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scrappy floral garlic knot quilt blocks

Floral Fabrics Seem to Work Better in a Group

Posted on September 13, 2020October 22, 2020

Or does floral fabric work better in a group? My alternate title for this post was “Floral Fright or Floral Fantasy?”

In sorting through my box of 2 1/2 inch strips at the end of my last project I noticed that the box was muffin topped. There were also a good number of strips of floral fabric strips there that I’ve been ignoring for years. What can I say other than it’s not the 90’s when I was all about the florals. So those dated florals and some more modern florals were just taking up space as I bypassed them for the fabrics I now prefer. I really shouldn’t have joined that fat quarter of the month club. 

Each floral fabric on its own didn’t work for me but I got to thinking what if I put them all in one quilt? Why not mix them with a nice crisp white background and some tone on tone fabric? Crazy maybe but hey why not? Even if I don’t love it someone else will right?

Some blog, Pinterest and google searches and much wasted time later I decided on Bonnie Hunter’s Garlic Knot block or as it was originally known the Arrowhead puzzle block. I started pulling strips and sewing. I made 91  blocks in total from the floral fabric strips in the strip box and pieces of fabric languishing in the scraps box.  

garlic knot blocks

More garlic knot blocks

Here is the finished quilt top centre!

Not sure about borders yet. Maybe a small white border the same size as the sashing and a scrappy floral border? I just know I don’t want to make piano keys so soon after making them for another quilt – so if that’s going to happen this quilt is going to sit for a while. 

This quilt used 63 of the floral fabric blocks so the remaining 18 blocks are going to go into a small baby or lap quilt.  I’ve just made 2 more blocks so I’ll have a second quilt before borders and sashing measuring 32″ x 40″. Add some sashing and borders and it will be a decent size. Almost like a 2 for 1 deal.

Construction notes:

  • 8″ finished blocks, 63 blocks total 
  • Floral fabric – 6 – 2.5″ squares in each block
  • 2 – 2.5″ squares of tone on tone 
  • Sashing fabric cut 1.5″ and cornerstones 1.5″ squaresd

Oh and there is still floral fabric remaining.. sigh! 

18 thoughts on “Floral Fabrics Seem to Work Better in a Group”

  1. Bonnie in Va says:
    September 13, 2020 at 10:18 pm

    This is going to be a nice quilt. Do you really need to put a border on it? Maybe pick one of the center squares in the blocks and use it as a small border — unless you want it bigger! And yep, 2 for 1 nice to have a smaller quilt too. Did it make a dent in your scraps???

    Reply
  2. Quiltpiecer says:
    September 14, 2020 at 12:48 am

    I think it’s a lovely quilt. Like you, I have strips and fat quarters of floral fabric that have been around for years. Time to make something with them. I know a family friend who’s a florist and I’ll bet she’d like a floral quilt. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  3. Michelle says:
    September 14, 2020 at 2:33 am

    I love it!

    Michelle
    https://mybijoulifeonline.com

    Reply
  4. Gretchen Weaver says:
    September 14, 2020 at 7:03 am

    Very nice quilt made from unloved fabrics. Happy stitching!

    Reply
  5. Nann says:
    September 14, 2020 at 7:08 am

    Your “arrow knots” (hmmm–Aeronaut?) (“garlic head” doesn’t work as well :)) blocks are a wonderful scrap-buster! It would look good without a border but if you want to add one — how about squares from the block fabrics with white inner / white outer?

    Reply
  6. Susan S says:
    September 15, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    I really like these floral garlic knots. I also have lots of floral fabric going back in time. Did you consider a layout with blocks rotated in sets of 4? you get chains of circles (without sashing). I tried it out in EQ .

    Reply
  7. Chrisknits says:
    September 15, 2020 at 4:51 pm

    What awesome tops you have there! I like the idea of a slim white border, and was going to say piano keys!!

    Reply
  8. Rebecca Grace says:
    September 16, 2020 at 8:27 am

    I think it looks great — congratulations! Definitely more “floral fantasy” and not so much “floral fright!” :-). Ideas for remaining florals if you really want them gone: First, I discovered with my pineapple log cabin quilt that, in a scrappy quilt, I can kick up the energy level of older, drab fabrics that I don’t love by mixing in some of the wilder, brighter, more saturated prints and solids that I prefer to work with now. A little Kaffe Fassett can go a long way, especially when all the fabrics are cut into small strips and mixed up together in a quilt. The other thing you could try is washing some of the darker florals with bleach. Do that with the fabrics you REALLY don’t like the way they are now. You might find that, after bleach fading, they will work as low volume background fabrics that can take a back seat to other fabrics that you’re more inspired by today. When all else fails, hide the box in a closet and pretend it doesn’t exist anymore!

    Reply
  9. Jennifer says:
    September 16, 2020 at 11:13 pm

    What a great way to use up unwanted fabric! So pretty and two for one! Thanks for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.

    Reply
  10. The Joyful Quilter says:
    September 17, 2020 at 9:57 pm

    Nice job of pairing the florals with coordinating blender fabrics! This is going to be SEW lovely!!

    Reply
  11. Alycia Quilts says:
    September 18, 2020 at 9:39 am

    Very nice way to use those fabrics and give them a beautiful home!! Its like your own little garden!

    Reply
  12. JanineMarie says:
    September 18, 2020 at 4:44 pm

    I think using a white background always makes quilts look more modern. I rarely put borders on these types of quilts, so I would say it’s ready for quilting. Of course, then if you want it bigger, you’d have to use up more of those flower fabrics. 🙂

    Reply
  13. Jenny Benton says:
    September 18, 2020 at 4:47 pm

    A two for one deal, isn’t that great!

    Reply
  14. Judy B says:
    September 19, 2020 at 9:50 am

    I like it! I made a garlic knot quilt last year, using a different layout. I added a solid border. It’s not a show stopper but it works. And getting a second one? Win-win!

    Reply
  15. Cathy says:
    September 20, 2020 at 5:24 pm

    Arrowhead Puzzle was a perfect block for those florals. Definitely a floral fantasy! I made an Arrowhead Puzzle quilt last year and did not add a border. But I’m not a border person. I’d rather make hundreds more blocks than a border.

    Reply
  16. Dione says:
    September 21, 2020 at 7:59 am

    I understand bypassing those fabrics – I think we all have some from earlier days or inherited, or both, You have handled them very well – the right person will love this. Good luck facing down the rest of your florals! 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Clever Chameleon.

    Reply
  17. Rita says:
    September 22, 2020 at 11:41 am

    Hi there,
    I was in a similar predicament. Had lots of unwanted floral FQs from bundles. I made them into a lap Quilt for my mum! Including the backing. Now only a couple of ugly FQs left. 🙂
    Well done you!
    Rita

    Reply
  18. Susan says:
    September 22, 2020 at 5:58 pm

    You’ve done well using the floral fabrics. I don’t have many in my stash. They’re just not my thing!

    Reply

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