Cactus Flower Table Topper
This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share a commission.I’m getting in the mood to decorate for fall and my new Cactus Flower Table Topper is the perfect addition.
Cactus Flower Table Topper
Fall is my favorite time of year, is it yours? Right now it is still hot and muggy but I know that soon these are the colors I’ll be seeing outside.
Do these batiks look familiar to you? I received the Fall Gatherings collection from Island Batik and made my Harvest Hues quilt using them.
Then last month, I the Fall Gatherings table runner and shared a tutorial for it.
16″ x 16″ Table Topper
A 16″ x 16″ table topper is a great size and I bought some pumpkins and sunflowers at the Dollar Tree to go with it.
Cactus Flower Quilt Block
The table topper is made up of 4 quilt blocks that are simple to make.
8-Inch Cactus Flower Block
I will share directions to make the 8-inch cactus flower quilt block. I also made it in the 6-inch and 12-inch size that I’ll share in another post.
Cutting one block
- 1 white 2½” x 2½” square
- 6 white 2½” x 2½” squares for HSTs
- 1 brown 2½’ x 2½” square
- 1 brown 2½’ x 4½” rectangle
- 1 gold 2½’ x 4½” rectangle
- 1 gold 2½’ x 6½” rectangle
- 1 green 2½’ x 6½” rectangle
- 1 green 2½’ x 8½” rectangle
Step One – One Quilt Block
- Mark a diagonal line on one of the white 2½” x 2½” squares.
- Place this square on top of a brown 2½” x 2½” square right sides together.
- Stitch on the line.
- Fold back the white square and trim.
Step Two – One Quilt Block
- Use a 1/4-inch seam allowance, press to the dark fabric.
- Sew 1 – 2½” x 2½” white square to the half square triangle in step one.
- Make sure the placement is as shown below.
Step Three – One Quilt Block
- Mark a diagonal line on the rest of the white 2½” x 2½” squares.
- Place a square on top of a brown 2½” x 4½” rectangle right sides together.
- Stitch on the line.
- Fold back the white square and trim.
Complete One Quilt Block
- Rotate how you stitch the diagonal line – look at the diagram below.
- Repeat the steps from Step 3 for the following.
- Place a square on top of a gold 2½” x 4½” rectangle right sides together.
- Place a square on top of a gold 2½” x 6½” rectangle right sides together.
- Place a square on top of a green 2½” x 6½” rectangle right sides together.
- Place a square on top of a green 2½” x 8½” rectangle right sides together.
Your quilt block will be a 8½” unfinished block.
Yardage
It takes 4 quilt blocks to make the table topper and here is what your will need to cut.
- 1 cream/white fat quarter
- 1 brown fat quarter
- 1 gold fat quarter
- 1 green fat quarter
- Backing 1 fat quarter
- Binding 1 fat quarter
You can find the bundle at Fat Quarter Shop.
⭐The Fall Gatherings collection is available at Missouri Star Quilt Co for a limited time. Just search for Island Batik or Fat Quarter Bundle to find it. Use the link below.
Cutting for the Cactus Flower Table Topper
It takes 4 quilt blocks to make the table topper and here is what your will need to cut.
- 4 cream or white 2½” x 2½” squares
- 24 cream or white 2½” x 2½” squares for the half square triangles
- 4 brown 2½” squares x 2½” squares for the half square triangles
- 4 brown 2½” x 4½” rectangles
- 4 gold 2½” x 4½” rectangles
- 4 gold 2½” x 6½” rectangles
- 4 green 2½” x 6½” rectangles
- 4 green 2½” x 8½” rectangles
Add Sashing or Not
I thought about adding sashing to the quilt blocks and here are a few of the batiks I auditioned. In the end, I decided to just sew the blocks together without sashing.
Quilting the Table Topper
A small quilt project is a great way to use up scraps of batting. I used Aurifil thread to do the freemotion quilting using two different colors and my vintage 15-91 Singer sewing machine.
Leftover Scraps
When I have small scraps, I always cut them up right away to the sizes of blocks I like to have. Here is my quilt fabric scrap storage post.
Add Binding
My binding was 2½” strips and I really like using tailor clappers, my Oliso pink iron, and Wonder Clips to hold my binding in place before I sew it down by machine.
Back of the Cactus Flower Table Topper
I used one of the batiks in the collection on the back of my table topper. You can see the brown Aurifil thread but the cream really blends in to the back.
Two Different Green Batiks
My scraps were getting pretty low and I only had enough of one of the green batiks to make 2 quilt blocks so I just switched to a different green. What do you think?
Would you like a printable PDF without ads?
Purchase an ad-free printable PDF version of the Cactus Flower table topper tutorial in my shop. The photos have been reduced in size and the tutorial is 10 pages long and includes a black/white diagram that you can color in.
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About Connie
Hi, I’m Connie Kresin Campbell, the quilter, writer, and photographer behind Freemotion By the River. I enjoy inspiring others with my quilt tutorials and patterns. You’ll also see my sweet adopted dogs from time to time.
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Cactus Flower Table Topper is FALLolicious! You know I love Island Batik fabrics. I am ready for Fall this year. It has been a very HOT and DRY Summer here in Southern Utah. Please stay cool and hydrated my friend.
Love the pattern, Connie! Thank you for sharing. I made mine in scraps of Halloween fabrics. Turned out really cute!
Hi Connie I recently made the 6 inch cactus table topper for my son in blues and it came out really nice! Can you tell me where I can find the 8 and 12 inch instructions? My granddaughter saw her father’s and now would like one in fall colors, her table is larger so I’d like to do hers in the 12 inch. Thank you, I love your projects!
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Haing some cooler evenings now reminding me to use the above pattern as I’m going to need it very soon!!!!!! Lovely in the batiks. Thanks
I love this, Connie. Thanks for the tutorial..
I really like this Cactus Flower block. I don’t use much orange however, I think I have enough to make this. I have lots of the other colors. Thank you so much for also sharing the Churn Dash pattern. I’ve tried to find one so the tutorial is a blessing. I’ve got so many unfinished projects because I alternate working on them. I have been trying to experiment with free motion designs, and I discovered my new machine I got for Mother’s Day has 7 installed quilting stitches, including one with small stipples. So, I am happy that the machine will do all the work. Thanks again for the patterns.
LOVE the colors in these leaves/flowers!! I like the effect of putting them together like you did. If I had a square or round table I’d do that one. However my daughter & I both have long tables, hers EXTRA long at 10 ft! So if I make her one, I will probably take your suggestion of sashing; line them up in alternate directions & put sashing between. For her 10 ft table I’ll probably need to do 6-8 leaves at least. May even do some kind of border around as well. You always have the cutest ideas! Thanks for the tips!!
Another beautiful creation. Fall is my favorite also. There’s something comforting about fall colors.
Thanks Beverly and we think alike!!
the table topper looks beautiful with the different shades of green – perfect for fall. While I was looking at this pattern I got an idea – what would it look like in a variety of Christmas fabrics. I’m thinking of trying to do this pattern but use a variety of Christmas fabrics I have for gifts this year for Christmas.
You are right! This would be beautiful in Christmas fabrics!