Butterflies

I've been working on some butterflies to finish a project I've been working on for a couple of months which will be revealed in a couple of weeks.   I cut these from some of my different butterfly fabrics. 

When I cut around the butterfly I leave about a 1/4 inch border. I then pick a fabric for the underside of the butterfly and pin butterfly and backing fabric right sides together and cut out all around. 

I then do a back stitch around the butterfly and don't worry too much about the body part in the middle.  After stitching you can trim seam a little closer but if you trim too close...well, just don't do that or you will have to start over like I did.   Clip curves. 

I then make a slit in the back and turn right butterfly right side out through that little hole. I then roughly sew up the hole.   When I add the butterflies to my project I will use beads or bullion knots to make the butterfly bodies and that will also fasten them to the project. You won't really see that slit or mess where I sewed all the fabric that frayed in the turning process.  I think I have some Fray Check I can use on those spots also. 

And speaking of butterflies...I finished 3 more and almost finished another three appliqued  and blanket stitched butterflies.  

So, that's it for this Slow Stitching Sunday.  Jump on the Slow Stitching Sunday bandwagon and head on over to Kathy's Quilts for the linky party.   I'll probably see what everyone is up to tomorrow after work. 

Doesn't seem like there's enough time in a day even with an extra hour.  (This old body will take a while week or so to adjust to the time change.)

Brown Scrap Postage Stamps and some Yuckies

This month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge color is brown. I love brown. Most of my clothes are brown. Strangely enough...most of my quilts are not. 

I made two 49 patch postage stamp brown/cream blocks to add to my collection which now numbers 9 and finished off a black and white one left over from last month. Forgot to count how many black/white I have in total now. 

And...for the yucky prize...here are two brown scraps which are going to remain brown scraps. I attempted to make a couple of baskets from the scraps but they got too stretched out of shape and the sides don't have enough seam allowance one one side so I pitched them into the wonky block scrap file.  Maybe I'll try again later but make them in a different way than the instructions state.  I was going to embroider on chain stitch handles in brown perle #5 but, like I said...yucky. Glad I only wasted scraps on them. 

Hope to get more brown scraps used up next week. Had to take my 9 year old granddaughter shopping today and I hate shopping. Her birthday was on Halloween.  I never know what to buy anymore so shopping spree it was so she could pick out her own gifts.  I get to do it all again in 5 weeks when my other granddaughter turns 9 on Pearl Harbor Day. 

What are some other ladies doing with their brown scraps this week?  You won't find out unless you get over to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge linky party at SoScrappy.  I'll probably go visit all the blogs after dinner or tomorrow morning with coffee in hand. I promised the DGDs I'd play a few games later on. 

Blogger's Quilt Festival - A Hand Quilted Rainbow

Let me tell you about my entry in the Blogger's Quilt Festival going on at Amy's Creative Side.    I couldn't decide whether if I should enter my Rainbow of Favorite Things quilt into the RYOGBV category or the Hand Quilted Category.  I finally decided upon the Hand Quilted. 

43x60

6 inch hexagons

It is completely hand pieced and quilted. No machines were involved.

It was paper pieced and then hand quilted with perle #8 in a rainbow of different colors. 

And the quilt is a rainbow of my favorite things. I started in the middle with black - the absence of color and some crayons, then a mix of colors in some of my favorite things - buttons, ice cream, cupcakes, butterflies, candy...

Red is for valentines, strawberries, zinnias, roses, cherries, tulips, tomatoes, candy canes...

Orange is for pumpkins, peaches, oranges, carrots, daffodils...

Yellow is for bananas, daffodils, lemonade, sweet corn, roses, sunflowers...

Green is for Christmas cookies, kiwi, broccoli, peas, shamrocks,  Irish, basil, pears...

Blue is for blueberries, butterflies, merry-go-rounds, unicorns, iris, fairies, aprons, hoarfrost...

Purple is for pansies, plums, clematis, fairies, grapes, hydrangeas...

 The back is a multi-colored batik I picked up on sale.  I sometimes don't have very even stitches so I didn't want them to stand out too much on the backing.

Blogger's Quilt Festival - A Humble Scrappy Quilt

Let me tell you about my entry in the Blogger's Quilt Festival going on at Amy's Creative Side.   I've entered my Depression block quilt in the Scrappy category because that is just what it is.

896 HSTs sewn into 56 -12 inch Depression blocks. Finished quilt 84x96. 

This quilt is for the bed in the guest room. It gets pretty darned cold in this old farm house in the winter so I will use it to keep the grandkids warm when they sleep over every other weekend. 

I worked on this off and on for several years. I love Depression blocks and thought frequently of Grandma when I worked on it. She taught me to quilt and she told me many stories of how she survived during the Depression years on a farm in rural Iowa with Grandpa and 5 kids. I've used some of her tips myself during hard times.

I think quilts are meant to be used. I think quilts are meant to keep you warm when you hear the winter winds blowing and whistling outside your bedroom window.  I think quilts are meant to make you smile. 

You never know what things you will see in a scrappy quilt if you look at it up close.  And if you look at it from far away you will see something completely different. 

It is backed in a nice soft flannel blanket I found at the thrift store and simply but adequately quilted on my plain Jane DSM. 

In Summary

Alycia of Alycia Quilts held a Big Block Blowout for QOV. 

I made 35 blue and yellow blocks...

...and 5 red,white and blue blocks. 

I also sent along in the box to her 3 quilts...Patriotic Stars...

...Patriotic Happies...

...and a brown and blue Heartstring quilt.  I sent along a pillowcase too but I must not have taken a picture. 

Alycia received it all okay and blogged about my blocks and my quilts. 

Alycia has lined up some fabulous prizes for a drawing. And so has Judy of Patchwork Times. What a couple of awesome ladies! 

Hopefully by the end of November I will have 3 more quilts ready for Alycia.  Judy is also sponsoring a QOV Challenge and for every three quilts sent to Alycia your name goes into a drawing.  Hopefully my name will go in twice! 

Monthly Miscellany

I've made a mishmash of blocks this month for various lottos and swaps.  Above are 4-12 inch blocks I made for Sunshine Online Quilt Guild's block lotto.  Each month has a theme and this month was red and black.  We send in as many pairs of blocks as we want. One goes to the drawing and the other goes to the lady who runs the block lotto to make into quilts for Wrap-a-Smile or Quilts Beyond Borders. 

Speaking of lottos...I joined up with Block Lotto last month. The oh-so-creative Sophie designed this oak leaf block in batiks for this month so I made nine blocks for the drawing from batiks I had in my stash. I don't normally like leaf blocks but I do love this one.  

For a scrappy 30s reproduction 12 inch block swap with ladies of the 30sFabricQuilting Yahoo Group I made 6 Bear Track blocks....

 ...6 Broken Sugar Bowl blocks...

...6 Dutchman 's Puzzle blocks....

...and 6 Kansas Dugout blocks. 

Can't wait to see what I get back.  Why not participate in some of the fun and join up with any or all of the groups I've mentioned in this post.   We'd love to meet you and sew along with you. 

Twinklers

I've finished the last of the Twinkler blocks I need for another quilt for Quilts of Valor - 50 red and 50 blue 6 inch blocks.   The inspiration came from a free quilt pattern from Claudia's Quilt Shoppe although mine won't have borders like the pattern. It will have a different border on top and bottom. Just wait and see. Assembly of rows has started.  

That's what's on my Design Wall (cutting board propped against wall with left over batting piece draped over it). What is on other Design Walls in blog land? You will have to visit Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times to find out.