Live a Colorful Life Quilt Diary: 235. Flower Shop

So long ago, 2008, I was part of a 1930s reproduction fabric block exchange with friends from church. We used a really great pattern booklet by Terri Atkinson called Confetti in the Corner. Each block had the same components but depending on how you assembled the blocks, they could look entirely different from each other. It really was genius and I have often thought it would be fun to make a solids version.

We each made extra blocks, and someone assembled them together for a quilt for the MCC charity quilt auction. So many years ago...

I never had an idea of how to put my blocks together, which is why it took so long to put the quilt top together. I had 13 blocks (because I had a duplicate of the block I had made). And then I saw this beautiful quilt by Mendy Slone, using 13 blocks, and knew I had found the setting for my quilt.

I am not proficient in applique, so I used some foundation paper pieced patterns by my friend, Amy Friend (@duringquiettime). The flowers were various sizes but I had plenty of the green solid fabric and was able to fill in the negative space to make it work.

For the backing, I had some panels by Cori Dantini in my stash called The Makers. They were really cute but I had never quite known what to do with them. They were the perfect colors for this quilt.

Most of these women no longer go to our church for various reasons, so this quilt is a special one for me.

I had initially thought I wanted some kind of flower design for the quilting, but Darby thought that might "fight" all the pots of flowers so she suggested something swirly. I'm glad she did.

We were in San Luis Obispo (central coast of California) in early November, and while eating lunch I noticed this little flower shop across the street. I had already named the quilt Flower Shop, so what could be more perfect?!

Mark's brother, Scott, took some behind-the-scenes photos: