Choosing Fabrics for the Formal Gardens Block
Meet the Formal Garden Quilt Block
If you’ve been on the hunt for a new spin on the old classic, the log cabin quilt block, you must check out my Formals Gardens quilt block. This block pattern plays with the alternating, interlocking pieces of the log cabin, and keeps the dramatic color families that give log cabins their timeless look. To keep things fresh and grow our skills, the block pattern introduces quarter circle blocks to bring modern sparkle to the party.
Below, I share my best advice on how to pick fabrics for the Formal Gardens block party. Plus! I’ve put together a worksheet that walks you through how to calculate how much fabric you need to turn the block into a full quilt! Keep scrolling to get the free fabric calculations.
Make one just for practice (and turn it into a quilted packing cube) or dig into your stash to make several and turn this block pattern into your new heirloom, log cabin quilt.
However many you choose to make, here’s my best advice on choosing fabrics for the Formal Gardens quilt block.
In a typical log cabin block, you only need to think about two color families, or the colors that will go on opposite sides of the block. In the Formal Gardens quilt block, we need to think about:
Color family 1 (fabrics A/B )
Color family 2 (fabrics C/D)
the background fabric (fabric E)
Color Familes
I used cool colors for the A/B fabrics and warm colors for the C/D fabrics. Making sure the two color families have good contrast will emphasize the log cabin aspects of the block. Here are some other ways to think about the two color families:
For a winter holiday quilt, the A/B fabrics could be greens and the C/D fabrics could be reds.
For a Halloween quilt, the A/B fabrics could be blacks and purples and the C/D fabrics could be acid greens and yellows.
For a year round quilt, the A/B fabrics could be your favorite color and the C/D fabrics could be the complementary color.
Once you’ve decided on your color families, we can dig into the specific fabrics. I recommend that fabrics A and C are highly saturated or have a dark value, and fabrics B and D have low saturation or a light value. The contrast emphasizes the expanding squares in the patchwork.
Background Fabric
I recommend reserving neutrals for Fabric E. This way you can show off your favorite colors in the color families. I wanted a completely scrappy look in my blocks, so I used different low-volume neutrals in each background unit. This allowed me to dig deep into my stash and use lots of fabric I’ve been holding onto.
How Much Fabric Do You Need For a Full Quilt?
The block pattern fabric requirements are written so that you can use scraps from yardage or fat quarters, depending on what is in your stash. I’ve put together a worksheet that walks you through how to calculate how much fabric you need to turn the Formal Gardens quilt block into a full pattern. And the best part? I’ll send it straight to your inbox for you have as easy reference.
Have so much fun digging into your stash and making the Formal Gardens quilt block! Make sure to share pictures of your project using #FormalGardenQuiltBlock and tag me @mija.handmade.