In 1825, 14-year-old Jane Valentine started an Irish Chain quilt. Five years and 10,092 blocks later, her quilt was finally complete.
According to the National Museum of American History, Jane used 130 different cotton prints and a plain white background that is quilted “6 stitches per inch with a flower motif.”
(Keep in mind, every one of those tiny stitches was done by hand. No wonder it took 5 years!)
This week Jenny whipped up a new version of the Irish Chain based on our quick and easy Irish Change pattern. The addition of a sweet little flower block makes this Flower Chain quilt an absolute beauty!
Grab your favorite charm packs and click HERE to watch the tutorial!
The Vintage Blossom quilt as featured in BLOCK Magazine Volume 6 Issue 3.
Gardening and quilting are the perfect pair, both producing an amazing result with a little time, effort and patience. Traditionally quilters have always incorporated their surroundings in their blocks, so it’s no wonder as to why so many vintage quilts feature flowers! Check out these five incredible patterns featuring flowers and traditional garden elements!
Developing from English landscaping techniques of the 18th century, the style of an English garden is both elegant and structured. The English Garden quilt captures the feel of a beautiful blooming garden by using 10″ squares of precut fabric to create order and structure among the quilt blocks. Neat and orderly lines are key in this project, so pick up your Clearly Perfect Slotted Trimmers and watch your garden grow!
Due to the elegance and aristocratic nature of an English garden, it’d be a shame not to capture that ambiance in your quilting project. Focus on a traditional, muted color palette with just a splash of green to give your quilt a beautiful, classic feel. Best of Days 10″ Squares for Henry Glass are the perfect addition to this project as they feature tiny dragonflies and intricate flowers on a muted palette!
Once those gardens are in full bloom, it’s just impossible to not bring them into your home life. Cutting a bouquet of fresh flowers to brighten up your kitchen table is a simple and cost-effective method of home improvement; not to mention the outstanding floral scent that will fill your home! The Bud Bouquet quilt plays off this idea and uses 5″ squares of precut fabric in a simple 9 patch made with half square triangles. But no bouquet is complete without a little flair! The real magic happens when you add sashing and cornerstones and set your blocks on point with big setting corners!
Adding cut flowers to your home adds a natural brightness to the room, so go bold and bright with your fabric choices! Glowing yellows, rich greens and bold blues are all terrific options to create the Bud Bouquet quilt and you’ll find all three in Madison 5 Karat Crystals for Wilmington Prints! This beautiful line of fabric is a vibrant spring collection that will make you feel like you’re stitching pure sunshine!
Not only are tulips a popular addition to any garden, the Totally Tulips quilt has quickly become one of our most popular designs due to the demonstrated versatility of the Triple Play! Tulips video! By using 10″ squares of precut fabric, you can create an entire garden full of tulips as your next project. If you’re looking for even more incredible options, check out the Triple Play video below for three unique takes on this adorable design!
These tulips are just too cute to believe! Draw some attention towards them and add a little fun by selecting an overly bright fabric that will make this flowers pop! Nouveau Soul Batiks Stacks for Island Batiks are the perfect combination of fun, with fruitful floral patterns, and bold, with traditionally bright batik colors! You won’t be able to draw your eyes away from this beautiful field of flowers!
If there was one flower to stand out above the rest, it would be the romantically classic rose. Often seen as the symbol of love and elegance in many cultures, the rose is so beautiful and delicate that the perfect bloom is a sign of gardening mastery. Take your 5″ squares of precut fabric and cut them into half-square triangles and wonky leg blocks to create this stunning design that is just as intricate as the rose itself!
While roses come in many different colors, shades of red through pink are the most traditional. Give your Rose Garden quilt a sense of traditional elements while keeping it bright and fun with Wilmington Essentials – In The Pink 5 Karat Gems by Wilmington Prints! From a vibrant hot pink to a delicately soft, light pink, this fabric choice will create an unbelievable effect for this project!
While many of us learned to quilt from our grandmothers, many learned to garden as well! Honor your grandmother with the Vintage Blossom quilt, a take on the classic Grandmother’s Flower Garden block, that despite it’s age is still a fabulous design today! For Jenny’s tutorial on this project, you’ll need 10″ squares of precut fabric to create the beautiful budding flowers that fill this quilt!
