How to Sew an Arizona's Cactus Flower Quilt

Create a beautiful Arizona's Cactus Flower Quilt by sewing with just two colors of material. Incorporate more color for a richer block. Mix up the colors or stick with the traditional orange of the Arizona's native Cactus Flower for this quilt. Make the quilt large or small by adding or deleting quilt blocks from the finished design.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Material or fabric
• Measure
• Scissors or rotary cutter
• Quilt bottom
• Quilt batting

Instructions

Determine Quilt Size

1. Measure the item where you want to use the quilt.

2. Choose the appropriate quilt size for the measurement of your item. Standard measurements are: Crib, 28-by-52 inches; Twin, 39-by-75 inches; Double, 54-by-74.5 inches; Queen, 60-by-80 inches; King, 76-by-80 inches.

3. Determine how many quilt blocks you will need based on how big you want your quilt to be.

Choose Quilting Material

1. Choose a light or white material for the outside of the flower. You will need a piece of 80-by-80 inches of material for each block.

2. Select a dark or bright colored piece of fabric for the inside of the cactus flower and accent pieces. You will need a piece of 56 5/8-by-83 7/8 inches for each block.

3. Calculate how many blocks across and down you will need, based on how big your quilt size is going to be. The finished block measures 12-by-12 inches.

Cut the Material

1. Cut four 2 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch block of the white material for the pattern pieces marked "A" (See Resources below for the Arizona's Cactus Flower Quilt).

2. Use the white material to cut 4 blocks of 2 7/8-by-2 7/8, then cut those blocks in half diagonal for "B." Use the colored material, cut 8 of these blocks and then cut those blocks in half diagonal for "B" also.

3. Measure a block of 5 1/4-by-5 1/4 of the white material, cut the piece in half diagonals and then cut those pieces in half to make four triangles for "C."

4. Take the white material, cut 2 squares of 3 7/8-by-3 7/8 inches and cut those in half diagonal for "D."

5. Cut the colored material into four 45-degree triangles from a piece of 1 1/4-by-6 7/8 of material for "E."

6. Utilize the colored material to cut four blocks from a 2 5/8-by-2 5/8 piece of material for "F."

7. Measure a 1 7/8-by-2 5/8 piece of the colored material and cut it in half for "G." Measure a 1 7/8-by-6 1/8 piece of the colored material for "H."

Sew an Individual Quilt Block

1. Sew the "A," "B" and "C" pieces together around the outside of the middle of the block.

2. Stitch the middle piece of the block containing pieces "D," "E," "F," "G" and "H."

3. Pin the 2 separate pieces of the block and sew them together.

Sew the Quilt Blocks Together and Finish the Quilt

1. Measure how many blocks across and down it will take to complete your desired quilt size and make the corresponding number of quilt blocks.

2. Sew all the blocks together to form the top of the quilt.

3. Find a piece of material as large as the top of your quilt for the bottom piece of your quilt. Place quilt batting in between the top and the bottom of the quilt.

4. Machine quilt the pieces together or hand quilt them together.

Resources

• Resources for quilting
• Free quilting patterns
• Arizona's Cactus Flower Quilt pattern