The Flower Basket
There is nothing new to learn in The Flower
Basket. We will be dealing with
Squares,
Rectangles, and
Half Square Triangles. However, there are more pieces, so it is a bit more challenging.
You will also get a good look at the 12-inch
square ruler. This is a ruler you will want to add to your collection. (Quilters
love their rulers!)
Let's look at the above block first.
How many grids do you see across the top? There are five; a square in the
left corner, 3 half square triangle units, and then the top part of a rectangle.
It is 5-patch.
This block has eight half square triangles.
Six of them are obvious. The other two are at the bottom of the basket.
The white side of these triangles blends in with the white square under
them.
You have a large half square triangle in
the center, which has rectangles on two sides.
The rectangles each have one half square
triangle unit sewn on the end of them.
This is just piecing. You can make
this look scrappy by using different fabrics for all the "flowers", or make them
out of the same fabric. In the block at the top of the page, I used a Batik print for the flowers.
You can also use a wood or
basket print for the bottom, or floral prints for the flowers.
Here are the measurements for the pieces.
Small Squares - Cut two of them, 2 5/8
inches each.
Small Half Square Triangles - Use 3-inch
squares for these, and use the
half square triangle
method of making them with a light and a dark fabric. After you sew them
together, they should measure 2 5/8 inches raw. (Make 8 of these)
Large Half Square Triangle - Do the same as
above, but use two 7 1/2 inch squares. These will be a little big.
You will need to cut them down.
This is when you need a big 12-inch
square ruler. Look at the picture below, and see how you place the ruler
to cut down the square.
Make sure the 45 degree line is on the
seam, and the top and bottom are both on the desired size. In this case,
you want to cut your square down to 6 3/4 inches.
The vertical lines and horizontal lines of
the square are lined up with the same on the ruler, and the you should be able
to see the 7 3/4 mark on the bottom right hand corner as well as on the top
left corner. All you do is use your rotary cutter and go up the fabric,
and across the top.
The last pieces to cut are the rectangles,
which are 6 3/4
x 2 5/8 inches.
As
always in quilting, sew the small units together, and then start piecing larger
units.
Press your seams toward the darker fabrics.
When you begin piecing the larger sections,
I found that the sides with the Half Square Triangles wanted to be pressed towards the center. While
it is preferable to press to the dark when possible, so your seams don't show
under light colors, the construction of your block can dictate which way to
press.
In this case, pressing that strip of Half
Square Triangles away from the center would cause more bulk.
If you press one of the sides with the
rectangle towards the center, and one away from the center, you seams will nest.
If you make a mistake, and your seams don't
go opposite directions, it is not the end of the world, and sometimes it can't
be avoided. However, when you are first learning to quilt, it is a
skill to always think about the construction as you are sewing and ironing.
The more you do it, the easier it becomes.
