. 

Voting for this game is open through Friday, April 4 at 1 pm EST.

To see the full bracket of sixteen we started with and/or read the details of March Madness, click here.

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New Year, New Fabrics: Palazzo

We're excited to start the new year off by sharing a fun collection from Kanvas, Palazzo by Greta Lynn. We think you'll love these mosaic-inspired prints as much as we do! 

Greta Lynn describes these prints as "bringing modern flair to classic elements," and she recently shared some of the inspiration behind her designs.

What inspired the Palazzo collection?

I was really inspired by the Mosaic trend I was seeing in home furnishings. Additional inspirations were European mosaic artwork and stone work.

I wanted to design a collection that would incorporate the look of tile, stone, medallions and texture.

Which was the first print you designed?

I designed the Mosaic Medallion first, which consists of overlapping Medallions.

There is a lot dimension in this print because of the way it is layered.

How did you choose the color palettes?

The first color way I designed was the soothing spa-inspired palette of aqua, teal and green. I wanted to come up with a color combination that had a tranquil and soothing feeling.

For the next color way (the neutrals), I wanted a color palette that would represent stone and natural elements, using tones of charcoal grey, putty, ivory, smoky taupe, and black.

Do you have a favorite print?

I have two favorite prints, the Mosaic Medallion and the Mesh print.

I just loved the layered medallions and the way some colors come to the forefront and how other colored medallions sit back into the ground.

I also love the textures in the mesh print and felt that this pattern could be used in a lot of different ways.

Can you talk a bit about the Mosaic Stripe?

I created the mosaic stripe to be used not only for quilts and  borders, but it can also be used in tote bags. I also envisioned the patterns being used in home furnishing projects, such as pillowcases and bedding. There are many possibilities!

Ready to start using these fabrics? 

We've got two free quilt patterns on our website, which you can find here.

Also, Pellon is featuring a tutorial for a travel jewelry case that features the Palazzo collection. Check out the tutorial here.

See the entire Palazzo collection here.

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