This classic quilt demands a classic fabric, so make your grandmother proud by selecting a vintage or reproduction fabric! Aunt Grace’s Apron 10″ Squares for Marcus Fabrics feature classic 30’s florals and Scotties that are just so perfect for this project! These darling flowers and adorable Scottie pups will give this quilt a vintage feel while adding a slight element of fun!
There’s no greater pleasure than sitting outside under a warm, cozy quilt and watching spring flowers blossom on a cool April morning. In an unprecedented time where all of us are spending more time at home, opportunity has presented itself to allow us to take a moment to appreciate the simpler things in life. When is the last time you truly stopped to smell the flowers?
Whether you’re inside or out in the garden, adding some flower power to your next quilting project is the best way to capture these peaceful spring mornings. Historically, quilters have immortalized their surroundings in their work; stitching things from the night sky to the natural growth of the Earth around them. These six free quilt tutorials will allow you to snip a bud from your very own garden (or maybe the garden you’ve always dreamed of!) and bring it into your home for years to come!
The first flowers of spring for many of us are often the reliable daisy! From the Chrysanthemum family, the daisy has long been a symbolic representation of the first days of spring. This adorable quilt brings those daisies indoors with the use of either 10″ squares or 5″ squares of precut fabric. Follow Jenny’s lead to learn how to quickly snowball corners and add sashing with cornerstones to create this beautiful project!
Following Jenny’s tutorial we suggest using 10″ squares to create this design, but if you have some favorite packs of 5″ squares they’ll work just the same. Capture the essence of the daisy by keeping your fabric selection in the same color palette of soft whites and luminous yellows. Marguerite 10″ Squares for Windham Fabrics is a great place to start, as the palette is true and the delicate addition of florals, foliage and intricate vines will give your quilt a real outdoor feel!
The outdoors aren’t for everyone, some of us enjoy the comforts of our own home and are wallflowers in our own respect. With the use of the Missouri Star Mini Orange Peel Template and some basic applique work, you can create a bountiful bouquet from your very own sewing machine! The Wallflower Quilt comes together quite simply with your choice of 10″ squares of precut fabric!
Blooming with vibrant blue and purple pansy flowers and brought to life with the addition of adorable butterflies, Pansy Paradise 10″ Squares for Timeless Treasures is the perfect selection for this project! The phenomenal spectrum of blues and purples in this fabric will create an outstanding design that is both reserved and comfortable while still eye-catching and bright!
Petunias are a wonderful addition to any garden as they are so simple to care for! The Sweet Petunias quilt is no different, grab your favorite roll of 2.5″ strips and you’ll be amazed by just how simple this quilt is to create! Piece your fabric together and create the illusion of sweet petunia flowers raising their blooms towards the sun!
Petunias compliment gardens so well because they come in a rainbow of different colors. Have some fun with your choice of fabric for this project and add an array of colors with Radiance 2.5″ Strips for Clothworks! These gorgeous fabric strips feature a bouquet of different flowers and vines in every color from petal pink to soft green!
The Dresden Flower Pot Wall Hanging is an adorably cute design! This fun piece of home decor is made by using the Missouri Star Large Dresden Plate Template for 10″ Squares and a pack of 5″ squares of fabric. When pieced together, the Dresdens form the petals of a fabulous flower pot! Hang it inside to brighten up the room or let it add an incredible ambiance to your garden, the choice is yours!
Keep your fabric choices fun and light for this project to keep that oh-so-cute ambiance! Consider Madison 5 Karat Crystals for Wilmington Prints to capture a beautiful contrast of yellow and blue with the added bonus of some green foliage for your stems! These packs of 5″ squares will not disappoint when creating this unique dresden wall haning!
For the real flower lovers out there, the Totally Tulips quilt is a bold design that will delight anyone who has the chance to snuggle up under it! By using a quick and easy method of making half-square triangles out of 10″ squares, you’ll have this project ready to stitch up in no time!
We can’t help but think how darling this quilt would look created with batik fabric! Go wild with Petal Party Batiks Stacks for Island Batik for an eye-opening burst of color and design that will make this design radiate creativity! The best part is, even with this batik fabric, you’ll still be adding natural elements to keep in the theme of a flower quilt!
