Retro Blossoms Quilt - The Golden Version

Today I’m sharing all about my fourth version (and counting!) of the Retro Blossoms quilt pattern…and it’s a good one!

The Retro Blossoms pattern so far

A lot of quilters shy away from curves, but I’ve always found them really satisfying. (In fact, my fifth quilt pattern had curves!) I’m not sure why I’ve always enjoyed sewing up curves…but I want to help other people enjoy them too.

That’s why I created Curve College, where I teach all things curves! And I designed the Retro Blossoms quilt pattern specifically for the Curve College course, so the pattern includes the most common types of pieced curves, including drunkard’s path (quarter circle) units, orange peels, and half circles. Retro Blossoms launched as a Curve College exclusive in fall 2023, and we later made it a standalone pattern in Spring 2024.

Sewing up a Retro Blossoms quilt always reminds me of how fun it can be to sew those curves…and how beautiful they can look as they come together! In the past two years, I’ve made the Retro Blossoms cover quilt, the cooler-colored Hemlock version, and the Grapemist version (which uses the same blossom colors as the cover version with a different background and border).

It’s been almost one year since I shared about my Grapemist version, so now seemed like a good time to sew up another sample…and to encourage you to embrace curves! Introducing my newest Retro Blossoms quilt: the Golden version.

My Golden Retro Blossoms quilt

I made this Retro Blossoms quilt in the square throw size (61” x 61”). Retro Blossoms is one of my more intricate designs, so for this size, I had quite a few fabrics to pick…15 in all!

FABRICS

When I started to design this sample, I knew I wanted to make another version with a slightly darker background. I love how a dark background fabric really helps the foreground stand out in this pattern. I settled on Golden Bronze (an AGF PURE Solid).

I love warm colors, so I immediately added some pinks and peaches to my palette, and then I threw in yellow and olive oil green to pair with them. My main inspiration for this color palette was actually the backing fabric that I used for this quilt. Something about it felt SUPER vintage and worn and that’s exactly how I wanted this quilt to feel.

For the orange peels, I used a mix of Kona and Art Gallery PURE solids:

Ballet Slipper
Blush Pink
Creamsicle
Cosmos
Melon
Peach
Pink
Sweet Pink

And for the accents, I used these PURE Solids:

Honey
Lemon Tart
Olive Oil
Raw Gold

All these pinks and golds looked so good together, but I knew my pull was still missing something. I decided to use the cornerstones to add an unexpected touch…so I picked a nice blue! Aero Blue (another AGF PURE Solid) balances the warmth of the rest of the quilt top and adds a fun pop of color.

Only the border was left, and I went with AGF’s Creme de la Creme. It’s such a nice ivory color, which felt more appropriate for this quilt than a true white or an off white. It keeps everything soft with just a subtle contrast.

The finished quilt top has such a pretty and inviting warmth, like walking through a meadow during golden hour. The subtle differences in the pinks and yellows add movement and make you want to look longer, while the pops of blue add just the right element of surprise.

I couldn’t be happier with how this colorway turned out, so we’re offering Golden Retro Blossoms quilt kits in the shop!

QUILTING, BACKING, AND BINDING

For the backing, like I mentioned, AGF’s Fashion Scent Amber (from the Bloomcore collection) was kind of my starting point for this quilt. I could also see this fabric making a really cute blouse, dress or pillowcase. It is SUCH a darling print!

I sent my finished top and backing over to Sara at Stitch Lab Quilting, and she used the Plaid panto by Sew Shabby Quilting. We matched the quilting thread to the blue cornerstones, so the quilting really pops! I love how densely quilted this is and also how it has distinct quadrants to the design that mimics the block layout within the piecing.

Once I got the quilt back, I bound it with Retro Prairie Lagoon (from the same collection as the backing). I thought the petite flowers would be fun to tie the all-solids front and floral back together. And of course, the blues bring out the color of the cornerstones and quilting thread. It leans slightly more teal light green which adds a bit of an unexpected element, which is always fun. :)

I don’t think I can pick a favorite Retro Blossoms sample, but I sure love how this one turned out. It’s reminded me of how much I like this pattern…and now I can’t wait to see all the versions everyone sews up in Curve College!

Make your own Retro Blossoms Quilt

If you already love sewing with curves, you’ll have a blast making the Retro Blossoms quilt. And if you don’t, now is the perfect time to change that!

Curve College enrollment is open for just a few more days. It’s the best way to sew a Retro Blossoms quilt, because you’ll learn all the skills you need to confidently sew any curve, plus you’ll get a supportive community and answers to any questions you have along the way! Enrollment closes Sunday, September 14th, so register soon. I hope to see you there!

TEMPLATES

The Retro Blossoms pattern uses templates to help you cut your curved pieces. The pattern includes printed or printable templates (depending on if you have the printed or PDF pattern), or you can use Lo & Behold’s acrylic template set. I love how much easier cutting is with acrylic templates, and our set also works with our Mountain Horizon 2.0 and Shades of Citrus 2.0 patterns…with more compatible patterns on the way!

Whether you use paper or acrylic templates, I suggest checking out my guide to working with templates. (If you’re in Curve College, we cover templates in lots more detail there!)

QUILT KITS

If you loved the quilt I showed you today, you can get our Golden Retro Blossoms quilt kit to make your own!

We also have Cover quilt, Hemlock version, and Grapemist version quilt kits in stock. With any of these kits, you can buy just the fabric for the top, or you can add on the same backing and binding fabric I used!

DESIGN YOUR OWN

We’ve put all our quilt patterns on PreQuilt, including Retro Blossoms, so you can easily come up with your own unique version. Retro Blossoms is also one of our free quilt coloring pages if you’d rather try out colors that way.

Happy quilting!