Kaleidoscope of Butterflies 19

How crazy that although I've made several kaleidoscope quilts I've never made a butterfly quilt. Time to change that. There are several options to choose including Cathy's lovely waste butterflies but, in the spirit of reducing my small pieces, I think I'll make a different one. I've been comparing tutorials from Mrs. Schmenkman and Rita at Red Pepper Quilts. Both used black backgrounds which certainly set the other fabrics off well.  There was a yard of solid blue in my stash which might resemble the sky. I started pulling some fabric. Easy peasy small quilt of about 40-50 blocks.

Then I noticed some fabric intended for a shirt... and I need a shirt. The pattern was not in my new {clear} bin so I had remember where it was. That was an experience. Finally found it behind the DVD storage boxes. How did it ever end up there? You'd think I'd been hiding it. At the bottom was a large set of 2.5" strips cut for a Rachel Clark coat class. It's been sitting here for twenty years.

Vintage strips should make good toddler quilts

Even if it doesn't look like it, almost half of this fabric is green and I have some young friends who like green. The old bait-and-switch still works. Off to make Mini Trips. Hopefully I'll start the butterfly blocks next month. Does anyone else want to join in?

This article about a parasite that attacks monarch butterflies was posted recently. The highest infection rate is in the non-migratory butterflies in Florida and unfortunately there is no cure.

Swallowtail butterflies were busy collecting nectar in the Uncompahgres. QS took the best photo.

Swallowtail tiger butterfly in Uncompahgre National Forest

This butterfly emerged from its chrysalis during our visit to Denver's Butterfly Pavilion.

Kaja made some wonderful points about adding words to quilts. There's quite a difference between planning the wording from the beginning and adding it at the end. Is there are way to combine words with butterflies? I'll have to think about that, too.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

Spiderweb Quilt Finished and Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Oct 2016 Linkup

It's time for another Kaleidoscope of Butterflies linkup. What have you done or seen?

I finished Suhavi's Stars, a Welcome to the World gift for a precious baby. {It would have been a baby shower present if I hadn't been out of town all summer.} While it's not a kaleidoscope, I used that ruler to draft the triangles for the strips.

Suhavi's Stars - a spiderweb quilt

With only one yard of orange solid {which is not as bright as these photos} I needed some scraps to widen the back. These make me very happy. The blue especially sets off the orange.

Back of Suhavi's Stars

Because there wasn't enough of either, there are two different fabrics for the binding. They looked different as pieces but are much less noticeable on the binding.

Suhavi's Stars spiderweb quilt,
details of binding and quilting

The quilt has been gifted. The parents like it, too. Hooray!

Quilt Details
Size: 40" x 40"
Pattern: Spiderweb
Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton
Thread: Gutermann peach cotton
Quilting: Walking foot

There haven't been many butterflies lately but the hummingbirds have been crowding the feeder. I guess they are preparing for their trip south. This one was enjoying the flowers. And aren't they similar to the quilt's colors?

Hummingbird feeding on nectar

Other kaleidoscope quilts on the web:

1. Melissa's 
2. Linda Miller's

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

A Finish & Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Link Up 09/2016

Masses of butterflies are called kaleidoscopes. Cathy and I recognized in this word a wonderful conjunction of quilting and butterfly habitat preservation. Many species live in limited areas while others, like monarch butterflies, feed on limited diets. Monarch larvae feed solely on milkweed. Eradication of this weed/native plant severely impacts their reproduction which is seen in the decline of their population. On this linkup we share kaleidoscope and butter quilts and fabrics, information of butterfly releases as well as habitat restoration projects. What have you seen lately?

I just bound my latest kaleidoscope. After sharing at my guild meeting, it's off to a new home.

Searching past posts, June was the last time I wrote about the quilt. In fact, I quit working on any quilting in May. But with the quilting started, it called to finally be finished.

Kaleidoscope quilt

Here's where the quilting left off. I was organically stitching {semi}straight lines with the walking foot. Every third or fourth, I deliberately made a curvy line. It's actually easy to straight line quilt on this design. Just aim for the next point of the grid and the lines will be straight{ish}.

My first {and second and third} ideas were to emphasize the template pieces. Why didn't I do that? The printed fabrics are already full of design, I didn't want to over-quilt it, and gifts for young men should hold up to heavy use.

Detail of grid quilting on Kaleidoscope quilt

I feared the quilting design would overpower or detract from the quilt pattern but that didn't happen. Perhaps because I used peach thread. Lately I've been finding that quilting with a medium-color thread (halfway between the lightest and darkest fabrics) works well for scrap quilts.

