Flower Garden Stars

Designer: Linda Hohag of Brandywine Design

• 18×22" piece (fat quarter) solid white (appliqué foundation)
• 1⁄3 yard red tone-on-tone (flower appliqués, border No. 2)
• 5⁄8 yard green tone-on-tone No. 1 (stem and leaf appliqués, units, border No. 1)
• 1⁄3 yard green tone-on-tone No. 2 (Square-in-a-Square blocks)
• Scrap of green check (calyx appliqués)
•  3⁄4 yard yellow vine print (flower center appliqué, border Nos. 2 and 3)
• 1-7⁄8 yards red floral (center block, units, border No. 4, binding)
• 2⁄3 yard gold tone-on-tone (units)
• 5⁄8 yard red check (units, Square-in-a-Square blocks)
• 1⁄4 yard yellow floral (Square-in-a-Square blocks)
• 1⁄4 yard white leaf print (Square-in-a-Square blocks)
• 3-5⁄8 yards backing fabric
• 65" square batting
• Heat-resistant template plastic
• Liquid or spray starch
• Clear monofilament thread

Finished quilt: 58-1⁄2" square

Finished blocks: appliquéd block, 12" square; Square-in-a-Square, 6" square

Quantities are for 44⁄45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics.

Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Cut pieces in the order that follows. Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces.

From solid white, cut:

• 1--14"-square appliqué foundation

From red tone-on-tone, cut:

• 11--4-3⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 44 small border triangles total
• 1 of Pattern A
• 6 of Pattern B

From green tone-on-tone No. 1, cut:

• 2--1-3⁄4×39" border No. 1 strips
• 2--1-3⁄4×36-1⁄2" border No. 1 strips
• 32--2-5⁄8" squares
• 12 of Pattern C
• 6 of Pattern D

From green tone-on-tone No. 2, cut:

• 16--3-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 32 large triangles total

From green check, cut:

• 6 of Pattern E

From yellow vine print, cut:

• 6--2-1⁄2×42" strips for border No. 3
• 10--4-3⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 40 small border triangles total
• 2--4-3⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 4 large border triangles total
• 1 of Pattern F

From red floral, cut:

• 5--6-1⁄2×42" strips for border No. 4
• 6--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips
• 2--3-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 4 large triangles total
• 4--3-1⁄2" squares

From gold tone-on-tone, cut:

• 8--3-1⁄2×6-1⁄2" rectangles
• 8--4-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 32 small triangles total
• 2--3-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 4 large triangles total
• 12--3-1⁄2" squares

From red check, cut:

• 32--3-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 64 large triangles total

From yellow floral, cut:

• 8--4-3⁄4" squares

From white leaf print, cut:

• 16--2-5⁄8" squares

Below are Linda's specific steps for her starch appliqué method.

1.    Lay heat-resistant template plastic over patterns. Using a pencil, trace each pattern once onto plastic (Diagram 1). Cut out shapes on drawn lines to make templates.

2.    Place a template right side down on wrong side of designated fabric. Cut out appliqué piece, adding 1⁄4" seam allowance to all edges (Diagram 2). If desired, trim across points; clip inner curves as necessary.

3.    Spray or pour a small amount of starch into a dish. Place template-topped appliqué piece on a pressing surface covered with a tea towel or muslin. Dip a cotton swab in starch and moisten seam allowance of appliqué piece (Diagram 3).

4.    Using tip of a hot, dry iron, turn appliqué seam allowance over edge of template and press until fabric is dry. Press entire seam allowance, adding starch as necessary and ensuring fabric is pressed taut against template.

5.    Turn template and appliqué over. Press appliqué from right side, then remove template.

6.    Repeat steps 2 through 5 to cut and prepare appliqué pieces the number of times indicated in cutting instructions.

1.    Fold solid white 14" square in half twice. Lightly finger-press each fold to create a foundation square with appliqué placement guidelines; unfold.

2.    Referring to Appliqué Placement Diagram, lay out all appliqués on the foundation square; pin or glue-baste in place.

3.    Using clear monofilament thread and working from bottom layer to top, machine-zigzag-stitch around each appliqué.

4.    Soak foundation square in warm water to remove starch. Trim excess foundation fabric from behind appliqués, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowances. Press from wrong side and trim to 12-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

5.    Mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each red floral 3-1⁄2" square.

6.    Align a marked red floral 3-1⁄2" square with each corner of foundation square (Diagram 4). Sew on marked lines and trim excess, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowances. Press open attached triangles to complete appliquéd block.

