THE LAST WORD

Hands up who has a weakness for floral prints… Kate Basti does too! This month she's pulling a bundle based around the beauty of nature's blooms

Hands up who has a weakness for floral prints… Kate Basti does too! This month she’s pulling a bundle based around the beauty of nature’s blooms

Floral prints started it all. Ten years ago, when I moved from the hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C. to the sleepier city of Columbus, Ohio, I began work at a less-thanexciting job and, in my boredom, I discovered blogs. I stumbled upon a blogger who posted a beautiful, summery patchwork quilt. Its pink and yellow palette featured primarily floral prints, and for some reason, it sparked a great deal of curiosity in me about sewing.

I’d only sewn a handful of times in 8th grade Home Economics class, and even then, I’d never completed my class project. I was absolutely clueless, but I knew I wanted to learn more. I searched online for floral fabric, and suddenly my work computer screen was filled with images of the most gorgeous floral prints that I’d never known I needed. Its name was Garden Party, and its designer was Anna Maria Horner. Just like that, I was hooked.

My stash of floral prints has grown like wildflowers since that day, and my affinity for them hasn’t changed. It’s a joy to curate a bundle focusing on nature’s blooms, and what better timing than with spring right around the corner. To kick it off, I’ve chosen a gorgeous new print as my hero. Mousies Floral in Peach by Heather Ross for Windham Fabrics is about as dainty and darling as they come, and its palette of peachy-pink, orange and green will set the stage for the rest of my bundle.

I begin to pull green prints first and immediately pick an all-time favourite floral, Spring Blooms in Green also by Heather Ross for Windham Fabrics. I also pull Scruffy Daisy in Grasshopper by Karen Lewis for Robert Kaufman with its bold white outlines and Flower Stitch in Green by Janine Vangool for Windham Fabrics for its softer, more subdued motif. I round it out with Kaleidoscope in Citron by Melody Miller for Cotton+Steel.

Next up: oranges! Treasure Splendour in Tang by Bari J. for Art Gallery Fabrics is a truly beautiful print with its leaf-like mandalas in orange atop a soft pink. It’s a perfect match for our colour palette. I then pull Wee Flowers in Orange by Kim Kight for Cotton+Steel, Tulips in Copper by Dana Willard for Art Gallery Fabrics, and Wave in Persimmon Sandbar by Annie Brady for Moda. As usual I include an Essex Yarn Dyed Metallic for its sparkle and texture, this time in Dusty Rose.

Finally, I begin pulling some natural tones and low-volumes to soften my bundle a bit. I include Chevron Brush Essex in Stone by Erin Dollar for Robert Kaufman, Meadow in Wisp by Alison Glass for Andover Fabrics, and Steeping Awakening in Toast Metallic by Katy Jones for Art Gallery Fabrics with its rosy print and sparkly touch of gold. Lastly, I add Pansies in Blush by Heather Ross for Windham – its colours and blooms are a dreamy addition.

This cheery bouquet of prints is perfect for welcoming in spring, as well as that floral quilt and the spark of curiosity I experienced a decade ago. I owe it all to the flowers.