Shutter Flowers- Step by Step Tutorial
I call this quilt block Shutter Flowers because the design reminds me of both the petals of a flower and the shutters on a house or camera lens. One of my favorite things about this block is that you make two blocks at a time, and there are no triangles or tricky angles to worry about.
For my version, I paired a black background with our Sew Creative Boho Beach Botanical Variation #20 fabric. The bright print really pops against the black! Each block finishes at approximately 8¼ inches, and when several blocks come together, they create a beautiful, dramatic design.
This is a simple project with a striking finished look, and I hope you'll give Shutter Flowers a try. Happy sewing!
What You'll Need
To make two Shutter Flowers quilt blocks, cut:
- 5 print squares: 3" x 3"
- 5 background squares: 3" x 3"
- 1 print strip: 1¾" wide
- 1 background strip: 1¾" wide
I used black for my background, but you can choose whatever color gives you the contrast you want.
Step 1: Make the Half-and-Half Units
The unique part of this block is the little half-print, half-background pieces.
Start by cutting one strip from your print fabric and one strip from your background fabric. Both strips should be 1¾" wide.
Place the strips right sides together and sew them together lengthwise. Press the seam, then begin cutting the joined strip into 3" sections.
These will become the half-and-half units used throughout the Shutter Flowers design.
Step 2: Gather Your Pieces
Once your half-and-half units are ready, gather them with your 3" print squares and 3" background squares.
At this point, you've made all the pieces you need to build both blocks. That's one reason I enjoy this project. The cutting and piecing are straightforward, but the finished design looks much more complicated than it really is.
Step 3: Arrange the Shutter Flowers
Lay out your print squares, background squares and half-and-half units to create the Shutter Flowers design.
I always recommend laying everything out before you start sewing. This gives you a chance to check the placement and orientation of each piece so your design comes together correctly.
Remember, this layout creates two Shutter Flowers blocks at the same time.
Step 4: Sew the Blocks Together
Once you're happy with the arrangement, begin sewing your pieces together into rows.
After your rows are complete, join them together to finish your blocks. Take your time matching your seams so the design stays nice and crisp.
Finished Shutter Flowers Blocks
Each Shutter Flowers quilt block finishes at approximately 8¼ inches.
These aren't especially large blocks, but once you start placing several of them together, that's when the design really comes to life. The combination of the flower-like shapes, shutter effect and strong contrast creates a beautiful finished quilt.
I especially love how the colorful Sew Creative print stands out against the black background, but this would be a fun block to experiment with using all kinds of color combinations.
I hope you'll give Shutter Flowers a try!
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Happy sewing!
