Lollipop Flowers

Soft chenille flower heads make this quilt soft and cuddly. The size is perfect for covering up while reading in the garden in early spring.

MATERIALS

• 11/4 yards green tonal • 11/2 yards white print • 21/3 yards floral print • Backing to size • Batting to size • Thread • 11/2 yards 18"-wide fusible web • 4 yards tear-away fabric stabilizer • 1 (100") package each blue, yellow, purple and raspberry Chenille By The Inch™ • Chenille brush • Chenille Cutting Guide • Spray bottle • 6" square lightweight plastic • Template material • Basic sewing tools and supplies

PROJECT NOTES

Fabric stabilizer is used behind each block to machine-appliqué the curved pieces, stems and leaves, and to stitch the chenille strips in place. Using a solid piece of stabilizer behind the block rather than two or more pieces is neater, but requires more yardage. To use a single piece of stabilizer behind each block, cut (12) 12" squares of stabilizer, or 4 yards are needed with approximately 10" leftover from the stabilizer width.

This can be used for other projects. To use several smaller pieces of stabilizer behind each block, purchase only 21/2 yards.

CUTTING

From green tonal: • Cut 4 (9" by fabric width) strips. Subcut 3 strips into 12 (9") B squares. Set aside remaining strip for stems. From white print: • Cut 5 (67/8" by fabric width) strips. Subcut strips into 24 (67/8") squares. Cut each square in half on 1 diagonal to make 48 C triangles. • Cut 5 (11/2" by fabric width) strips. Trim 2 strips to make 2 (11/2" x 381/2") G strips. Set aside remaining strips for F. From floral print: • Cut 6 (41/4" by fabric width) strips. Subcut strips into 48 (41/4")

A squares. • Cut 7 (41/2" by fabric width) strips. Subcut strips into 100 (21/2" x 41/2")

E rectangles. • Cut 1 (31/2" by fabric width) strip for

C units. • Cut 5 (31/2" by fabric width) H/I strips.

MAKING A- B UNITS

1. Prepare template for D; trace 48 D pieces on the paper side of the fusible web. Cut out each piece. 2. Place a D piece on the wrong side of an A square, aligning edges of D with edges of A as shown in Figure 1; fuse in place. 3. Trim the A square even with outer curved edge of D as shown in Figure 2; repeat with all A squares. Remove paper backing from D pieces.

4. Place a prepared A piece on one right-side corner of B, aligning corner and edges of A with corner and edges of B as shown in Figure 3; fuse in place.

5. Trim away the unfused green tonal section under the A piece as shown in Figure 4. Repeat on all corners of each B square as shown in Figure 5. Repeat to make 12 A-B units.

MAKING C UNITS

1. Cut three 31/4" x 18" strips fusible web. Apply fusible web to the wrong side of the 31/2"-wide strip floral print.

2. Cut three strips 81/2" x 18" fusible web. Apply fusible web to the wrong side of the 9"-wide by fabric width strip green tonal.

3. Cut one strip 2" by fabric width from the fused green tonal strip; subcut into 1/2" segments for stems. You will need 48 stems; remove paper backing.

4. Prepare templates for the flower center and leaf pieces. Trace 48 flower center pieces on the paper side of the fused floral print strip; cut out each piece and remove paper backing.

5. Trace 96 leaf pieces on the paper side of the remainder of the fused green tonal strip; cut out each piece and remove paper backing.

6. Arrange one stem, one flower center and two leaf pieces on each C triangle, centering the stem piece on the long side of the triangle as shown in Figure 6; fuse pieces in place.

COMPLETING THE BLOCKS

1. Center and sew a C unit to each side of an A-B unit as shown in Figure 7; press seams toward C. Repeat to make a total of 12 A-B-C units.

2. Cut 12 (12") squares fabric stabilizer; pin one square on the wrong side of each A-B-C unit.

3. Using light green rayon thread in the top of the machine and white all-purpose thread in the bobbin, machine buttonhole-stitch along the curved A edges and the stem and leaf pieces. Do not stitch around the flower center pieces.

4. Prepare 70" of each color of chenille strips referring to manufacturer’s instructions.

5. Stitch a purple chenille strip around the edge of one flower center piece on an A-B-C unit, overlapping ends of strip about 1/4" as shown in Figure 8; trim strip.

6. Repeat with remaining colors on each of the remaining flower center pieces to complete one block, again referring to Figure 8. Repeat with all A-B-C units to make a total of 12 blocks, placing the chenille strips in the same color order on each block. Do not brush the chenille strips.

COMPLETING THE TOP

1. Join three blocks to make a row as shown in Figure 9; repeat for four rows. Press seams in two rows in one direction and in the remaining rows in the opposite direction.

2. Join rows to complete the pieced center, alternating pressed rows to offset seams; press seams in one direction.

3. Join the F strips on short ends to make one long strip; press seams open. Subcut strip into two 11/2" x 481/2" F strips.

4. Sew the F strips to opposite long sides and G strips to the top and bottom of the pieced center; press seams toward strips.

5. Join the H/I strips on short ends to make one long strip; press seams open. Subcut strip into two 31/2" x 501/2" H strips and two 31/2" x 441/2" I strips.

6. Sew the H strips to opposite long sides and the I strips to the top and bottom of the pieced center; press seams toward strips.

7. In the center of the lightweight plastic square, mark a circle that is 1/8" larger in diameter than the flower center piece; cut out circle.

8. Place opening of the plastic square over one flower circle with edges of plastic under chenille strip as shown in Figure 10; vigorously brush chenille strip. Spray lightly with water; brush until strip is fluffy. Repeat for all chenille strips. Note: The plastic square protects the buttonhole stitches and surrounding fabric from the stiff bristles of the brush and prevents fuzz from coating the white print fabric around each flower.

COMPLETING THE QUILT

1. Sandwich the batting between the completed top and prepared backing piece; pin or baste to hold layers together.

2. Quilt as desired by hand or machine, stopping stitches 1" from the outer edge of the floral print border. Note: The sample shown was professionally machine- quilted using white machine- quilting thread. 3. Trim batting and backing even with quilted top; remove pins or basting. Fold the backing edge down away from the quilt edge; pin or baste in place.

4. Select two E rectangles; place right sides together. Repeat with all E pieces to make 50 pairs.

5. Prepare a template for E. Trace E on one side of each pair of rectangles, aligning the straight edge of E with a long edge of the rectangles as shown in Figure 11.

6. Stitch each pair on the traced curved line; trim seam allowance, turn right side out and press flat to complete scallop shapes.

7. Pin 14 scallop shapes along one long side of the quilted top, beginning and ending 1/4" from corners as shown in Figure 12; stitch in place through top and batting layers only. Repeat on the opposite side. Arrange and stitch 11 scallop shapes each on the top and bottom edges.

8. Trim batting close to stitching line. Fold the scallop pieces out and the seam allowance to the back of the quilt; press lightly.

9. Release the backing fabric; turn raw edge in 1/4" and press. Pin in place along bottom of scallops. Hand- or machine-stitch in place.

10. Hand- or machine-quilt 1/2" from edge of floral print border to finish.