1.    Join a red floral large triangle and a gold tone-on-tone large triangle to make a triangle-square (Diagram 5). Press seam toward red triangle. The triangle-square should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four triangle-squares total.

2.    Sew short edge of a gold tone-on-tone small triangle to one edge of a green tone-on-tone No. 1-2-5⁄8" square (Diagram 6). Press seam toward gold triangle. Add a second gold tone-on-tone small triangle to adjacent edge to make a triangle unit. Press as before. Repeat to make 16 triangle units total.

3.    Sew a red check large triangle to one short edge of a triangle unit (Diagram 7). Press seam toward red triangle. Add a second red check triangle to adjacent edge to make a rectangle unit. Press as before. The unit should be 3-1⁄2×6-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make 16 rectangle units total.

1.    Sew green tone-on-tone No. 2 large triangles to opposite edges of a yellow floral 4-3⁄4" square (Diagram 8). Press seams toward green triangles. Join green tone-on-tone No. 2 large triangles to remaining edges to make a Square-in-a-Square block. Press as before. The block should be 6-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make eight Square-in-a-Square blocks total.

2.    Join two green tone-on-tone No. 1-2-5⁄8" squares and two white leaf print 2-5⁄8" squares in pairs (Diagram 9). Press seams toward green squares. Join pairs to make a Four-Patch unit. Press seam in one direction. The unit should be 43⁄4" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make eight Four-Patch units total.

3.    Referring to Step 1 and Diagram 10, add four red check large triangles to a Four-Patch unit to make a Four-Patch Square-in-a-Square block. Repeat to make eight Four-Patch Square-in-a-Square blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out four triangle-squares, eight gold tone-on-tone 3-1⁄2" squares, and four rectangle units in sections around appliquéd block.

2.    Sew together pieces in each section; press seams toward triangle-squares and rectangle units. Sew side sections to opposite edges of appliquéd block. Add top and bottom sections to remaining edges to make bordered center block. Press all seams away from appliquéd block. The bordered center block should be 18-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

3.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out four gold tone-on-tone 3-1⁄2" squares, 12 rectangle units, eight gold tone-on-tone 3-1⁄2×6-1⁄2" rectangles, eight Square-in-a-Square blocks, and eight Four-Patch Square-in-a-Square blocks in sections around bordered center block.

4.    Sew together pieces in each section; press seams toward rectangle units and Four-Patch Square-in-a-Square blocks. Sew side sections to opposite edges of bordered center block. Add top and bottom sections to remaining edges to make quilt center. Press all seams away from center. The quilt center should be 36-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1.    Sew short green tone-on-tone border No. 1 strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long green tone-on-tone border No. 1 strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward border No. 1. The quilt center now should be 39" square including seam allowances.

2.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out 11 red tone-on-tone small triangles and 10 yellow vine print small triangles in a row.

3.    Layer first two triangles in row with ends offset by 1⁄4"; sew together to make a triangle pair (Diagram 11). Press seam toward yellow triangle. Add next triangle to triangle pair (Diagram 12). Press seam toward triangle just added. Add remaining triangles in same manner to make a border No. 2 strip.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make four border No. 2 strips total.

5.    Sew border No. 2 strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add remaining border No. 2 strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward border. Add a yellow vine print large triangle to each corner. Press seams toward yellow triangles. The quilt center now should be 42-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

6.    Cut and piece yellow vine print 2-1⁄2×42" strips to make:

• 2--2-1⁄2×46-1⁄2" border No. 3 strips
• 2--2-1⁄2×42-1⁄2" border No. 3 strips

7.    Sew short border No. 3 strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long border No. 3 strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward border No. 3. The quilt center now should be 46-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

8.    Cut and piece red floral 6-1⁄2×42" strips to make:

• 2--6-1⁄2×58-1⁄2" border No. 4 strips
• 2--6-1⁄2×46-1⁄2" border No. 4 strips

9.    Sew short border No. 4 strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long border No. 4 strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward border No. 4.

1.    Layer quilt top, batting, and backing.

2.    Quilt as desired. Machine-quilter Heather Mulder Peterson stippled in the center block background and the gold tone-on-tone pieces of the quilt top. She stitched a loopy stipple in the yellow vine print of border Nos. 2 and 3, a flower in each Square-in-a-Square block, and a feathered vine in border No. 4 (Quilting Diagram).

3.    Bind with red floral binding strips.