The Flowering Snowball Quilt block is a traditional block and quite possibly one of my favorite quilt designs. It is one of those blocks where size, print, and color placement can really affect the design. The potential to change the design by the placement of fabric and the use of color is limited only by imagination.
I spent some time playing with the overall quilt design using EQ7 (quilt design software), playing with color and in particular adding subtle variation in the background circles. I have used two background fabrics to create the circles: Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in White and Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed Homespun in Natural.
Essex Yarn Dyed Homespun fabric is lightly textured fabric and has a natural linen look about it. It was lovely to piece with. My Flowering Snowball blocks are small (6 inch finished blocks), and the fabric pieces are smaller still. The seams are short and the curves are tight, and although the fabrics varied slightly in weight they all worked so well together.
Once I was happy with the quilt design I printed out the layout and worked out the blocks required. That is, the combination of background fabrics for the units of each block, and how to best sew the blocks together and press the seams so that all the seams would nest when pieced together.
If you stop by here regularly you may already know that I am not a pinner, and this quilt was pieced entirely without using a single pin. I have written a tutorial here which shows you how I sew curves without pinning, and this same technique has worked for this block. I do however like to nest my seams and I was able to nest all seams by pressing the seams for all blocks in exactly the same way. I did not clip any of the curved seam allowances and with a warm and gentle steam iron the blocks pressed up very nicely.
QUILT STATS
Berry Marmalade - A Flowering Snowball Quilt
Quilt top measures 48 inches x 48 inches.
A total of 64 Flowering Snowball Blocks.
(8 rows of 8 blocks).
Each finished block measures 6 inches x 6 inches.
576 patchwork pieces.
That tiny black center square measures 1/2" x 1/2".
Background Fabrics:
Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in White
Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed Homespun
Templates:
Templates:
6" Acrylic Flowering Snowball Templates from Sunset Seams (Etsy).
Now ready for basting and quilting.
Thank you for stopping by,
Rita
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that's amazing piecing. and very nice colours too. waiting to see it all basted and quilted!!
ReplyDeleteWould love to know how you pressed!
ReplyDeleteI have a lovely vintage quilt similar to your quilt but it has a 9 patch in the center. I thought mine was called something like "stretched 9 patch" but I sure don't know. Mine is from about 1935 and tied. Your quilt is very bright and cheerful. Love it.
ReplyDeleteBerry Marmalade is absolutely beautiful and stunning. I love how the color palette worked so beautifully with the design. Happy sewing! --Andrea
ReplyDeleteYour piecing skills are amazing.
ReplyDeleteLove this Rita. I learn so much from you with every one of your quilts. I am challenged in color choices and tend to venture too far off. I just need to spend more time deciding. These colors are beautiful together. I love the dark yellows and brown and orange with the red and pink. I like subtle changes with the back ground fabrics too.
ReplyDeleteOh, I was too prudent to buy those strawberries when they first came out, and now I regret it!
ReplyDeleteThis quilt absolutely amazes me, Rita. After seeing it on Instagram, I came here to read about your process for designing it. Then I clicked on all your links of past similar quilts...oh my. They are all so different, just as you said, depending on the fabric selection/volume placement. I think I will be dreaming about this quilt tonight. I'd love to see a video of you sewing a square or two or ten... This is truly lovely. Thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteI love this quilt! I like the traditional block, and the secondary pattern you've played with, and the colour/fabric combination! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI've followed your blog for several years now, and am always astonished at/inspired by your precision, mastery of color/value play, and modernization of tradition. Via this comment, may I ask permission to use some photos of your EPP quilts (daisy chain, hexagon, wagon wheel) as part of a presentation I've been asked to do for my guild (the Monterey Peninsula Quilt Guild mpqg.org) I'll be demonstrating technique but also want to offer a slide show so members can see the limitless possibilities. In addition to showing a handful of your pictures, I would mention your site by name, and refer members to it for more information, instructions, patterns, etc. Also am asking permission from Modern Handcraft, Tales of Cloth and Katja's quilts. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Cat - you will need to email with more specific details to obtain written permission. email: redpepperquilts@gmail.com
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