Decadence Stitch-Along - Month 12 - Petals - Block 12 February 15 2020

Today we review our last of twelve blocks. It has been a year since we began this journey together, and together we shall continue.  Many of you will still be working on these blocks into this new year, so don't hesitate to continue to ask any questions. I'll still be around to help.

As I write, today is Valentine's Day. Remember to express your love to your loved ones. So often we forget to tell them how we feel, and we all need to hear it. Every year, I get out my floss box filled with Valentine hexagons and make a few more hexagon flowers. There is something about RED, PINK and WHITE together that I just adore. I hope you enjoy these pretties and are inspired to make a few of your own. 

TIP FOR TODAY:

This particular block is my least favorite. It has too much open space compared to all the other blocks, and I'm not completely happy with all my fabric choices. If I had the time, I would have made another (EDITOR'S NOTE:  I like this block and think it looks lovely!). But alas, we wanted it to hang at Quilt Con 2019, and I managed to mail it to Jen at her hotel the day before the show. Phew, that was a close one.

Back to my tip. In order to fill in an open space of a block which is "outlined" with adjoining pieces, you can place a second/different background fabric within this outline. This block is an example where the petals touch each other around a center open space.  I would like to have given this center background more contrast with a darker fabric. So maybe you will consider this idea yourself. The method I used for doing this will be explained below.

FABRICS USED IN THIS MONTH'S ROUND ARE:

• Floral Fusion
• Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers
• Black with Green Border Print
• Peacock Feathers
• Cream with Drawn Flowers
• Background Fabric

Also included in your packet are 1" paper circles.

FABRIC CHOICES AND FUSSY CUTS:

1) I began by making ALL my Orange Peel shapes. Although I usually thread baste my pieces, this is one instance in which I use glue for perfection. As shown in the first picture below, I cut my seam allowance to about 1/8" so that there would not be any folds/gathers which would cause bulk when using a larger seam allowance. 

- Cut SIXTEEN (16) Orange Peels from the Floral Fusion fabric. EIGHT (8) will be cut with the curl facing one direction and EIGHT (8) will be cut exactly the opposite, as shown in the first picture below. This picture also illustrates the placement of the fabric CUT.  Although our pattern lists the Orange Peel template as 2 inches, it is actually 2-7/8" point to point.

- Cut EIGHT (8) Orange Peels from the black stripe section of the Black with Green Border Print fabric with the stripes going crosswise and a black stripe at each point.

- Cut EIGHT (8) Orange Peels from the Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers fabric, avoiding any of the larger flowers bouquets.  

2) Cut TWELVE (12) one-inch circles from the eye of the feather of the Peacock Feather fabric, as shown in the first picture below. Using a seam allowance of about 3/16ths of an inch, with small running stitches, gather the fabric tightly around the paper circle and iron it while holding your gathering thread tightly in place.

3) On a 16" square of Cream with Drawn Flowers fabric, with your finger, gently crease two diagonal lines forming an "X" from corner to corner.  Do not iron this crease; it is a gentle crease used for placement guidelines; it will be ironed away when block is complete. Next, gently crease two additional lines, one-inch away from the last line, in each of four directions surrounding the center, creating a grid, as shown in the first picture below. You may add additional gently creased lines if it will help you with placement. 

NOTE: If you choose not to use the second/different background of the Cream with Drawn Flowers, you may appliqué everything to the soft pink background fabric. However, learning this method now may come in handy for future patterns which you may work with. 

4) When you appliqué an Orange Peel, stitch one side from one extreme point to the other extreme point. Then with the tip of your needle, tuck the "tag" seam allowance under the point of the Orange Peel and make a small tack stitch defining the point. Finish appliquéing the other side of the Orange Peel when directed and tuck your "tag" seam allowance under in the same way. You want this "tag" seam allowance trimmed small, about 1/8"

5) Begin by appliquéing your Black Striped Orange Peels point to point along the creased center "X", two along each line, placement shown in the picture of the finished block at the beginning of this article. Keep those "tags" tucked under, your points sharp and the points touching the neighboring Orange Peel point.

6) As shown in the finished block, appliqué the eight (8) Hot Pink Orange Peels around the center.

7) As shown in the finished block, appliqué the sixteen (16) Brit Bouquet Orange Peels around the perimeter of the design. APPLIQUÉ ONLY THE SIDE OF THE ORANGE PEEL FACING THE CENTER, LEAVE THE OTHER SIDE LOOSE. Be sure that your Floral Fusion Orange Peels are separated into sets of two symmetrical pieces.The curled ends of the Curly Cue meet where two Orange Peels come together into a convex point.

8) Appliqué four (4) one-inch circles in the center of the four open spaces around the center of your block. 

You may remove the paper before you appliqué the circle, keeping the circle smooth when stitching. Or you may use my preferred method to appliqué the circle with the paper still inside; then remove it from the back afterwards. The following three pictures demonstrate this method. It guarantees a smooth circle shape for me. I described this method in July when we made Round #2, Twenty-Four Black Circles.

9) The following six pictures show how I prepared the finished center for appliqué to the soft pink Background Fabric.  

- This picture is what your block should look like now. Remember, you DID NOT sew down the outside edge of the Floral Fusion Orange Peels. 

- Fold back the Cream Fabric with Drawn Lines as shown in the following picture. This will now be a square. One section shows how to trim your seam allowance to 1/4".

- Turn over the piece and you will see the Background Fabric "sticking out" in the four concave sections. Make a slit down the center of these Background Fabric areas ending a few threads short of your appliqué as seen in one corner of the following picture.

- Trim the fabric in the concave corner to 1/4" seam allowance and fold back as shown in the following picture. 

 - The following pic shows your completed center from the front.  

10) Appliqué this piece to the center of an 18 inch square of Background fabric, positioning as seen in the finished block above. This square will later be trimmed to 17-1/2 inches. 

11) Hold on, we're not finished yet. Appliqué the remaining eight (8) one-inch circles, placement shown in picture of the finished block above.

WITH THE COMPLETION OF THIS BLOCK #12 ROUND, we have finished all our blocks. Next month we will create our Elongated Hexagon Inset and sew our quilt top together. Be sure to post your progress on Instagram and/or Facebook with #DecadenceSAL. We all like to win a prize. And feel free to ask any questions.