Here are 2 free quilting patterns with tropical fabrics to liven your home decor or give as a housewarming gift. These quilts are fast to make, colorful (but not dark), and fun!
Get ready to be transported to a tropical Island as you make one of these quilts that I designed for the Tropical Vibes collection by Emma Leach for Blank Quilting. The colors are bright, the motifs are beautiful, and the possibilities are endless as you can decorate a bedroom or living room with a quilt or wall hanging, make bench pillows for outdoor areas, beach totes, and so much more!
Quilt 1 above measures 45″ x 65″ and was designed to bring out all the happy colors of the center panel. It is a beginner project as you will be sewing strips of fabrics as borders without any blocks. It is perfect as a throw or wall hanging. If you know someone who loves flamingos, toucans, and tropical flowers, this panel and the coordinating fabrics will make a perfect gift for them.
Notice that border 4 is made with two fabrics, giving the impression that the flowers are cascading down the landscape of the light green fabric. I like how the scale of the prints came together on this border, and I hope you like it, too.
Flamingos are, to me, a great example of balance. Whenever I am meditating to achieve a balance of emotions, I think of them and how they can stand on one leg for long stretches of time. Likewise, Emma Leach achieved the perfect balance in this collection with her mix of colors, scale of prints, and textures. Love it!
Quilt 2 is the second of the 2 free quilting patterns with tropical fabrics that I designed for Blank Quilting. It measures 62″ x 72″ with 9″ blocks. For this quilt, I used another panel with flamingos, toucans, hummingbirds, and butterflies. The alternate blocks showcase the other fabrics in the collection and are set off by a frame in cream fabric from the Chameleon collection by Blank Quilting. Check out the free project I made for that collection, but put on your sunglasses before you see that quilt because the colors are vibrant!
The panel above would look great as a table runner, in placemats (here is a placemat tutorial showing you how to use the elements you like the most in a print as broderie perse), or as totes. It would also be cool to use them in pillows to add color to a corner of the living room or to coordinate with solids on a bed quilt.
Speaking of solid fabrics, they would really make the prints pop. Explore the basics from the Chameleon collection that I used in these quilts to get ideas of other ways to frame the panel blocks.
Some of us purchase fabric with panels because we love the prints. Then, we spend months trying to find a pattern to turn them into a quilt. I have designed many quilts for panels – large panels such as in Quilt 1, as well as smaller panels, as shown above. I like to write down the dimensions of the panels I purchase, and when I see a pattern for panels, I download it to see if any of the panels I have will fit in. So, go ahead and buy the panels you like – you are sure to find a pattern for them. Don’t ask me how many I have in my stash…
The 9″ blocks are super each to make and use the Stitch and Flip technique, making this another beginner project for those who are just dipping their toes into this craft. However, veteran quilters in search of a fast project will love this pattern, too.
When I work with EQ8, the software I use to design my quilts (affiliate link), I first head over to the Contemporary Blocks tab, then Frames, to see what my options are to display a large print or a print I want to place a sharp focus on. Then, I actually look at blocks with more elements from which I can delete the middle lines. That is a fun way to come up with unique blocks to show these prints. You should try it!
The Tropical Vibes collection is shipping in September. Download both patterns so you will be ready as soon as you bring the fabrics home.
This post put me in the mood to travel, but that won’t do with all the patterns I need to write for upcoming collections. If you are near a beach, take a stroll on the sand for me!
