Blooming Meadow Quilt Block + Tutorial

November 01, 2022 2 Comments

(Scroll on down to skip right to the Nesting & Spinning Seams tutorial.)

A new month means new blocks from the Quilt Block Mania designers! This month is all about camping, which is near and dear to my heart. From the time they could walk, all three of my kiddos have spent their summers camping with my in-laws. Their camping days are filled with quad rides, hiking, building forts, mending fences, and climbing trees. They spend the nights roasting marshmallows, playing card games, and enjoying the night sky (SO many stars!).

Each summer, my in-laws escape the heat and set up camp near Greens Peak in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona. The weather is just about perfect with warm days and cool nights (a huge relief compared to where we live). The forests are dense with trees then open up to immense, lush meadows. My fond memories of walking through these meadows with my kids was the inspiration for my block: Blooming Meadow.

Blooming Meadows quilt block by Cristy Fincher

Greens Peak meadow in Arizona Greens Peak purple flowers in Arizona

The Blooming Meadow Quilt Block is a perfect block for skill building and fine tuning your piecing skills. The block is filled with classic 9-patch flower blocks in two different sizes. I used fabric colors that reminded me of the meadows near Greens Peak, and they would be lovely in any of your favorite colors. I put together a tutorial on nesting & spinning seams as a BONUS - yay! Scroll down and level up your piecing skills!

To make my Blooming Meadow quilt block, I used Teal V & Co. Ombre fabric for the background. The flowers are made from PURE Solids by Art Gallery Fabrics in Purple Pansy, Sweet Pink, Purple Wine, Very Berry, Wisteria, and Canary. The pattern allows for a lot of variety so you can make one that looks like your favorite meadow or garden.

The Blooming Meadow Quilt Block, along with the other QBM blocks, measure 12.5"x12.5", unfinished. Each block is FREE during the month of November, so you can combine blocks to put together your own camping-themed quilt or pick and choose your favorites. (scroll down for the list of designers and links to their patterns). After November, my pattern will be available to purchase as a download in my shop for $6.

BONUS Tutorial: Nesting & Spinning Seams

Want to learn more? Take a look at my video tutorial on YouTube

This is my go-to technique anytime I piece a quilt block (or a whole quilt) because it reduces bulk at seam intersections and it makes the whole quilt much stronger. Quilting over the seams is a breeze when there's less bulk, too.

1. After sewing the individual rows of squares together for the flower block, glue baste two together with a fine line of glue (you don't need much). Glue basting is magic!! I'm using our MicroFine Glue Tips and Elmer's Washable School Glue as my basting glue. Align the rows, right sides together, making sure to nest the seams.
Note: the seams of the rows of squares should be pressed in alternating directions.