“In this issue we look at creating pretty flower blocks – pansy, daisy, tulip and rose – using a range of useful techniques.”
– Lin Clements
FLOWER BLOCKS
In past issues of Today’s Quilter, we have looked at how pictorial blocks can be created, including trees, houses, baskets and stars. This month I’m going to continue the theme with flower blocks. The purpose of providing a range of pictorial blocks is not just to widen your block repertoire, but to provide knowledge of the techniques used, instructions for creating the blocks and provide practise in the methods needed. Having a collection of picture blocks at your disposal means that you can not only create attractive individual projects, but also combine them into a sampler quilt, which we will look at in a future issue of Today’s Quilter.
A quick look through block directories, such as by Jinny Beyer, will reveal some blocks devoted to flowers. However, I find many of them to be either too simplistic, too abstract or requiring tricky techniques. To have a selection of four blocks that work well together, and which can be made using a few fairly simple techniques, I decided to create my own blocks, some of which are variations on older blocks (see). There are some common techniques and I describe the basic methods for these first, followed by the instructions and specific fabric sizes for each of the four blocks. Making all of the blocks the and also Troubleshooting, page 64).