Since you’ll need the full spectrum of precut fabric for this quilt, be sure to find a complete collection when selecting your fabric. Consider Modern Farmhouse for Riley Blake as your go to choice for this project. These pastel pink and black fabrics will add a modern flair to your quilt while keeping with the floral tradition!
With May right around the corner, there’s no better time to create a beautiful Mother’s Day quilt than the present! Many of us learned to sew from our mothers and grandmothers, but even if you didn’t, take some time this spring to celebrate those who helped raise us. Mothers and quilters are an incredible and caring people. Wrap mom in love this season with one of our five favorite Mother’s Day quilts!
The month of May starts off strong with the celebration of May Day! Traditionally, May Day baskets are full of freshly bloomed spring flowers to acknowledge the changing of the seasons and the rebirth of the outdoor world! The May Day Baskets quilt takes the concept of these baskets and stitches them into a quilt, so not only can you keep warm on those chilly May mornings, but you can celebrate spring for years to come.
Flowers have been the traditional gift of Mother’s Day. As this is a floral quilt, a floral fabric should be considered! We love the look of Jenny’s design as the fabric had a matching color palette, so when selecting a pack of 2.5″ strips of precut fabric, keep color in mind! Chelsea Strips for Northcott are a fantastic choice as they combine floral fabrics with a purple color scheme with just a hint of green for an added leafy effect!
Flowers are a perfect Mother’s Day gift; they represent the change of the new season with a delicate nobility and grace that is inherent of mothers. Instead of a vase full of flowers, mix things up this year with the Flower Glass quilt. This easy to follow pattern uses 10″ squares of precut fabric and just a bit of extra yardage. The effect, however, is readily apparently as the hourglass and flower blocks combine to create a beautiful bouquet of warmth!
Floral arrangements come in many shapes and colors and so should your fabric choice for this project! Make a statement and go bold with a vibrant print such as Watercolor Wishes Metallic 10″ Squares by Kanvas Studio! This intense fabric features incredible watercolors with prominent butterflies and flowers, perfect for a unique and heartfelt gift for mom!
While carnations are the most gifted flower for Mother’s Day, we’d argue a full rose garden could be more popular! The Rose Garden quilt is a gorgeous quilt that, thanks to Jenny’s quick and easy quilt tutorial, is incredibly simple to create! Start with 5″ squares of precut fabric and learn how to make half square triangles and wonky leg blocks in the quilt tutorial to piece together this gorgeous quilt that will be the highlight of your mother’s special day!
Elegance is the key to this project; select a fabric that is both refined and traditional to create the desired effect. Bring forward the floral feel with a Le Beau Papillon Charm Pack for Moda Fabrics. These 5″ squares feature graceful vintage florals, butterflies and traditional patterns in light, airy colors! This quilt could truly be a one-of-a-kind, heirloom gift!
Did you ever make a daisy chain for your mom? Those fragile strings of flowers meant more to her when you made them than you’ve probably ever realized. Return that innocent gift from the heart once more this year, with a Daisy Chain quilt. This adorable design can be easily made from 5″ squares and 2.5″ strips of precut fabric!
With plenty of white space in this project, bring attention to your strips with a fun and fabulous choice of fabric! Kaffe Florals Blues 2.5″ Strips for FreeSpirit Fabrics are the perfect addition to this project! This gorgeous, blue fabric from the famous Kaffe Fassett will create a vibrant highlight upon the soft white backgrounds of this quilt.
Let’s not forget about those grandmothers as well! Many of us had the pleasure of learning from our grandmother as well, so why not thank her with a beautiful, vintage Grandmother’s Fan quilt! With the Missouri Star Large Dresden Plate Template for 10″ Squares, this pattern has never been easier! Using the template and a combination of 5″ and 10″ squares of precut fabric, this gift will be ready to go just in time!
Traditional vintage fabrics will be your go-to choice on this project! Northport Prints Layer Cakes for Moda Fabrics are definitely the answer. This charming, yet simple fabric will transport you back to a bygone era and create a classic feel from this brilliant quilt!
This mini tutorial shows you a fun, fast way to create a darling little petunia block. All you need is a roll of 2.5″ strips and some background fabrics. You are going to love how quickly this comes together! Click the button below to learn to recreate this quilt!