Back of Kaleidoscope quilt showing
leftover strips inserted into center

The back started with three fabrics: two one-yard cuts and and a quarter yard. After sewing them I cut them lengthwise about a third of the way across. Then I sewed strips of the leftover pieces from the front to widen the back sufficiently.

Quilt Details

Size: 84" x 84"

Pattern: Kaleidoscope

Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton

Thread: Gutermann peach cotton 

Quilting: Organic grid with walking foot

Previous posts:

1. Starting the top.
2. Top finished.
3. Designing the back.
4. Quilting kaleidoscope.

Recent butterfly quilts on the web:

1. Caryl Fallert's Lepidopteran #3
2. Jessica who blogs at My Inner Need to Create explains how she appliqued a darling butterfly on her daughter's skirt.

I found this collection of butterflies while touring Yosemite last month.

Yosemite Region Butterflies

And this daring beauty flitted ahead of me last week.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

July 2016 Kaleidoscope of Butterflies

My grandmother painted these three nut dishes years ago. She grouped them on the wall with a bobbin lace butterfly I created. I was so proud she thought my work was a good as hers. Now they grace a relative's house. Like my grandmother, she enjoys gardening. Blooms, birds and butterflies abound in her small yard.

Butterfly dishes handpainted by my grandmother

What have you seen or done this month?

Wishing everyone happy days with family.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because site was hacked.

June Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Linkup

I finally started quilting this Kaleidoscope. So many days traveling but now there's a bit of time.

First lines quilted on kaleidoscope

With the deadline rapidly approaching, simple random lines will suffice. I'm alternating straight-ish and curvy lines. Finished is better.

When traveling, it's hard to keep up with my projects but it allows loads more time for reading blogs. Here are some butterfly patterns (and one moth) I found.

• Fig Tree Quilts made quilt kits of simple and effective butterflies. (Not sure if they're still available.)
• Adrianne Ove's Modern Butterfly quilt is a scrappy design. I think it would be a wonderful project with grandchildren.
• Nicole Young, aka lillyella created a set of five charming butterflies as free downloads.
• Lorna at Let's Bee Social created many different animal designs including this sweet butterfly. 
• This moth is in Crafted Applique, a new book by Lara at BuzzinBumble.

I started a Pinterest board to group these and other examples as they are found.

There's still some time to leave a comment on the Crafted Applique book giveaway.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

Kaleidoscope of Butterflies and a Trip to Kansas City

The plan to quilt my kaleidoscope was waylaid by several issues. Now that it's back in working order I'm out of town. However, I did create a link button that you can pick it up on the right sidebar. I thought Kaleidoscope of Butterflies (and other pollinators) might be a one-off linkup but there's been continued interest. I constantly notice more butterfly quilts, too. How does that happen?

Link Button

Rhianon created dimensional butterflies on The Nifty Stitcher.  Don't miss Koka Quilts' post either. Linda's reinvention of a classic butterfly applique block is stellar. I want to start one this summer! Thanks for sharing, Linda.

Where have I been? Walkabout. First stop: gorgeous Kansas City. Spring was in full bloom. {Lucky me; a second spring this year.} Time to stop and smell the lilacs, something I haven't seen for years. Tucked in the corners of flowerbeds, lovely violets peeked out. They grow between the flagstones of our backyard but much earlier. Long gone now. Such a treat to have this second encounter of the year.

Lovely lilac, dogwood and violets abound

While DH worked, I played. Fortuitously, the Quilt Guild of Greater Kansas City met the first day of our visit. I took a bus and then walked through a charming neighborhood of shady trees and wide lawns. Many of the residential streets have sidewalks on one side only. This great plan means less concrete, less maintenance, more grass and I believe, more neighborliness as everyone walks on the same side.

The trees are just leafing out on these gracious street.

Tilework abounds. Many walls and towers are decorated with it and the intersecting sidewalks all had street names tiled into the concrete. Charming and useful.

QGGKC is an active and friendly guild meeting in a Lutheran church just over the state line. In fact, it's on State Line Rd. I walked from one state to another. {Yes, I'm easily amused.} The guild sets up long tables with chairs on either side which lets them work on projects all morning. My guilds always set chairs in rows. Easier, perhaps, to see the program but not as much sharing among neighbors.

My new friend, Mary, invited me to sit with her. We even met up again for a little shopping that afternoon. She was so fun and informative, telling me to walk up Ward Parkway to see more fountains.

