Northern Lily/Southern Rose Block 3

#3 Snow Drop Lily

by Ilyse Moore

Here's the third block in  my Northern Lily/Southern Rose series from Moda. Each pattern reflects a regional applique design. This month's is a Northern block, a Northern lily.

Susan Stiff used blue, red and tan prints from

Civil War Homefront and a green Bella Solid from Moda,

the fabrics used in the kit instructions in the pattern.

Here's a better shot of her applique

This is the inspiration block from an antique sampler.

You don't come across many wreaths based on divisions of three or six.

The original might have been from Ohio or Pennsylvania, typical of the one-of-a-kind blocks occasionally seen in samplers from those midland states.

I modified the birds and flowers to reflect my memories of northern winters in Ohio where snowdrop lilies are among the first flowers to break through the snow and cardinals provided the only splash of color in a wintry yard.

Snow Drop lilies are a bulb with a bit of a bluish cast

But I was also thinking of an invasive bulb plant sometimes called a Star of Bethlehem. It's a weed because it reproduces too easily but the star flowers are always a sign of spring after a Northern winter---a Northern Lily.

Snowdrop Lily

My version with Bella Solids and a little blue from Civil War Reunion.

I'm using pieces of monochrome prints from my scrapbag for backgrounds

Ask your shop if they are carrying the Northern Lily/Southern Rose Block-of-the-Month series this year.

Or do an online search for  Moda Northern Lily Southern Rose to find kits and patterns.