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Click here for the downloadable Applique Pattern

Click here for the downloadable Border Pattern

Click here for downloadable Instructions

Materials:

• Pattern – You can either print out the pattern on your home computer or take it to a copy or reprographics shop and have it printed out full size on their large format plotters. If you choose to print in on you home printer, make sure to select the “Tile” feature so that it will print on multiple pages. You can then tape the pages together to make the entire pattern.
• Fabric: (100% cotton)
  Background – ¾ yard in a variety of dark purples. These fabrics should be low contrast or mottled prints.
  Appliqué – 1-¾ yards in a variety of bright colors that contrast well with the background fabrics. These can be scraps and small pieces.
  Paper Pieced Triangle border –
  ½ yard of dark purple
  ¾ yard of medium purple
  ¼ yard of light purple
  Inner Border and Binding – ½ yard of accent color
  Backing – 1 yard
• Placement Guide – ½ yard of light weight non-fusible interfacing. This should be the lightest weight and most transparent interfacing that you can find. You’ll find that some interfacing will be very transparent but won’t have the fuzzy texture needed to use my method of placing your appliqué pieces. Look for an interfacing that a small piece of cotton fabric will stick to and that is still light enough that you can scrunch it up in your hand easily and see through enough to see your fabric piece.
• Template Plastic
• Thread:
  100% cotton thread in a neutral color for piecing
  Silk thread or 60wt. machine embroidery thread for needle turn appliqué in colors to match the appliqué pieces.
  Decorative thread for machine quilting
• Batting – Cotton or Cotton/Poly blend are my favorites
• Vellum Drafting Paper – This is used to paper pieced the boarders. You can find this on rolls or in 8-½” x 11” sheets at most office supply stores or reprographics shops. Also, a reprographics shop can print out the boarder patterns on vellum for you.
• Removable Fabric Marking Pencils – White chalk pencil will work for most fabrics.
• Basic Sewing Supplies

Directions: Piece Background

• Cut fifteen 6-1/2” squares from your selected background fabrics.
• Sew the squares together to form 3×4 grid.
• Because the background will shrink slightly as you appliqué, I like to add the inner border before starting the appliqué. This makes it easier to trim the piece to exactly the correct size before adding the paper pieced borders. Cut three 2” strips from your accent fabric and cut one strip in half.
• Sew the strips to purple background and miter the corners using your favorite method.

Create Templates and Placement Guide:

• With a fine-tip permanent pen, trace all the flower and leaf shapes onto template plastic. Mark all piece numbers on the templates so that you know which side is right side up and can keep all the templates organized. Mark the registration lines indicating which edges are under other pieces. Using your paper scissors, cut out all the shapes directly on the line. You can use an emery board to remove any jagged edges.

Note: You only need to make one set of templates for flower “A.” To mark fabric for the “A” flower pieces labeled with “R” (reverse), turn the templates upside down.

• I prefer using an overlay rather that marking my background because I think it gives me more flexibility. If I decide that I don’t like the placement of something in the design, I can move it by just shifting the placement guide over. To make the guide, cut a piece of interfacing the same size as the background. With a fine-tip permanent pen, trace the appliqué pattern, the dashed seam lines and mark the piece numbers.
• Lay the placement guide in place on the background by aligning the dashed lines with the seams.
• Baste placement guide to background along one side only.

Appliqué

• Trace flower and leaf shapes on right side of selected fabrics. Lay the template on the fabric and look through it to see what area of the fabric will show. Use the print of the fabric to add details and interest to the appliqué piece. If the fabric has flowers or leaves, use the printed petals and veins of the leaves for the appliqué pieces. Or use striped fabric to turn a single petal into many. Trace around the template with a removable marking pencil. I use a while chalk pencil for almost everything, even light fabrics.
• Cut out pieces with generous ¼” seam allowance. Store pieces for each flower in a plastic bag with the templates for that flower.
• For the stems, use your favorite method to make ¼” bias stems or make templates and cut stem pieces as you did for the flowers and leaves.
• Using the placement guide, begin appliquéing pieces to the background. Make sure to start with the pieces closest to the background and build up. First will be the secondary stems and some of the leaves. After that, the main stem and top most leaves. Then you can start the flowers.
• For stems, fold back placement guide and lay bias strip on background in generally the correct position. Fold placement guide back over background and look through it to align the bias strip. Pin stem in place. Starting on the concave (inside) curve side, appliqué the stem to background with a blind hem stitch.

Blind Hem Stitch: Knot your thread and bring the needle up from the back through the fold of the bias strip. Take the needle back down into the background as close to the fold as possible. About 1/16”- 1/8” from the first stitch bring the needle back up through the bias strip a few threads from the fold and then back down into the background. If you are right handed, you will sew counterclockwise around the pieces.

• For flowers and leaves, the placement guide can be used to more accurately place the appliqué pieces. Fold back the placement guide and place one of the flower pieces on it, right side down and exactly in place. You can lift up the corners and edges of the piece to align the chalk marks with the lines on the placement guide. Smooth the appliqué piece down so that it will adhere to the interfacing. Carefully lay the placement guide back over the background in place. The appliqué piece will then be in the correct place. If it shifted you can use a pin to nudge the piece into the correct place. Now, gently roll the overlay back off the background. When the piece you just placed starts to show, hold it down with one hand and lift the placement guide off the rest of the way. Pin the piece in place.
• Starting anywhere other than at a point, begin appliquéing the piece you just placed. Trim the seam allowance down to 1/8” a couple of inches ahead of where you will be sewing. Pinch the piece to the background with your thumb on top and your other fingers underneath. Keep your thumb next the marked line on the appliqué piece. Using the needle, turn sweep the seam allowance under your thumb up to the marked line or just beyond the line so that it does not show. Hold the turned seam allowance with your first finger and thumb. Stitch with a blind hem stitch as before around the piece, trimming and turning short sections of seam allowance as you go.

Appliqué Tips:

• When turning along a concave (inside) curve, you may need to clip the seam allowance to get a smoother curve. Clip to with in a few threads from the line and only when you find that the seam allowance won’t stay turned. A smooth curve is more important that turning all the way to the line. If some of the chalk marks show, don’t worry, they will brush off eventually as you work on the project.
• For tight convex (outside) curves, only turn under enough seam allowance for one stitch at a time. This gives you the smoothest curve possible.
• Stitch all the way to the point marked on your fabric. Then trim away some of the excess already turned seam allowance near the point to get rid of some of the bulk. Pinch the piece tightly with your thumbnail right at the point and use your needle to sweep the seam allowance under your thumb. Take an extra stitch at the point to anchor it down. This stitch can be slightly longer to give your point the allusion of being even sharper than it is.
• For pieces with points that meet other pieces, start appliquéing the top piece about 1” from the contact point in order to assure that the points meet correctly.

Paper Pieced Border

• Print out two Side Border patterns and two Top Border patterns on drafting vellum.
• Paper piece the borders using your favorite method. Refer to the gray shading on the pattern for value placement.
• Cut four 2-1/2” squares from your dark purple fabrics. Sew these squares to the ends of the Top Borders.
• Trim the quilt top to 19-½” by 31-½”. Try to keep the inner boarder consistent on all four sides.
• Sew the side borders to the quilt top.
• Sew on the top and bottom borders.

Finishing

• Baste the quilt top, batting and backing together.
• Quilt as desired.
• If desired, add embellishments to the quilt top. For example, sew bead on the flowers for stamens or in the background for stars or rain.
• Add a 4” hanging sleeve to the back.
• Bind.
• Don’t forget to add the label.