Butterfly Quilt

Imagine my surprise recently when I discovered I never shared this finished quilt!  Years ago Tula Pink released a gorgeous Butterfly quilt pattern full of gorgeous blocks and with incredible quilting.  My sister and I jumped right in.  It was a fun project, and also a good one to stretch our creative skills.  I’m baffled by my lack of sharing because this quilt was a big deal finish for me at the time.  So without further delay, here is my Butterfly quilt.

I used a color scheme similar to Tula’s original version for my own butterfly quilt, though I worked from fabric I had on hand.  Some of it is Tula Pink fabric (including the top and bottom border print), which was fun to include.  It was a time and labor intensive quilt.

Once finished, I opted for custom quilting by the talented Xenia Stirling.  She also quilted my Anchor’s Aweigh Quilt, which is another Tula Pink pattern.  And now I want to talk about that Anchor quilt because I love it so much, and those photos make my stomach hurt with missing another time and place.

But back to the butterfly!

Xenia’s quilting is exquisite, and I’m still so honored to have her work on my quilt.  Such a treasure!

 

Tula Pink more recently remade her Butterfly quilt in True Colors fabrics and also re-released the pattern. You can still find some available online.  I would say it’s definitely a quilt worth making if it appeals to you.

It’s kind of fun to revisit a quilt I made years ago, but also try to see it as new.  It’s clear  that, like the butterfly’s life cycle, we’re always changing.  I made this butterfly quilt, and yet…. the woman who made it isn’t really me anymore.  Looking at the quilt, the fabrics, thinking about that time, is interesting.  I’m a different person.  I’ve been on a journey I didn’t see coming.  And yet, I’m grateful I can still “fly”.

Constitution Day

Today, September 17th, is Constitution Day.  237 years ago today, the Constitution of the United States of America was signed.  Have you ever really studied how those months of deliberation progressed?   A few years ago I read Plain Honest Men, the most extensive account – and most excellent – I’ve ever read of the constitutional convention.  It’s difficult to describe my gratitude for that revolutionary generation.  I love this holiday!

The older I get, the more my patriotism is rooted in the founding documents of the nation.  I am more unimpressed by politics and politicians and political slogans with each successive election, yet I remain devoted to the system of government that has allowed the USA to continue peacefully for nearly 250 years.  Currently I live in Utah, and our state legislature designated September as Constitution month.  We’re encouraged to read and study it, and I have LOVED doing just that.

I planned to start a quilt  to commemorate Constitution Day.  I still love my Lucky Lone Star quilt (pattern available here).  My recent Anthem experimenting is also becoming something bigger.  But the more I thought about it, the more ideas I had.  Should I make an album quilt?  Use my vintage linens?  Make something universal, or make something that tells the story of my own family lines in this country?  Every question triggered a half dozen ideas and now I’m swimming in them!

We celebrate 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed in 2026, which means there are important anniversaries fast approaching.  Today I pulled out all my red, white and blue fabrics because I’d like to make more patriotic quilts.  I’m also planning to sew them mostly from fabric I already have.  I’m planning lots of patriotic sewing between now and then!

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Bow Quilt

It’s a happy feeling to finish a quilt and wrap it around a loved one.  This Bow Quilt is a very happy finish.  As I sewed together the quilt top last year my daughter told me it’s her favorite, therefore it’s been marked as hers ever since.  So here it is, a finished bow quilt for Liberty.

As I shared previously, this is an applique quilt pattern by Carolyn Friedlander.  I’ve enjoyed making many of her patterns, and this one is particularly friendly to beginners.  I recommend this Bow quilt pattern, especially if you want a modern, simple, and fun applique pattern to get started with.

I used a Carolyn Friedlander background in a soft light tan, which also makes the bright prints stand out.  The “bows” are a wide selection of prints from my stash and from the scrap bin.

I quilted it on my Juki with lines between the applique arches.  Next I added hearts to the smallest center piece, and then echoed the arch in the background above the blocks.

Some of the blocks have gaps instead of fabric strips for an arch.  Where that happened, I did a tiny pattern in that spot.  You can barely make one out in the photo below, which shows the quilting really nicely.  In the top and bottom sections I selected a loop design which contains elements reminiscent of raindrops.  I really hope my daughter enjoys it!

Most of the quilt back is an old floral print I’ve had for years.  This floral was one of my favorite prints from Juliana Horner’s collection for JoAnn fabrics.  My daughter loves pink, so it made sense to use a treasured pink print and binding for her.

I can’t wait for her to get home so I can give it to her!

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