Thursday, June 16, 2016

Sunflowers

Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album Month 9
I love sunflowers, they are such bright and happy flowers.
This is my sunflower block for the Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album Quilt.

There are so many lovely SVBAQs in the works. I am in awe at the variety of beautiful fabric combinations and sizes.
I opted to do the petals with a single circle of fabric. First the green appliqué. I cut out the center of the green out to reduce bulk, leaving the ground fabric uncut. Next, I basted the yellow over the finished green petals. This reduces the chance of the darker green fabric showing through the final yellow center.
All one yellow fabric, you can see a variety HERE.



I've appliqued sunflowers before.
On my Memory of Morris quilt (HERE)

I used at least six prints in the sunflower petals.

The MoM quilt was started in 2007, also a group project where we all chose our own fabrics. I did this project using freezer paper on top. I now back baste all of my appliqué.





Sunflowers remind me of road trips through the Midwest with acres of sunflower heads sparkling in the sun.

When the kids were little we planted sunflowers in a circle. When they reached full height we tied them at the top to create a tipi.

Do you have a sunflower block? Quilt? Garden?
Planning one?
Please take a minute and share by leaving a comment.

Have a great week,

Dawn
Please join us, you can order your pattern HERE.

23 comments:

  1. I have a Mountain Mist Sunflower quilt, maybe 1940s? And we always plant sunflowers in our deck planters here at the beach. My quilt is similar to this but uses brown calico with a pattern for the ''seeds'' and ''soil'':
    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/90986854945708244/

    lizzy at gone to the beach

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    1. Your Mountain Mist sunflower quilt is wonderful, a treasure.
      I can just about imagine your lovely beach planters, thanks for sharing!

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  2. Your attention to detail always impresses me. Lovely sunflowers!
    I have not made a sunflower block, beyond some in prim wool applique. We used to have one in our yard as a child.
    Also, I had a friend who was growing one and an adult child came for a visit from out of town. First words out of her mouth when she came in the door were, "Mom, I took care of that big ugly weed growing in the corner of the yard." We had a good laugh over that one.

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    1. I used to have a flower garden where I let at least one milk weed flower for the Monarchs. I had more than one person point out the weed. Lovely flowers, milk weeds!

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  3. We plant sunflowers every year. Love your MoM sunflower! I'm planning to make a center medallion with sunflowers for my Westering Women BOM.
    Will need to find a fairly easy or large pattern for the sunflowers as my needle turn skills are only so-so.

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    1. You could trace the line continuous like the lower petal on MoM. Using a print with various shades of yellow would give the appearance of multiple petals. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Love the sunflower block don't you? yours is gorgeous and great fabric choices. I have made mine and am glad to have those fiddly little petals done...just got to get around to posting :)

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    1. Looking forward to seeing yours, I'll be watching for it.

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  5. I love sunflowers too! It is awesome when the farmer plants them in the field across from us.

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    1. Sounds like a nice view from the woodpile.

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  6. Your applique is awesome. Yellow is my favourite colour and I love the blousy sunflower. It reminds me of a raggedy Ann doll for some reason. A happy flower if ever there was one. I believe I did a sunflower way back in a Piecemakers calendar quilt, possibly 1996. Nothing as delicate as yours. Amazing.

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    1. Maybe it's the yellow that makes them pop in a quilt. The big flower heads are fun too. Than there's the birds they feed in the fall and winter...yes, a great flower.

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  7. Dawn!! me encanta tu bloque girasol.
    saludos

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  8. Knowing how small your blocks are, those petals are tiny. Much easier doing them as a group. I loved hearing about your tepee story!

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    1. Your grandchildren would love a sunflower fort.

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  9. I love sunflowers--it's so fun to see all the different versions!

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  10. I love your sunflower blocks, both of them, and both made to perfection! Sunflowers make me long for sunnier day, as I have seen too much rain lately here in Holland.

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  11. Beautiful your sunflowers! I love riding my bike through fields and fields of sunflowers on a sunny day! It is like you are surrounded by smiling faces turning their heads as you ride by!

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  12. Sunflowers are such fun and happy flowers. Your version is very elegant. The teepee story is fun! We hardly have sunflowers over here, the climate is not so agreeable.

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  13. One year I put sunflower seeds in my bird feeder. Somehow they got scattered, and came up all over my yard. It was incredible! I haven't been able to grow a sunflower since.

    Your applique is lovely.

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  14. Your sunflower is showing the true signs of spring. you do beautiful work!

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  15. Oh I love sunflowers! No sunflower quilts here, but hey, I used to live in Kansas. :D

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  16. The block is beautiful ! I too love sunflowers and try to grow some from seed each year. In the late summer, if I've been successful, it is so much fun to watch the little finches feast on them.

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Thanks for your comments!