Ages ago, the blogosphere exploded with quilts made
out of “x and + blocks.” I think there was even a sewalong at one point. The
small blocks are ideal for scrap busting. I always liked the pattern, but knew
that controlled scrappy was more my style.
The lines of the block reminded me of the stars and
stripes of the American flag, so I thought it would make a perfect Fourth of
July quilt. It wasn’t until the May/June issue of Quilty that I was inspired to
get started on it. Instead of the original 7.5” blocks, the Floral Breeze
pattern features 20” blocks. You only need twelve of them for a 60” by 80”
quilt!
The original patterns uses the same fabrics for
each block, but I wanted my quilt to have more character. I raided my stash,
but didn’t come up with very many red and white fabrics, so I stocked up on
Hawthorne Threads. I was so enthusiastic about getting started that I neglected
to make note of what fabrics I bought. I do know I bought a bunch of fabrics in
multiple colors, so there’s lots of Lizzy House Pearl Bracelets, Dear Stella
Zig Zags and Confetti Dots, and Riley Blake white on white basics.
In a perfect world, this quilt would be super quick
to whip up. I found that I could easily knock out a block or two in an evening.
However, I had several sewing distractions, so it took longer than anticipated.
I started this quilt in May and finished in October. At least it will be ready
for next Fourth of July!
It has been awhile since the timing has been right
for me to share a quilt in the Blogger's Quilt Festival, so I’m happy to link up
this time.
