Butterflies & Birds

Butterfly Garden: 2018  (Started: 2016)

A certain amount of dithering went on with this quilt.  Firstly, what to do for a first grand-daughter?  Then finding myself selecting a heap of charm squares in “just the right pinks” and finally, wavering between, not one, but three patterns.  Well, I was struck by the ever-so-cute quilt in Quiltmania (see info below) but found a fantastic tutorial by the ever-so-productive and ever-so-scrappy red pepper quilts.  From this RPQ tute, I was directed to Mrs Schmenkman Quilts and proceeded to cut merrily from all three directions.  This explains why some of the blocks are a little off.  Not to worry, it all went well once I had my nose firmly planted on the grindstone.  As one must when a 4^th birthday is close at hand…

Proof of a Start - taken 17 Mar 2016

2016 turned out to be not such a happy year for us as a family, so it wasn’t until the end (September) of 2017 that I finally pieced up all the blocks and added a border.  Once again, I just took sooo long to decide on a suitable border arrangement; finally settling on setting the blocks on simple white sashing to make the butterflies dance and a light green and yellow floral border - so fresh and citrusy.  At this same time, I also resolved to add something meaningful on the quilt and found the perfect solution in another Quiltmania Issue (details below).  Even if it meant more embroidery!

(Photos to follow when I find them - having cleaned up, they're momentarily "lost")

Found my photos at last however they are sadly in need of editing as the
colours are washed out (in the strong sunshine) or too dark (in the shade).
Hmmm! Who said life wasn't meant to be easy.... but they'll do for now!

However, before embroidering anything, I needed to baste the quilt.  I initially chose a natural shade but very quickly unpicked all my work when the whites in the quilt took on a yellow cast.  Hmmm!  Not clever.  My one day job turned into two and I re-basted on a white cotton batting.  Much better. 

Machine quilting also seemed to take forever, as it does on a small domestic but finally it was ready for me to add birth sampler details and of course, that lovely sentiment from another Quiltmania project in Issue #100:  “Having someplace to go is Home, Having someone to love is Family, Having Both is a Blessing”. 

Sadly, I seem to be in quilt limbo again.  Blame Spring and an urge to clean up that dreadful, disorganised mess my photographs have become over the years.  Weeks later and I’m only starting to surface from a bit of a high-tech (well, for me at least) frenzy.  So, everything’s nearly sorted.  And I'm hoping my photos of this quilt will appear soon.  To lift the spirits though, Mrs Maggie is warbling each morning, the Plovers are busy protecting chicks on the bowling green and all our Jacarandas are about to bloom into a perfect purple haze. 

Just for the Record:

Quilt Finished Size: 150 x 168cm
Block Sizes: TBC  (but using 5” charm squares for a set of wings)
Cut in: Feb/Mar 2016
Pieced & Basted: by Jun 2018
Quilted: Machine Jul 2018
Quilt Type: Fresh & Modern
Quilt Finished: 25th July 2018
Exhibited: No
Collection: Gifted #018
Pattern Name: Mimi’s Butterflies p53
Pattern Source: Quiltmania #52 2006
Fabrics Purchased: From the Stash and maybe a few little extras…
Fabric Design: Pinks and anything fresh
Fabric Style: Brights
Materials Type: Printed Cottons
Wadding Type: White Cotton
Backing: Pieced using left-over remnants
Embroidered Quotation: Quiltmania #100 2014 p54