Quilt Pink Embroidered Hearts & Flowers

Quilt designers: Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson of Me and My Sister Designs

From American Patchwork & Quilting, October 2006

• 3/4 yard solid white (embroidery foundations)
• 3/4 yard pink floral (sashing, binding)
• 1/4 yard white print (inner border)
• 1/3 yard pink stripe (prairie points)
• 1 yard pink plaid (outer border)
• 1 -1/4 yards backing fabric
• 42"-square batting
• Pink embroidery floss
• Assorted pink and white buttons
• Air- or water-soluble marking pen

Finished quilt: 37" square

Finished block: 7" square

Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100 percent 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" to download the full-size embroidery patterns and scallop patterns A and B. (Scallop Border Pattern A will print out as two pages; after printing, tape sheets together on the dotted lines to make pattern.)

From solid white, cut:

• 9--8-1/2" squares

From pink floral, cut:

• 2--1-1/4x23" sashing strips
• 6--1-1/4x7-1/2" sashing strips
• Enough 2-1/2"-wide bias strips to total 224" in length for binding

From white print, cut:

• 2--1-1/2x25" inner border strips
• 2--1-1/2x23" inner border strips

From pink stripe, cut:

• 80--2" squares

From pink plaid, cut:

• 2--6-1/2x37" outer border strips
• 2--6-1/2x25" outer border strips

Work all embroidery with three strands of embroidery floss.

1. Using a light box and marking pen, mark each embroidery pattern on three solid white 8-1/2" squares.

2. Use a stem stitch and pink embroidery floss to embroider each marked square. Trim each square to be 7-1/2" square, including seam allowances. To stem-stitch, pull needle up at A (Stem Stitch Diagram). Insert it back into fabric at B, about 1/4" away from A. Holding floss out of the way, bring needle back up at C and pull floss through so it lies flat against fabric. The distances between points A, B, and C should be equal. Pull gently and with equal tautness after each stitch.

1. Lay out embroidered blocks, six short sashing strips, and two long sashing strips in rows (Quilt Assembly Diagram).

2. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward short sashing strips. Join rows and long sashing strips to make quilt center. Press seams toward long sashing strips. The quilt center should be 23" square including seam allowances.

1. Sew short white print inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Join long white print inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border strips.

2. Fold a pink stripe 2" square in half diagonally to make a triangle; press (Diagram 1). Fold triangle in half again so all raw edges are together; press to make a prairie point.

3. Repeat Step 2 to make 80 prairie points total. Pin 20 prairie points along each edge of quilt center (Diagram 2); baste.

4. Sew short pink plaid outer border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Join long pink plaid outer border strips to remaining edges to complete the quilt top. Press all seams toward outer border strips.

5. Embellish quilt center with assorted pink and white buttons.

1. Layer quilt top, batting, and backing.

2. Quilt as desired. Machine-quilter Darlene Johannis meandered around each embroidered block and stitched a wavy line in each sashing strip (Quilting Diagram). She also stitched a wave pattern in the inner border and parallel lines varying widths apart in the outer border.

3. Make paper templates of Scallop Border patterns A and B. Referring to Scallop Assembly Diagram, use templates to mark scallops on pink plaid outer border. Trim outer border on marked scallop lines.

4. Use pink floral bias binding strips to bind quilt.