All About Blocks

April 11, 2004 An original

Sunny Sunflower

This flower pattern is a beautifully, layered pattern in this series. The petals of the flower are done with a yellow batik that has striations of orange running through it. The center of the flowers is made from a spotted-looking batik in brown. The leaves are shown in a dark/medium green batik.

For the Appliquéd Flower quilt, the size of the pattern was approximately 7.5" x 9" and the size of the background fabric is cut to 8.5" x 10". You may have to enlarge/reduce the pattern given so that it is about the same size as mine, however, this is not necessary. You can make this flower any size you wish.

There are 26 components of this pattern. Don't let that number scare you off, though! The components are:

2 leaves (medium/light green, patterns C, D),
1 leaf (dark green, pattern B),
19 flower petals (yellow, patterns G, H, I, J, K, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z),
2 flower centers (Brown, patterns L, F),
2 stems (brown, patterns A, E).

For this flower, the center, L, is one piece and if you could find fabric that resembled seeds (even small spots), it would look more realistic. Pattern F is the underneath side of that center, so it can either be the same fabric as L or a different one. If you want, you can make all three leaves the same fabric, too. As for all of the sunflower's petals, you can either choose one fabric, or mix it up with different yellows. The possibilities are endless here! Also, please note that pattern A is one piece, with C and D overlapping it.

Here are the patterns:

Instructions:

Print the patterns, then enlarge or reduce it to the size you want. Remember that the pattern will be the mirror image when you finish your block, so if you want it to face the opposite direction of what it shows in the pattern, now is the time to reverse it.
Select your fabrics. You can be creative here and do not have to stick to what I have suggested.
Using the patterns, trace the pattern pieces onto a light-weight, double-sided fusible webbing, being careful to trace onto the paper side of the webbing. Tip: When tracing, I paperclip my fusible webbing to the pattern, so that it doesn't slip! HUGE TIP: Be sure to cut the pattern pieces that go underneath other pieces a little longer because this is the area that will overlap. For example, if you refer to the sunflower patterns, you see that there are some petals that are overlapped by others; such as, N overlaps M. Be careful to cut according to the areas that overlap.
Cut each pattern piece out. It doesn't matter if you cut precisely at this point; it can be a fast, rough cut. Be sure to use paper-cutting scissors.
Label each piece, so that you know where it was in the pattern. This may not seem important, but when trying to reassemble the flower, it can get confusing!
Press each rough-cut piece onto your fabric, being careful to press to the wrong side of the fabric and to also leave at least 1/4" around the edge, for trimming room Follow the instructions on the fusible webbing when pressing.
Cut the pieces out of the fabric, being careful this time to cut precisely, however, on the sides that are going to fit underneath another piece, it is wise to cut those sides a little larger (as described in step 3), so that the overlapping fabrics have something to "grab".
Lay the pieces on top of the appliqué pressing sheet or your background fabric, with the original pattern underneath. Place these so that the ones that overlap, do. Move the pieces around until you are satisfied with the placement. It is important that you overlap a little on the pieces, else they won't stick together when you press. For example, the stem needs to be cut a little longer on top so that it tucks beneath the petals. Note: The order that the pieces are laid down is important. Refer to the original pattern to see which pieces lay on top of one another and which ones need tucked beneath others.
Cut a block from the background fabric that is adequate enough for the size of your pattern you traced. If you want all of your blocks the same size, this is the time to make that decision! However, when it comes time to sew it all together, my layout may not work for you, should you choose to go all the same size.
Lay the pattern underneath the background fabric. You should be able to see enough of it through the fabric to place your appliqué pieces. If not, use a permanent black marker to outline the pattern and make it more visible. To center the pattern, you may need to lightly press the block in half, both directions. This will give you the center of the block. Then, fold the pattern in half, both directions. This will give you the center of the pattern. Once you have both centers, line them up, one on top of another. Or, you can eyeball the placement and put it to where it is pleasing to you!
Press the pieces in place, making sure to press the flower so that the pieces that are on top are placed on top. The layering of the pieces is important. Look at the layout diagram carefully to see which pieces overlap and which do not. If you prefer, you can choose your own overlapping. Do not press with the paper pattern underneath the background fabric. The ink may bleed onto the fabric. The definition of each petal will be more pronounced after the appliqué is finished. Here is a photo of a sunflower block ready to appliqué:
Once all of the pieces are pressed into place, then button-hole stitch them down. If you need instructions on how to learn beginning button-hole stitching, refer to my Button-Hole Appliqué directions on the Web. If you choose to use a sewing machine, that is fine, also.
Once you finish appliquéing, then press the block flat. You might need to trim it so that the edges are even again, since appliquéing can distort the background. Here are photos of mine and Wilma's (MI), blocks, respectively:
This finishes this block!

Have fun!

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