Sweet Nosegay

Designer: Kim Diehl

• 12--9×22" pieces (fat eighths) assorted pastel florals (appliqués, binding)
• 2--6-1⁄2" squares cream print (appliqué foundations)
•  2--6-1⁄2" squares tan print (appliqué foundations)
• 9×22" piece (fat eighth) olive green print (stem appliqués)
• Scraps of assorted green prints (leaf appliqués)
• 18×22" piece (fat quarter) dark lavender print (inner border)
• 18×22" piece (fat quarter) light lavender print (outer border)
• 27" square backing fabric
• 27" square batting
• 24 assorted 3⁄8"- to 1⁄2"-diameter buttons
• Embroidery floss: olive green
• Freezer paper
• Fabric glue stick
• Liquid basting glue
• Monofilament thread

Finished quilt: 20-1⁄2" square

Finished block: 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. The instructions that follow use a freezer-paper method for appliquéing. If you prefer, choose your favorite method of appliqué.

1. Lay freezer paper, shiny side down, over patterns. Use a pencil to trace each pattern the number of times indicated in cutting instructions. Cut out freezer-paper shapes on drawn lines.

2. Place small amount of fabric glue on matte side of freezer-paper shapes and anchor them to backs of designated fabrics, leaving 1⁄2" between shapes. Position shapes with curves on the diagonal, as bias edges are easier to manipulate than straight-grain edges.

3. Cut out fabric shapes about 1⁄4" beyond freezer-paper edges. (Note: It is not necessary to add 1⁄4" seam allowance to the straight edge of Pattern C.) Clip curves as necessary.

4. Use the point of a hot, dry iron to press the seam allowances under and onto the shiny side of the freezer paper. Let cool.

From each assorted pastel floral, cut:

• 2 of Pattern C
• 1 of Pattern A

From assorted pastel florals, cut:

• Enough 2-1⁄2"-wide strips in varying lengths to total 88" in length for binding

From olive green print, cut: 

• 4--1×6" strips
• 8--1×4-3⁄4" strips

From scraps of assorted green prints, cut:

• 4 each of patterns B and B reversed

From dark lavender print, cut: 

• 4--2-1⁄2 ×12-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 4--2-1⁄2" squares

From light lavender print, cut:

• 4--2-1⁄2 ×12-1⁄2" outer border strips
• 4--4-1⁄2" squares

1. Fold an olive green print 1×6" strip in half lengthwise with wrong side inside; press. Stitching a scant 1⁄4" from edges, sew together long edges (Diagram 1). Trim seam allowance to 1⁄8". Refold strip, centering seam in back to make a long stem appliqué; press.

2. Repeat Step 1 with the remaining olive green print 1×6" strips and the eight 1×4-3⁄4" strips to make four long stem appliqués and eight short stem appliqués.

3. Turn one end of each stem appliqué under 1/4" and secure with basting glue. To firmly secure fold, use tip of hot, dry iron to heat-set glue.

1. Fold each cream and tan print 6-1⁄2" square in half diagonally once. Lightly finger-press each fold to create foundation squares with appliqué placement guidelines; unfold.

2. Referring to Appliqué Placement Diagram, lay out appliqués on one foundation square. Tuck raw edges of stem appliqués under flower appliqués. Hand-baste in place or use liquid basting glue to secure temporarily.

3. Using monofilament thread in needle and neutral-color thread in bobbin, machine-zigzag-stitch appliqués to make one appliqué block. With embroidery scissors, carefully trim away foundation fabric from under appliqués, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Carefully peel away freezer paper and discard.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make four appliquéd blocks total.

Referring to Diagram 2 for placement,  sew together blocks in pairs. Press seams in opposite directions. Then join pairs to make quilt center. Press seam in one direction. The quilt center should be 12-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1. Use a quilter's pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of dark lavender print 2-1⁄2" squares. (To prevent fabric from stretching as you draw the lines, place 220-grit sandpaper under the squares.)

2. Align a marked dark lavender print square with one corner of a light lavender print 4-1⁄2" square (Diagram 3; note placement of marked line). Stitch on marked line; trim excess fabric, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press attached triangle open to make a corner unit. Repeat to make four corner units total.

3. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join a dark lavender print 2-1⁄2 ×12-1⁄2" strip and a light lavender print 2-1⁄2 ×12-1⁄2" strip to make a pieced border strip. Press seam toward dark lavender print. Repeat to make four pieced border strips total.

4. Fold border strips in half crosswise and finger-press a center crease.

5. Position six assorted pastel floral C appliqués (three on either side of center crease) onto a pieced border strip, aligning raw edges with dark lavender print raw edge and leaving a 1⁄4"  seam allowance at each end of the pieced border. Baste in place. Machine-zigzag-stitch appliqués in place as previously done to make an appliquéd border strip. Remove freezer paper as previously done. Repeat to make four appliquéd border strips total.

6. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join two appliquéd border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Press seams toward quilt center.

7. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew corner units to ends of each remaining appliquéd border strip, noting placement of triangles. Press seams toward corner units. Sew these strips to remaining edges of quilt center to complete quilt top. Press seams toward quilt center.

Using two strands of olive green embroidery floss, stitch 12 to 14 French knots in center of each appliquéd flower. To make a French knot, pull floss through at A (French Knot Diagram). Wrap floss around needle two or three times without twisting the floss. Insert tip of needle into fabric at B, 1⁄16" away from A. Gently push wraps down the needle to meet fabric. Pull needle and trailing floss through fabric slowly and smoothly.

1. Layer quilt top, batting, and backing.

2. Quilt as desired. Designer Kim Diehl hand-quilted diagonal lines radiating out from the quilt center at 3⁄4" intervals and outlined all of the appliqués to emphasize their shapes. She quilted 1⁄4" inside the border appliqués and stitched a cable design on the outer border.

3. Piece assorted pastel 2-1⁄2"-wide strips to make a binding strip.

4. Use 88"-long binding strip to bind quilt.

5. Referring to the photograph for placement, sew on 24 assorted buttons.