Kaleidoscope of Butterflies

Butterflies on hexies. 

Butterflies on my deck 

Tiger Swallowtail, Hackberry Emperor and a teeny tiny White Sulphur butterfly that blended in with the Bird's Eye (Gilia) flower while nectaring. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Green Scraps: Waste Triangle Edition

This week I used my green waste triangles to make some little Wonky Stars that finish at 4.25 inches. 

And some little green butterflies on blue solids or tone on tones that finish at 4 inches.  I have about ten - twelve more but this is all that would fit on my cutting mat covered with batting photo wall.  I think I have over 300 of these now so I guess it's about time to decide what to do with them.

Update:  I thought I would show you the actual size of the waste triangles I use.   These are some of the green waste triangles I haven't made into butterflies yet. 

ScrapHappy Saturday

Red Scraps - Potpourri Edition

Red is the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. But that's about to change soon. 

I used 4.5 inch scraps to make some Flying Geese bodies.  For the other part (wings?) I have been using secondary colors if the color of the month is a primary color and vice versa. 

Last week when I was working with 3.5 inch scraps I made the bottom sets of butterfly wing HSTs and now this week when I was working with 4.5 inch scraps for the Flying Geese I made the top sets of wings and paired the two up in some red butterflies.   I've also (obviously) been using up bits and pieces of white on white (WOW) scraps. 

And, oh those waste triangles! I had lots of red ones in the box. I  have been saving blue on blue (BOB) or blue solid scraps for the "sky" background for these little butterflies - a kaleidoscope of butterflies! 

I have hundreds of these little four inch blocks now so maybe I need to decide just how many is enough.  ( I wonder if I can count that high). 

I also used waste triangles in these Wonky Stars (with 2 inch scrap backgrounds and red center). 

Then I used more waste triangles (I have gads of them - that's what you call a box of waste triangles, right? - a gad) on some Wonky Hearts.  The hearts were 2 x 4.5 red scraps and I used white waste triangles for the background. I have lots of white waste triangles so was experimenting a little with those hearts. I'm thinking I might use them as Wonky Log Cabin centers. 

Then I used a couple of scrap chunks to make my improv circle.  I have been using red and brown as my constants in these along with the RSC color so only made one. 

Then I made 3 large Burgoyne Surrounded blocks with bits and pieces of different red/pinkish scraps.  (I made the one in the upper right previously so just used it to fill in for the photo.)  Now that I see them together I'm thinking I'll skip the sashing and just make more blocks.  I really don't like making sashing/adding sashing strips so why torture myself?  But, then again, when I look at the inspiration quilt  I'm thinking maybe making/adding sashing isn't really that painful. 

ScrapHappy RSC Saturday

Aqua, Teal, Turquoise: Bits and Pieces Edition

Burgoyne Surrounded 

From scrappy bits and pieces of aqua (plus)

These are large blocks and after adding sashing 25 of them will make a 93 x 93 quilt. 

Pattern I'm using is from Quilted Twins. 

I made one block last month from scrappy bits and pieces of purple to see if I liked it.  I did so decided if I need 25 blocks for a quilt I would make two blocks per month.  So here's my second purple block. 

I used aqua waste triangles and 2 inch scraps to make some little wonky stars that will finish at 4.5 inches. 

Waste triangles also went into some 4 inch butterflies.   I've been using waste triangles and blue tone on tone scraps to make these.   

Got scraps?

ScrapHappy Saturday Rainbow Scrap Challenge party!

Purple Waste Triangle and 1.5 Scrap Edition

Butterflies and Wonky Stars

I have a small box of waste triangles. Seems in past years waste triangles went in and never came out.  I started using them in a "Confetti Waves" quilt on red, "Butterflies" on blue and late last year I started making little Wonky Stars with them (4.5 inch finished).   I pawed through the box to look for some purple waste triangles but they seem in short supply.   I added some b/w ones I had sitting on the sewing machine desk to the mix.  

I've been making these 10 inch postage stamp blocks for a couple of years now.  I only need a few more and I can assemble a quilt.  I cut a postage stamp from every piece of purple I could find in the 1.5 scraps.  For the one on right I had to mix in some gray and obviously I mixed in some green on the second one. 

I made some little 3 inch Rail Fence blocks from any piece of 1.5 purple scraps I found in the box. 

(Hey! These are a lot easier than those Spools and Butterflies I made for several years!)

 And I made some 3 inch 9 Patches.   Because who can't use a few of those? 

Got Purple Scraps? 

ScrapHappy Saturday

Vintage Butterflies: It's Finished!

Vintage Butterflies

79 x 90

Hand quilted

from Nostalgia Cafe

My inspiration was the above quilt I found when researching "vintage butterfly quilts" a few years ago.   This block is actually called Beggars Block.  The individual blocks within each block is actually a 3 inch spool block. 

I started making the individual 3 inch butterfly (or spool) blocks from 1.5 inch scraps as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project in late 2013 (I think).   When I accumulated 8 butterflies I made a block.  When I had enough blocks I made a quilt.  When you use scraps some quilts are not a quick make. 

I used Kona Candy Blue (blue candy?) as the background/sky. 

I normally don't lay out my blocks before I sew them together. I really don't like to spend time moving blocks around endlessly because no layout seems pleasing.    I don't have a big space to easily lay blocks out nor do I have a design wall (except for that old cutting mat with the piece of batting on it propped up on the wall next to the sewing machine).  So I usually sew blocks together randomly.  I'm rarely disappointed. 

