The Pōhutukawa, often called New Zealand’s Christmas tree, bursts into brilliant crimson blooms just as summer arrives - a true symbol of warmth and celebration. With its fiery clusters of brush-like blossoms and dark green leaves, it paints the coastline in festive color and fills the air with the spirit of the season.
My block captures the vibrant beauty of the Pohutukawa with fabric and stitching, plus a little fabric pen to add a three-dimensional look. Each stamen radiates outward in bold red thread with additional stamen drawn in red pen (I used a fabric pen for this). I accented each anther (tip of stamen that holds the pollen) in gold, again with pen but this could also be added with a small French Knot stitched by hand (an option added to the hand applique section of the pattern).... and rich green leaves were added to complete the design. So you can see why this beauty represents Christmas in New Zealand.
This block is perfect for adding a burst of color and meaning to your floral quilt collection - or as a standalone feature to celebrate a uniquely New Zealand bloom. The Pōhutukawa definitely brings a touch of festive joy and Kiwi pride to your stitching.
Here's how my block finished up...
If you'd like to make this Pohutukawa flower block too and have a little Kiwi Christmas from Downunder, you can find the pattern here: Pohutukawa Block
This Pohutukawa is my 75th BOW flower block.... a growing collection of floral applique designs.... each one representing a unique bloom and a new creative challenge. You can find the whole collection here: BOW flower collection
