Spring Bloom Block Tutorial

After I posted pictures the spring blooms quilt I made last spring, I received a lot of requests for a block tutorial.  It's been slow coming, but here it is!

Fabric and Cutting

For a single 10" block you will need:

      4 - 4" squares assorted scraps (A) (I used different prints of one color)
      4 - 2" squares background (B)
      4 -  2" x 4"  background (C)
      4 - 2" x 5 1/2" background (D)
      4 - 2" squares green (E)

I made my flowers from scraps,  but I used just one fabric for all my block backgrounds to make the blooms float on the quilt.  It might be interesting to use a variety of neutral scraps for the background and see how that looks.  If you give that a try, please share a picture!

Pressing instructions

As much as possible, I plan my pressing so that seams will nest when I join units. I find my corners match better when I do this.  If you follow the pressing directions as given, you will be able to nest any seams that meet within the block, as well as when you join blocks together side by side without sashing.  I don't know about you, but I love it when that happens!

Piecing Instructions
  
1. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of each 2" square (background and green).

2. Place a background square B on one corner of a color square A, right sides together.

3. Sew along the marked line. Cut the corner off 1/4" away from the sewn line. 

4. Fold background fabric back to fill corner.  Press.

5. Position the unit with the triangle at the top right corner.  Sew a background C on the right as shown. Press towards C.

6. Place a green square E on the right end of one background D, with the marked line starting at the top right corner.  Sew along the marked line.  (I find it works best to sew towards the corner rather than starting the seam in the corner. When I start at the corner there are even odds that the corner will get caught up in the needle plate.)

7. Cut the corner off 1/4" away from the sewn line.  Fold background fabric back to fill corner.  Press.

8.  Sew the DE unit to the ABC unit as shown.  Press towards the ABC unit.

9. The quarter block unit should measure 5 1/2" square. Repeat steps 2-9 to make 3 more units.

10. Join pairs of quarter blocks as shown.  Press seam to the side with the green triangle, as indicated by the white arrows in the picture below.

11. Join the two halves to complete the block.

12. Press half the seam towards the green triangle in that half of the seam.  Press the other half in the opposite direction, towards the green triangle in that half.  In the middle, on both sides of the center point, use your fingertips to push gently in the directions that you pressed.  This should open up the seam at the intersection of the four blocks into a little four-patch.  Press. 

You now have a completed Spring Bloom Block!

 Make a few more and decide whether to set them in a straight set or on point, with or without sashing. Just play and have fun with your Spring Blooms.  OK, it's currently late summer, not too long until fall, but if you start soon you can have them for next spring!

Update:  Go here to see what the on point layout would look like with color setting triangles!

This one has blocks set on point with no sashing.

Browse other Canuck Quilter Designs patterns here

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