I should never add sashing without cornerstones because sometimes things just get a little wonky. The good thing is that it all works out in the end somehow.  This quilt will give warmth same as a perfect one.  

I hand quilted in a variety of colors of regular quilting thread.  I didn't mark anything but the center butterflies. I just stitched. And stitched some more.  I have a callous on my "underneath finger" to prove it.   The stitching served as a kind of quilty yoga to soothe the soul, clear the mind and calm the nerves. 

After a good wash and some time in the dryer the quilt came out more crinkly than usual. I think that's because the backing fabric, a sheet from the thrift store,  was pre-washed and the fabrics on front were not.   Thank goodness I like crinkly. 

Now, about that backing. I found a sheet at the thrift store in a pale blue, in perfect condition and silky soft. Must be a far higher thread count than what is on my bed. I was a little leery about using a sheet on a quilt I was going to hand quilt because I wasn't sure how easy it would be to hand quilt. Not to worry...the needle went through it like a knife through butter.  And as a side benefit the back looks like a whole cloth quilt. It's difficult to get a good picture but all of the different colored threads on the pale blue are joyous. 

This was my goal #1

for 2017 Finish-A-Long Quarter 1

Lots of scraps in this one so linking up to:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

And since it took a month of Sundays to hand quilt linking up with:

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

One Thing Leads to Another

I had been digging around in my Christmas scraps for pieces to make Christmas bags for wrapping presents but became distracted by some of the 2.5 inch scraps and so I decided to make some ornaments. 

Maybe I'll have enough ornaments made by next year for  Christmas quilt. 

I originally started out making snowballs but had some gray left over on my desk from making snowflakes so decided to add the gray at the top and turn the snowballs into ornaments. 

And that left me with some waste triangles...

I started to throw them into the waste triangle box but decided instead to use them. From now on I'm going to try to use them right away (I said try) and not add to the box.  Plus I think for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge in 2017 I'm going to try to use the waste triangles in the color of the month in a few projects. 

I turned some of them into star points on wonky star blocks that will finish at 4.5 inches. 

I have so many white waste triangles I may also make separate black/white blocks. 

But back to those waste triangles from the ornaments I just made...I also turned them into some confetti wave pieces...

...and when I get enough I'll turn them into Confetti Wave blocks. 

And I also turned those waste triangles into some butterflies on blue scraps. 

More butterflies I made in December to add to the pile. I should probably count the butterflies now. I know I have hundreds of 4 inch blocks.  About 400 of them will make a nice big quilt! 

Moving it Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

In Search of a Kaleidoscope of Butterflies

No...no, butterflies here in the...

...Tithonia. 

No, no butterflies in the Datura (darned weed). 

I rarely see butterflies in the pansies. 

No, no butterflies here unless that white thing in the spider's web is a butterfly part.  I've seen monarchs in the Gomphrena from time to time but not this time, of course.  Note to self...cut and hang the Gomphrena to dry.  

No, no butterflies in the brussel sprouts and none of those darned cabbage worm moths in there either, thank goodness. 

No, no butterflies in the impatiens. 

Aha! What do I spy on the butterfly weed? 

Are two butterflies considered a kaleidoscope of butterflies? 

Inside I spy a kaleidoscope of butterflies on the wall. Sad, but true...this is the only butterfly or kaleidoscope sewing I did in September.  

I'm out of town right now. 

Hopefully I'll be back soon sewing up some butterflies and kaleidoscopes in October. Will you? 

An InLinkz Link-up

Kaleidoscopes, Butterflies, Kaleidoscopes of Butterflies

I didn't make any new kaleidoscope of butterflies blocks this month but I did make a few new butterflies. 

Free Ghost Moth pattern from Robert Kaufman

And I've been trying to stay caught up on my waste triangle butterflies on blue tone on tone scraps too.   I might now be close to out of blue fabrics I can use for this and don't want to buy anything. Hmmm, I guess there's some gray and white in the summer sky as well as a few touches of pink and yellow.  I probably have a few scraps in those colors. 

I was hoping to get a few pictures of butterflies in the garden this month but I've been sooooo busy with other things. Maybe next month. 

Did you know that a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope?  

An InLinkz Link-up

Kaleidoscopes, Butterflies, Kaleidoscopes of Butterflies

Did you know that a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope? 

That was enough to prompt me to make a quilty kaleidoscope of butterflies to use some of those butterfly fabrics I've been hoarding.   collecting. 

I've made a couple of different kaleidoscope quilts - one using six 1.5 inch pieces in the wedges and the other using two 2.5 inch pieces in the wedges.  Both of those used scraps. 

I actually cut into something other than scraps for this kaleidoscope quilt! 

These are 10 inch blocks so I'm aiming for an 80 x 80 quilt of 64 blocks. 

I'm using dark blue for the corners and alternating blocks with a light X like the above (although top right is questionable)...

...and a dark X like above. 

I think I now need 20 more blocks and I'll have enough for my kaleidoscope of butterflies. 

Speaking of Butterflies...

Ann of Fret Not Yourself has some great links to butterfly/moth patterns this month. 

I have a couple more to add:

Ghost Moth (I'm actually working on two quilts using this pattern)

Fly Away

Block Lotto's April paper-pieced butterfly

Also, remember to leave the milkweeds when you are weeding! 

(and tell the husband if you purposely mean to leave one growing in the middle of the lettuce patch he has never ever weeded before in his life). 

Monarchs cannot survive without it. 

An InLinkz Link-up