Saturday, July 1, 2017

Kaleidoscope of Butterflies 18

Finally. A quilt that includes butterflies... on the red fabric. This top has been queued for quilting for several years. Like fifteen.

Strippy Nine-Patch partial view

See those butterflies? See that deep fold from storing it so many years? {BTW, these colors are off; way too strong. The border in the photo above is much closer.}

Strippy Nine-Patch top detail
 
QS traded some of the nine-patches with me. I thought about making them into other blocks  but finally decided a simple strippy quilt would work best. And then it got complicated because I wanted a larger quilt. Of course.

I graphed various borders to see how they'd fit, how wide a spacing border they'd need, where they'd center, and exactly how to turn the corners. Then I copied the borders, cut them out and moved them around against each other. This is one of my favorite ways to work because I love math and graphing. {Someone has to love that stuff!}
Graphing various borders for Strippy Nine Patch quilt

My sizing mistake was adding the Delectable Mountains border with such enormous mountains. One of my favorite blocks but it made the quilt so large. What was I thinking?

It was so large I dreaded quilting it on my home machine. When I whined that I still hadn't queued it for quilting QS took it. The nerve! This past winter Peg Collins of Alamosa Colorado worked her longarm magic. They gave it back to me when I went out for vacation. Wow.

More photos once it's bound.

Butterflies and hummingbirds show up regularly but never when I have a camera in hand. QS had better luck.

Tiger Swallowtail butterflies
in the Great Smoky Mountains

She also captured this gorgeous magnolia. Just looking at it makes me thirsty for a glass of iced tea with mint.

Magnolia blossom

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

9 comments:

LA Paylor said...

ooo a big quilt and it's done! Yea! I've been seeing lots of butterflies on the nature link parties lately. What a pleasure.

Monica said...

OMG, Ann, we are so much on the same page! Several times I have tried to draft a Delectable Mountains border, and yes, it always gets too large. Long arm to the rescue! I definitely need one. The quilting looks great, and I love the design and all the happy cheerful colours. I hope you can show the whole thing once it's bound. :D

Ann said...

I'm so glad this moved out of the UFO pile. I've seen butterflies frequently but not in large numbers. I'm through using pesticides.

Ann said...

Haha, Twin. DMtn were one of my favorite blocks when I started. I don't have room for a long arm but glad Peg could fit it in. More photos when it's done.

Mystic Quilter said...

I love the strippy setting and the curvy quilting, looking forward to seeing it all bound and in a post from you.

Cathy said...

I really need to challenge myself to add borders to some of my quilts. I get inspired when I see some creative ones like yours. And congrats for getting those old things finished up.

Ann said...

Thanks, Maureen.

Ann said...

I've always liked borders. Probably because I make bed quilts and like the way it hangs on the sides. I'm so glad to have this one {almost} finished.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

What a cute quilt!