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How to Sew a Flower Basket Quilt Block
The Flower Basket quilt block is a charming classic design combining a triangular basket base with flower and leaf fabrics. It's a beautiful block that works wonderfully in spring and garden-themed quilts!
Materials Needed
- Fabric in different colors for the basket, flowers, and leaves
- Quilting ruler and rotary cutter
- Sewing machine and thread
- Iron and ironing board
Cutting Guide
- Basket fabric: one 5" × 5" square
- Flower fabric: one 4" × 4" square
- Leaf fabric: two 3" × 4" rectangles
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cut the basket fabric diagonally to create two triangles.
- Sew the basket triangles together along the long edge with a ¼" seam allowance. Press the seam open.
- Attach the flower fabric. Place the flower fabric right side up on top of the basket fabric, aligning the bottom edges. Sew along the bottom edge with a ¼" seam allowance. Press the seam open.
- Cut the leaf rectangles diagonally to create four triangles.
- Sew the leaf triangles to the sides of the basket, aligning the long edges. Press the seams open.
- Trim the block to 8" × 8".
- Repeat to create as many Flower Basket blocks as needed.
- Assemble the quilt top, layer with batting and backing, quilt as desired, and bind the edges to finish.
That's it — you now have a beautiful Flower Basket quilt block!
No-Bias HST Technique
This technique eliminates the need to directly manipulate the stretchy bias of the triangle. It uses two easy-to-cut squares and produces two HSTs at once.
Step 1: Draw the Diagonal Line
On the back of the lighter fabric, draw a pencil line diagonally from corner to corner.
Step 2: Sew Both Sides of the Line
Stack a pair of light and dark squares right sides together. Sew a ¼" seam on each side of the line.
You will end up with something like this:
Step 3: Cut, Press, and Trim
Press the seam to set it, then press toward the darkest fabric.
Line up the 45° diagonal angle on your ruler with the seam, then carefully trim with a rotary cutter.
Corner Square Technique
Use this technique to add precise corner triangles to any block unit without dealing with stretchy bias edges.
Sew the squares together.
Mark the wrong side of the unit with a pencil line, aligning the corners of the squares and the intersection of the seams.
Line up the corner of the square or triangle you will add to the corner of the unit.
Sew a seam one thread's width from the marked line — this tiny allowance makes room for the fold of the fabric so the triangle point isn't cut off. Fold the triangle into position using the squares to assist alignment, then press.
Trim away excess fabric to reduce bulk, leaving a ¼" seam allowance and trimming the ears.
How to Resize Quilt Blocks
The first step in modifying any quilt block is to decide on your finished block size. You can base this on doubling a pattern, cutting it in half, or working with your available fabric.
Note: When working from a pattern's cutting instructions, remove the seam allowance before scaling. For example, if your pattern calls for 3½″ squares, subtract the seam allowance (½″), double the finished size (3″ → 6″), then add the seam allowance back (½″) — giving you a 6½″ cut piece.
Resizing Square Blocks
Add ½″ to your finished block measurement. For a 4″ finished square, cut a 4½″ square of fabric.
Resizing Rectangular Blocks
Add ½″ to both the length and width. To double a 3″ × 4″ block, cut a 6½″ × 8½″ rectangle.
Resizing Half-Square Triangle Blocks
Add 7/8″ to the desired finished block size. For a 4″ finished HST block, cut 4⅞″ squares.
Resizing Quarter Square Triangle Blocks
Add 1¼″ to the desired finished block size. For a 4″ finished block, cut 5¼″ squares.
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