Love Apples Quilt Pattern
For years and years I have been obsessed with Large Scale Applique Blocks. It all started with a trip to The International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. They had a life changing exhibit (at least for me it was) of these powerful, enormous applique quilts. The scale of the designs was so big, but the designs themselves were really simple. I broke out my sketch book on the way home from the museum and started drawing blocks based on some of my favorite flowers and plants. As soon as I got home I started the first of what would become a huge series of quilt blocks.
I am absolutely Thrilled to announce the first in a long series of Four Block Applique patterns! Love Apples. I have a big series of these large scale applique blocks planned. I have made so many over the years and I was a little stumped on how to release them as patterns. Each block will finish at 32 inches, so keep that in mind as far as the scale goes. You can just make one as a baby quilt or wall hanging or even mix it with other blocks from your collection to make a very cool medallion or atypical quilt layout. Or you can make 4 of the same blocks to create a traditional Four Block Applique Quilt.
SIngle Love Apple Applique block. FInished at 32”x32”
Love Apples was my first dive into these large floral blocks. A Love Apple is a Tomato. I suppose back when the white folks arrived in North America they were a little unsure of the tomato. They thought is was poisonous or would cause uncontrollable passion. I don’t know if that is true, but I do love a good fresh tomato sauce….and a roasted tomato soup is unbeatable. I loved the flipped over heart as a jumping off spot. Hearts are pretty simple to applique and if you are doing needle turn you will learn everything you need to know about how to stitch almost any shape. Then the design gets a bit more complicated with the addition of the tulip part and the reverse applique in the center. You will get to make many little dots/berrys. I love making these on the go and typically have lots in a zipper bag for whenever I need some dots.
Four Love Apple blocks used in a very large quilt. I added a strip pieced sashing in the center of the quilt and a narrow grey frame all around the quilt. I also added a wide 10” border to the quilt to make it big enough for my bed.
In the Love Apple quilt above you will see that I used 4 of the same block to create a more traditional version of a four block applique quilt. I never really likes the little yellow flowers I used in this quilt, so for the final version of the pattern I included a simple five petal blossom more in line with a tomato flower. Part of why I love this quilt so much is the fabrics I used, This is made almost entirely with the Ombre fabric collection Melody Miller created for Cotton&Steel. It was a not widely distributed as it came out right before she and the ladies left RJR and moved to Moda and became Ruby Star Society. I have begged her many times to relaunch this collection as it has such a gentle watercolor characteristic to it. and the color fade is so subtle. It just glows. I also had a blast quilting the heck out of this quilt. I used 2 layers of batting, so it is a very heavy and thick quilt. The whimsical feather in the border was quilted with raspberry pink thread.
This quilt is named Emma’s Garden. My daughter and I love to garden in the spring and supper. I like to grow the strange things and Emma loves the beautiful flowers. I combined these four blocks because they were all about the same size….not necessarily because they go together. I like to be inspired by my flowers….but they don’t really need to look a lot like the actual flower they represent. Kinda folk art like….or the way medieval artists painted lions, They had never really seen a lion so they just tried their best. All of these quilt blocks are in the queue to have patterns. Hopefully by the time you are finished with one block the next will be published. That is my plan
This quilt is also made entirely with Cotton&Steel fabric. I used two layer of batting and I quilted the heck out of it. I had fun with the vine in the wide border and I fussy cut some cute bees.
Love Apples and Lovely Lilies quilt blocks with a really fun Prairie Point edge.
This last quilt in the Love Apple series is a combination of two large scale applique blocks. Love Apples and two Lovely Lilies. Lovely Lilies will be released at the same time as Love Apples so you can combine them if you wish, or if you hate one block you might like the other. I have always wanted to add Prairie Points to a quilt so I added them to this quilt. Below I have some links to a couple of my YouTube Videos if you would like to see how I applique, or make berries or make bias….heck even how I make prairie points. I hope you love diving into this fun series of quilt blocks. Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions. Love Apples and Lovely Lilies will be released next month!
How to make Bias with a Clover Bias Maker
How to make perfect circles with Karen Kay Buckley
Thanks so much for reading about my Love Apples Applique Quilts!
xoxo
Tia