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

Marginalia: Quilty 365 Project

Another month of circles.

I've been making them since Nov. 4 and I am caught up through yesterday although when I put May's circles up for a pic it seems I've misplaced May 7 which, according to my notes, was "rain, rain, go away" and May 14 which was when we planted green beans. 

As you can tell I've been doing a lot of gardening in between the rains and the paying job. 

I took a "staycation" this week. I need it. 

I really need to start sewing these together.  I say that every month. 

Linking up with other Quilty 365ers at Quilty Folk. 

Today

I have so many UFOs I sometimes can't decide which to work on. 

The day decided for me. 

I have 54 patriotic Chunky Churn Dash blocks from a swap and 16 patriotic Twinkler orphan blocks. 

So this morning before the grandkids woke up I started working on 70 patriotic Snowballs. They are awake now so I'll feed them and amuse them for awhile, work in the garden awhile, amuse them awhile and then hopefully get back to making Snowballs before the end of the day. 

I'll alternate the Snowballs with the Chunky Churn Dashes and Twinklers and make a Quilt of Valor quilt to send to my Brother-in-law on Veteran's Day. 

Today I'm remembering those who sacrificed their lives.

 In November, on Veteran's Day,

 I'll honor several family members who served and surprise them with quilts. 

Moving it Forward with Em's Scrapbag

Frazzled (aka Fractured) Flimsy

Frazzled

This morning when I took pics I was thinking it was called Frazzled, not Fractured so Frazzled it is for me.  (What does that tell you?) 

It's just a flimsy

84 x 96

Fractured pattern from

Making Quilts with Kathy Doughty of Material Obsession

Made from scraps from a Pickle Dish and Petunia quilt.  

 I think I have enough scraps from these scraps for a small donation quilt 40 x 60. 

There are A, B, C, D blocks.

 I didn't have enough room to lay out a large quilt so just looked at layout and  sewed blocks together as I went. It looks like all are facing the right direction. 

Wish those A and B blocks down the middle blended in a little better with the rest of the quilt but they don't. I guess they will blend together in the dreams of whomever sleeps under it.  When finished it will probably go into the gift pile. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Green Scraps

I used some green crumbs in a couple of Butterflies. I used a free Ghost Moth pattern. 

15 three inch green spools from 1.5 inch scraps. 

I think that makes over 650 spools now.  I need about 64 more blocks for a big 81 x 84 quilt. 

This is the last green ScrapHappy Saturday.  

We will move on to a new color in June. 

OMG: Mission Accomplished !!!

Broken Wheels 

A flimsy (for now).

My One Monthly Goal (OMG) that I declared earlier in the month (make this quilt top) has been accomplished and has resulted in a Broken Wheel quilt top 53 x 66. 

Last year I joined two different birthday clubs and this year I joined one. Everyone in the group asks for a particular block in particular colors to be sent to them in their birthday month.   I received 24 or 25 different blocks and used 20 of them in this quilt that I thought played well together.  I'll use the others in a couple of other quilts so they aren't going to go to waste. That's for sure!

The block I asked for was the Broken Wheel block from Quilter's Cache.  Most of the other ladies ask for their blocks to be made in specific colors but  I said, " make the block in the colors of your choice on a neutral background of your choice."    I really didn't know what to expect so every block was a surprise.  I kind of thought it was a psychology test of sorts. Do the colors the ladies chose for my block say something about them? 

At any rate... I didn't have to make a single block - I just added a thin sashing and I have a quilt top that I now need to decide how to quilt. Suggestions?  Hand quilting or FMQ?  First, though, I guess I need to decide on a backing (and a goal for next month). 

One Monthly Goal with Heidi of Red Letter Quilts

Log Cabin Lunacy

I find that if I quilt along with others in blog land I happen to finish more quilty goals than if I go it alone. Maybe it's the deadline of a linky party. (I like deadlines). Maybe it's because I like to see how others interpret a theme, or an idea, or use scraps. 

Julie is hosting Log Cabin Lunacy and I am joining the lunacy. 

I used my brown short scrap strings and just finished making four more 9 inch wonky log cabin blocks that will join the 9 I made in February when brown was the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month. 

My goal is to make 30 blocks and then make a donation quilt.. 

Log Cabin Lunacy at JulieKQuilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework