Isabella's Garden: July 2003 Quilt Block

Flower Basket Block

We're making the seventh section of this 12-month quilt project—the Basket block with an applique flower.

The charming Flower Basket Block features a pieced, half-basket, half-background fabric base with an appliqued flower and basket handle, plus a double border.

Welcome back to the sixth month of Isabella's Garden! Sometimes a row and sometimes a bordered block, this 12-month project is tackling one section at a time. This month, we're making the Flower Box section.

Materials:

two basket fabrics
flower fabric
leaf fabric
background fabric
inner and outer border fabric
template patterns for flower, leaf and basket handle - draw your own pattern as desired

Steps:

Block
1. Cut:
(2) 1-1/2" x 27" strips – first basket weave fabric
(2) 1-1/2" x 27" strips – second basket weave fabric
(1) 8-1/2" square – middle background

Figure A

Figure B

2. Stitch all four basket weave strips together along the long edges, alternating fabric colors (figure A) and pressing seams to the darker fabric. Cut the unit in half, stack right sides together aligning opposing strip colors and stitch to create an eight-strip unit. Cut into 1-1/2-inch strips (figure B).

Figure C

3. Position the eight, 1-1/2" strips in a checkerboard pattern and stitch together (figure C) to render an 8-1/2-inch square panel. Press.

Figure D

4. Draw a diagonal line stitching line on backside of the 8-1/2" middle background unit (figure D). Place checkerboard panel and background unit right sides together then sew on stitch line and trim, leaving a 1/4-inch seam. Press to the dark.

Borders
1. Cut:
(3) 1-1/2" x 8-1/2" strips – inner border
(1) 1-1/2" x 9-1/2" strip – inner border
(1) 2-1/2" square – inner border
(2) 10-1/2" x 1-1/2" strips – outer border
(2) 12-1/2" x 1-1/2" strips – outer border

2. Stitch a 1-1/2" x 8-1/2" inner border strip to the top of basket block.

Figure E

3. Cut two, 1-1/2-inch squares from the same fabric that appears in the bottom right corner of the basket (figure E). Stitch one of these squares to one of the remaining 1-1/2" x 8-1/2" border strips, pressing to the dark. Stitch this extended border strip to the bottom of the basket block, aligning the basket colors. Repeat for the second square and remaining 8-1/2-inch border strip, attaching it to the right side of the block, again aligning the basket colors. It will appear a piece is missing in bottom right corner but we'll cover that in the next step. Stitch the 1-1/2" x 9-1/2" inner border strip to the left side of the basket unit.

Figure F

4. Draw a diagonal stitching line on the 2-1/2-inch inner border square and place it right sides together over the bottom right corner of the block so the drawn line runs from the top right corner to the bottom left corner (figure F). Stitch on drawn line and trim, leaving 1/4-inch seam. Press open with seams toward the dark fabric.

5. Stitch a 10-1/2-inch outer border strip to the top of the block and one to the bottom of the block. Stitch a 12-1/2-inch outer border strip to either side of the block. Press.

Applique
1. Gather templates. Reuse a large flower and leaf pattern from previous sections. You'll also need a template for the basket handle. Draw your own or order the pattern from the HGTV.com store for all the applique patterns.

2. Adhere the applique pieces to the pieced block. Refer to block picture for placement (second image on page).

3. Blanket-stitch the raw edges of the fused applique with color-coordinated embroidery floss.

Crafts

Isabella's Garden: July 2003 Quilt Block

Flower Basket Block

Tools

MOST POPULAR

Crafts

Isabella's Garden: July 2003 Quilt Block

Flower Basket Block

Tools

MOST POPULAR

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