How to Use a Tossed Floral Print in Fall Quilts: Cutting, Pairing and Project Ideas
A tossed floral is one of the most versatile prints you can add to a fall project. Instead of a single large motif that has to be centered and matched, the flowers are scattered across the fabric, so almost every cut shows the design to good effect. The Awe of Autumn Flower Toss Brown, designed by Sandy Gervais for Riley Blake Designs, is exactly that kind of print. It features scattered flowers on a brown ground, is made from 100% cotton, measures 43"/44" wide, and is sold by the yard. Part of The Awe of Autumn collection, it is intended for quilting, apparel and home decor.
What Is a Flower Toss Print?
In a toss print, the motif is repeated and scattered rather than arranged in neat rows or a single scene. That makes the fabric forgiving and flexible. You do not lose the character of the print when you cut smaller pieces, and a scrap from the edge can look just as lively as a piece from the center.
Where a main print usually needs large cuts, a toss can work at many scales — in feature blocks, in smaller piecing, and in the pieces that tie a quilt together.
Cutting and Piecing Tips
Start by spreading the yardage out and looking at the repeat of the scattered flowers. Even with a forgiving print, a quick look helps you avoid cutting straight through the middle of a flower on a piece you want to feature.
- Cut with confidence at small sizes: Squares, rectangles and strips for patchwork, sashing and borders will still show recognizable flowers, so this print holds up in pieced blocks where a large-scale design would be lost.
- Use it for backgrounds with personality: Set applique leaves, pumpkins or simple pieced blocks against the brown floral instead of a plain solid when you want warmth and movement behind your focal shapes.
- Let scraps work hard: Offcuts are ideal for scrappy fall quilts, charm-square projects and strip piecing, because no small piece is wasted.
- Press and sew as quilting cotton: Use a consistent 1/4-inch seam allowance, press seams carefully, and let the busy print hide minor imperfections — one practical advantage of a scattered design.
Pairing Colors and Coordinates
The brown ground does much of the pairing work for you. It gives the quilt a warm, grounded autumn base and makes lighter colors stand out clearly against it. Pull coordinating colors from the flowers themselves and from other fabrics in The Awe of Autumn collection, then balance the toss with solids and quieter blenders so the eye has places to rest.
Try it alongside a larger main print from the same collection: use the main print in big blocks or borders and the toss in smaller piecing and sashing, so the two scales complement rather than compete. Cream and other light neutrals make crisp contrast against brown, while deeper autumn tones create a richer, cozier effect.
Project Ideas
Beyond quilt tops, this fabric suits the apparel and home decor uses the collection is made for. Consider a fall table runner, cushion covers, a lined tote, or an apron. In quilts, it works well as a border, a backing for a small throw, or the all-over fabric in a simple patchwork where the print provides the interest and the piecing stays easy.
Care
Follow the care guidance given for this fabric: machine wash cold and tumble dry low. Washing in cold water helps rich brown grounds and floral colors stay true, and handling finished quilts the same way keeps the whole project washing evenly over time.
If you need one fall floral that can feature, support and finish a project, a tossed print is a smart place to start — versatile in the cutting, generous with scraps, and unmistakably autumn in every piece.
Shop the The Awe of Autumn Flower Toss Brown 43"/44" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
