Making tulips using the Drunkard’s Path method to make a spring quilt

by Jackie White March 6, 2017

written by Jackie White March 6, 2017

Tulips are my all-time favorite flower. When combined with Northcott’s beautiful Artisan Spirit Shimmer Echoes collection, this wall hanging will bring a smile to anyone. It measures 16” x 32” and would look great on a wall, dresser cover, bed or table runner. Tulips are most often appliqued or appear to be square when made into a quilt block. Using the Drunkard’s Path method to make these cheerful tulips, adds a softer shape to these spring flowers.

Tulips quilted wall hanging made from Northcott Artisan Spirit Shimmer Echoes collection

materials
fabric

¼yd of each:
brown 20259M-39 for one pot
dark green 20259M-63 for the second pot
green 20254M-67 for stems
1yd gray 20254M-92 for background and binding
⅛yd of each for the flowers:
pink 20256M-27
orange 20255M-590
blue 20256M-42
burgundy 20258M-28

other

CLOVER 464/12 – Bias Tape Maker
Download 2 templates:
flower
flower pot

Flower tulip template. Click on the picture to download the PDF.

Flower pot template, Click on the picture to download the PDF.

Several pieces of fabric, folded and laid out, in a variety of colors.

Northcott fabric collection – Artisan Spirit Shimmer Echoes

Instructions for making the flower blocks

Cut four 2½” x 2½” squares from the gray fabric. Cut one 2½” x 2½” square from each of the four flower fabrics of pink, orange, blue, and burgundy.

Cut four 2½” x 4½” rectangles from the gray fabric.

With right sides together, sew the gray 2½” square to the colored square flower fabric. Press. Repeat this step three times with the gray fabric squares and the square flower fabrics.

Sew the new 2½” x 4½” block to the gray 2½” x 4½” rectangle. Repeat this step for the remaining three blocks. The following picture shows the completed center blocks.

Fabric from the Northcott Artisan Spirit Shimmer Echoes collection pieced together using squares and rectangles.

Sewing the center blocks for the tulip flower

Using the flower tulip templates provided, make three Drunkard’s Path blocks from each of the designated flower fabrics of pink, orange, blue, and burgundy.

From each flower fabric, cut three quarter circle pieces, for a total of 12 quarter circles.

The L shape piece is from the gray fabric. Cut a total of 12 L shape pieces from the gray fabric. Check out my tip on how to make a Drunkard’s Path block.

Two different shapes from colored fabric to make the Drunkard's Path block. Northcott Artisan Spirit Shimmer Echoes collection.

Cut the shapes out for the Drunkard’s Path blocks.

Sew the three Drunkard’s Path blocks together with one center block to make the larger tulip block as pictured in the following image, and press. Trim to an 8½” square. Repeat this step to make all four flowers.

Tulip block from fabric machine pieced. Northcott Artisan Spirit Shimmer Echoes collection.

Sew the blocks together to make the tulip.

Using the Drunkard’s Path method, the tulips are taking a lovely shape! Stay tuned as we make the cute flower pots and stems to put our tulips into using Northcott’s Artisan Spirit Shimmer Echoes fabric collection!

This is part 1 of 5 in this series.

Go to part 2: Artisan Spirit Shimmer Echoes makes potted tulips beautiful for spring

Print this page or save as a PDF

Jackie White

I am a quilter who loves quilting outside the box especially when it comes to 3D and embellishments. My work has been published in books and magazines and I currently sit on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Quilters’ Association. When I am not in my studio, I am working as a Social Media Manager.