Fun Flower—the Flower for all Seasons

I’m a true AccuQuilt fan—I’ve absolutely loved using every die I own for two reasons. First, I love the accuracy of the GO!® Fabric Cutter, and second, I love the extra time I save because of being able to cut multiple shapes at a time. Today, I would like to talk a little about my newest AccuQuilt GO! die—the GO! Fun Flower (55334). I really love using AccuQuilt GO! dies for appliqué projects-being able to quickly cut out the appliqué shapes really helps speed things up. In addition, you can apply your fusible web to the back of your fabric prior to running it through the GO! Fabric Cutter which saves you even more time. If you choose to, the GO! Fabric Cutter dies can also be used to quickly cut the fusible web separately, making projects go even faster.

A lot of uses for the GO! Fun Flower immediately come to mind. The GO! Fun Flower is perfect to use for appliqué and embellishment of baby quilts and accessories. This fun little flower also works perfectly with any spring, holiday or décor projects. I can’t wait to work on some Fun Flower embellished table runners and pillows for spring. In addition, I will definitely be using Fun Flower accents on the flannel receiving blankets I make for baby gifts. Another idea I have for using the Fun Flower is to center the flower shapes on larger triangles to make a fun spring-themed pennant.

The flower itself is sized to about 4 1/2" x 4 1/4". If you are going to use the Fun Flower in an individual quilt block, I recommend using at least a 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" background square. AccuQuilt offers a 6 1/2" Square (55000) to make it even easier for you. If using more than one shape in a quilt block, I recommend using at least a 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" background piece. Often I will center my appliqué on a larger piece of fabric and then trim to the desired size.

Since Christmas is fast approaching, I decided to use the GO! Fun Flower for some quick holiday gifts, with Christmas just days away. First, I cut out a Fun Flower shape using some fun Christmas fabric from my stash. If you choose to, you can apply your fusible web to the back of the fabric prior to running it through the GO! Fabric Cutter. I personally used the GO! Fun Flower appliqué die to cut out my fusible web separately. After cutting out the fusible web using the GO! Fabric Cutter, I also used some scissors to remove some of the web so my finished appliqué won’t be too stiff.

I used the GO! Fun Flower die and fun holiday fabric to cut out my Fun Flower.

I personally used the GO! Fun Flower appliqué die to cut out my fusible web separately. You can use scissors to remove some of the web so your finished appliqué won’t be as stiff.

Next, I made a “quilt sandwich” starting with a 10" x 10" square of background fabric (wrong side up), a 10" x 10" square of InsulBrite, a 10" x 10" square of batting, and my completed top (right side up). I machine basted close to the edges to keep everything together, and then I machine quilted just around the flower and close to edge of the background fabric.

I cut one strip of background fabric measuring 2 1/2" x 5" and ironed it in half. I then opened it up, pressing and folding the long raw edges in to the middle. I folded again and stitched the long side to make a strip to use for the potholder loop. I centered the loop on the back side and pinned it.

Next I made binding using a 2 1/4" x 44" strip of a coordinating fabric. AccuQuilt offers a 2 1/4" Strip Cutter (55053) for easy and accurate strips. I machine sewed the binding around all edges, making sure to catch the loop within my seam allowance. Finally, I hand-stitched the binding in place on the back of the potholder, tacking the edges of my loop up.

About Blogger:

Sherri has been sewing since childhood. She was first inspired by the women in her family who found joy in creating through sewing, needlework, and quilting. After discovering and being inspired by quilting blogs in 2008, she started her own blog to keep a record of her projects and thoughts about quilting. Sherri is married and is the mother of four children-she is grateful to have a family that truly supports her in her creative endeavors. She is especially grateful for their sense of humor and willingness to put up with fabric all over the house. Recently, Sherri has published several designs for pillows, quilt blocks, bags and quilts in quilting and sewing magazines. When she is not sewing and quilting at home, Sherri teaches English at a local community college. Being able to have a creative outlet has made life’s journey so much merrier!