Flower Power

Inspired by Linking the Seasons from designer Annemarie S. Yohnk of Quilts Remembered

Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke

Machine quilter: Marie Eldredge of Handi Quilter

• 1⁄2 yard total assorted yellow, orange, blue, and pink prints (blocks)
• 1⁄4 yard multicolor dot (blocks)
• 1⁄2 yard assorted green prints (blocks)
• 2⁄3 yard cream print (blocks, setting squares)
• 1⁄2 yard black floral (border)
• 3⁄8 yard dark green print (binding)
• 1-1⁄8 yards backing fabric
• 40" square batting

Finished quilt: 31-1⁄2" square

Finished block: 5" square

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.

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

Press seams in directions indicated by arrows on diagrams. If no direction is specified, press seam toward darker fabric.

Cut pieces in the following order.

From assorted yellow, orange, blue, and pink prints, cut:

• 34--1-7⁄8" squares (17 sets of two matching squares)

From multicolor dot, cut:

• 34--1-7⁄8" squares

From assorted green prints, cut:

• 137--1-1⁄2" squares

From cream print, cut:

• 12--5-1⁄2" setting squares
• 52--1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles

From black floral, cut:

• 4--3-1⁄2 ×25-1⁄2" border strips

From dark green print, cut:

• 4--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each assorted yellow, orange, blue, and pink print 1-7⁄8" square.

2.    Layer a marked print square atop a multicolor dot 1-7⁄8" square. Sew together with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of marked line (Diagram 1). Cut apart on drawn line. Press seam allowances toward darker print to make two triangle-squares. Each should be 1-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 68 triangle-squares total (17 sets of four matching triangle-squares).

3.    Lay out five assorted green print 1-1⁄2" squares and four matching triangle-squares in three rows (Diagram 2; note orientation of multicolor dot triangles). Sew together pieces in each row. Join rows to make a star unit. The unit should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 17 star units total. Set aside four star units for the border.

4.    Referring to Diagram 3, lay out a star unit, four assorted green print 1-1⁄2" squares, and four cream print 1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles in three rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Join rows to make a block. The block should be 5-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 13 blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks and cream print 5-1⁄2" setting squares in five rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward setting squares. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 25-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

2.    Sew black floral 3-1⁄2 ×25-1⁄2" border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Press seams toward border.

3.    Sew a remaining star unit to each end of remaining black floral 3-1⁄2 ×25-1⁄2" border strips to make two pieced border strips. Press seams toward black floral strips. Join pieced border strips to remaining edges of quilt center to complete quilt top. Press seams toward border.

1.    Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste.

2.    Quilt as desired. Handi Quilter educator Marie Eldredge free-motion-quilted a string of vines and leaves in the green squares of each block (Quilting Diagram). She also used two computerized designs (just released with the Handi Quilter Pro-Stitcher update) to add a flower design to the setting squares and a basket-weave design to the border. Since the cream fabric is so light, Marie used a slightly darker thread color to make her quilting designs stand out.

3.    Bind with dark green print binding strips.