Lily Variation

The 365 Quilt Challenge block for September first was a 12” block called Lily Emergence. Pictured below, the block called for a pieced pot, three stems, four leaves and ELEVEN flowers of different sizes and colors. At first glance it looks completely mad. An hour of study fails to improve the situation. No provenance was offered for the block, and an Internet search for other examples came up dry. I did find dozens of traditional 12” lily blocks that I liked better, so I simply chose one of those and made it instead. Most lily blocks have pieced blossoms (usually three or five) and delicately curved appliqué stems. Mine has three identical blooms, three stems, two leaves and no pot. Best of all, it uses foundation paper piecing for the stems and leaves. Instead of spending the whole day on an awkward block, I whipped up one I like in sixty minutes.