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| Petal and Plume Quilt |
The Flaunt quilt is an ideal choice if you're searching for a project that is colorful, visually striking and makes a bold impression. This beautiful project features the colors and bohemian flair of the Petal and Plume fabric collection designed by the incomparable Bari J. of Art Gallery Fabrics.
This 85" x 85" finished size quilt features a vibrant and cascading color palette that appears complicated, but is actually constructed in a clever manner. In this post, I'll explain why this pattern is so unique, discuss the fabric needs, and dissect the construction process, so you can confidently piece your own.
The Magic of the Petal and Plume Collection
With the Petal & Plume collection, Bari J. is known for her signature floral style, and it is not different this time. The fabric line is full of elaborate designs, peacock-inspired prints, and more intricate geometric patterns, with a beautiful split into two different rich colorways: One featuring deeper berry and teal shades (such as Peacock Waltz Gala and Panache Profundo), and the other with softer, brighter mint and violet hues (Peacock Waltz Festal and Hyperflora Sea).
The Flaunt pattern fully exploits these prints, presenting them in a sequence (Fabrics A - J). The effect is one of mesmerizing and flowing changes of color and value all over the quilt surface.
Pattern Blueprint & Fabric Requirements
To create this 85" x 85" masterpiece, you’ll want to select ten coordinating prints to get that perfect gradient effect. The following is what you will need, according to the original instructions written by Flaun Cline from I Plead Quilty:
- Fabric A to Fabric J: each of the 10 prints that you have chosen from your collection in 7/8 yard quantities.
- The original design utilizes 2/3 yard of Binding Fabric (which is Art Gallery Fabrics' Pure Elements solid fabric - PE-428).
- Backing Fabric: 5 yards of coordinating print fabric of your choice (PEP-58205 or PEP-68205 are excellent choices to make the large-scale designs on the back stand out).
Step-by-Step Construction Overview
I am sure that the quilt top, although intricate, doesn't confuse you! It is all about strip piecing and making tubes - cutting less time and beautifully aligned seams.
Ensure that all strips are prepared and cut.Make sure all strips are ready and cut.
This quilt is so easily cut. You will be cutting 4 strips from each of your 10 fabrics (A through J), 5 ½” x width of fabric (WOF).
2. Make the Tube Sets
Then you will arrange your strips in alphabetical order (A to J) and start to sew them together with a precise ¼” seam allowance to form a large strip set. Continue this process until you have four sets of strips that are the same.
One quilting tip would be to alternate rows – sew row 1 to 2 from top to bottom, row 2 to 3 from bottom to top; the change is necessary to prevent any distortion or bowing.
Press the seams not until the entire strip set is seamed. After completed, press seams in alternate direction.
Seam the last edge of Fabric A to the edge of Fabric J on each set to make them into tubes.
3. Cross-Cutting and Deconstructing
Place your fabric tubes on top of your cutting mat and cut them across into 5 ½” pieces. You will get a total of 32 cross-cut loop sections from your tubes.
The pattern then leads you to gently open certain seams in the loops with a seam ripper, and then pass them in a strategic manner. Each row of fabric is changed by changing the opening of the tube. These rows will be grouped together in three major structural sections:
Segment One & Two: Combined to make the sweeping diagonal flow.
Segment Three: Fills the half-segments and stepped layouts to complete the corners.
4. Stitching the Quilt Top
After you have reconstructed your segments on either a design wall or a large flat surface, it is just a matter of sewing Segment Three to Segment Two, and then sewing that to Segment One.
The Petal and Plume Quilt is available for a free download from Art Gallery Fabrics:
The Flaunt quilt is a great project for how fabric can make a simple design really become a show-stopper. Taking an easy strip-piecing technique, the Cline sisters, Bari J. and Flaun, pieced the prints in a strict sequential order to create a contemporary heirloom that seems to be quite complex but is very rewarding to put together. Great for an intermediate quilter who wants to try tube-piecing or a beginner who is ready to create accurate seam alignment and value placement.
A layout of this size can look absolutely stunning – when you use fine weave fabrics such as Art Gallery Fabrics, it will feel incredibly soft and drapeable and will be a functional piece of art that you'll want to cozy up with.
This pattern will definitely be a show-stopper for any quilting portfolio, and it can be used to create a gradient of scraps, or it can be used to give your quilting a bohemian style.
