22 - Flowering Snowball

Made by Mary at mollyflanders.blogspot.com

This is the beautiful block we will make for our first week of curves.  Mary who blogs at Molly Flanders wrote a mini tutorial for the Flowering Snowballs block in June.  I knew the second I saw it that I wanted to make it.  I actually want to make everything I see on her blog.  Mary has a great sense of color and style.  I love her work.

I am not loving my rendition of her block though.  I was trying to move out of my comfort zone by using orange and blue together...my husband says it looks like a flat basket ball.   I think it will look ok mixed with all the other blocks.

Please go over to Mary's mini tutorial, read the directions and print out the templates.  I clicked on the templates, saved them to my computer and then printed them from my computer.  Come back here and I will give some pinning tips that might help if you are new to curves.

1.  After you print out the templates (on card stock if you have it) cut them out on the outer dotted line.
2. Trace the templates with a pen (4 petals, 4 outer pieces and 1 center piece) onto your fabric and cut them out.
3. Sew an outer piece to either side of the center piece.  Press seams away from the center.

BE SURE TO USE A SCANT 1/4 INCH SEAM

My block ended up small...sigh...

 You are now ready to join the 2 petals to each side of the remaining outer sections.  

First lay the point of the petal at the bottom of the outer section.  Pin in place.

Next, line up the top corner of the petal with the top of the outer section and pin. 

 Curve the two pieces of fabric into a C shape as shown 

and tuck the petal down until the edges are close to matching.

Pin the edges together easing as necessary. 

SEW!  You Can Do It!

Remember your scant seam.

Just work your way slowly along the edge.  

Ease any wrinkles out of the way.  We don't want any puckers. 

Repeat these steps and sew a petal on the other side of the outer section.

Press away from the petals and towards the outer section.

Doesn't that look like the lining of a swimsuit or something?  :)

Lay the petal section you just pieced flat on top of the "bow tie" piece. 

Pin at the central seams - they should but up neatly against each other. 

 Pin the outer corners together.  Shape into a C.

 Ease the edges together and pin.

 Sew.  

You can let the fabric curve around and just gently guide it under the foot.  

Remember slow and steady and Scant 1/4 inch Seams!

 Press towards the petals and repeat for the other side.

You Did It!  Give yourself a pat on the back.

I know I did.  :)