With over 200, Kansas City is known as the City of Fountains. I only saw a small selection of these but each was beautiful. Mary told me this was Fountain day when KC begins turning the water on for the summer. Lucky me!

Fountains of Kansas City

The following day I went to the National World War I Memorial and Museum. The museum is through the doors under the tower. The layout reminds me of the World War II Museum in New Orleans with many thoughtfully organized exhibits, films, and interactive storytelling.

There were two quilts in the exhibits. The one on the left is made from tobacco souvenirs called flannels while the one on the right is a remembrance quilt of Kansas men who served in the war.

The two quilts at the WWI Museum

I also noticed this charming, compact sewing kit carried by soldiers.

WWI Sewing Kit

Although I haven't worked on any kaleidoscopes, I hope you've been more productive. By the way, there's two more days for the Ad Hoc Improv Quilt linkup. Another fun group!

Ann

April Kaleidoscope of Butterflies

The machine is in the shop but I have another one for workshops. While making these blocks for class last week, I noticed the butterflies and dragonflies.

The Audubon Society had birdwatching walk nearby and we saw several monarchs in addition to the mourning doves, coots, mallards, finches, sparrows, and gulls. Funny how much better they look with binoculars.  Zooming my camera rarely provides better photos. Ah, well. I hope you're seeing bunches of pollinators this month.

Monarch Butterfly

Enjoy the day, Ann

March Kaleidoscope of Butterflies

My latest kaleidoscope quilt is pinned, ready to be quilted.

Kaleidoscope with Tulips

Last month, Linda of Koka quilts and I chatted about the effect of fabric choices on the kaleidsoscope. She used a soft tan plaid in all her corners. Don't you just want to snuggle up in hers? Maureen at Mystic Quilter is making another lovely variation with four strip sets in each wedge.

Mine is much louder. To get in the mood, I chose three different focus fabrics. In addition to the Zandra Rhodes fabric, I used these two: a diamond print and a psychedelic wave pattern. {Sorry I forgot to take photos when I had yardage instead of remnants. Some day I may learn.} The wave is called Cool School by Maria Kalinowski. {That's all I can read on the selvedge.}

Two of three focus fabrics
used in this kaleidoscope

These happy, colorful fabrics come from different lines because I do NOT want them to match exactly. Using multiple foci widens the "acceptable color range." Once the focus fabrics are spread across the floor, I toss any possibilities on top. The new fabrics don't need to match all of them. In fact, all they need to do is work with one and "not make me sick." {And I have a strong stomach.} Some look fantastic while others are just okay. I do think about the value range and pull fabrics across that spectrum.

I haven't seen a single live butterfly this month. Have you? QS sent me a photo she took last summer.

Monarch Butterfly by QS

Lisa Boni translated her own monarch with stump work and added it to a small, ornamental pincushion. As always, her work is gorgeous.

There's still another day to join the February Ad Hoc Improv Quilters linkup.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz linkup removed because it was hacked.

Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Link Up

It's time for the kaleidoscope of butterflies to take flight! Cathy and I are excited to see what everyone posts. Knowing how clever quilters are, there will be many different takes on this subject.

It's a bit early for caterpillars and butterflies around here but QS (my quilting sister) kindly sent this photo. She's such a good photographer. How fortunate I am to have the BEST sisters!

Caterpillar photo by QS

I found two new places for butterfly watching.

• Habitat restoration of Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio of San Francisco began about twenty years ago. Western blue pygmy butterflies returned in 2008. They usually prefer the salt marshes of the east bay. These tiny butterflies have a half-inch wingspan, making them one of the world's smallest. They range through the southwestern US, Hawaii, and the Persian Gulf.
• Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont has an enclosed nectar garden. Several benches and easy walking make this a destination for young and old.

I'm keeping my ears open for restoration or release events but haven't found any yet. However, Seedles is a California company selling wildflower seed bombs to help bee habitats. Wildflower mixes have been created for six regions of the US. Their colorful balls would be a great favor for your child's birthday or school party.

What's going on in your neck of the woods? Help us spread the word worldwide.

Lastly, my progress on the current kaleidoscope. By Day 8 the wedges are sewn. Time to create many-colored tulips, realistic or not. Some need to be purple.

Dark purple tulip added to the kaleidoscope

The bright orange is such a happy color. I also like the softer green tulip and the way it blends with the tan print below it.

Tulips across the first row

Tiptoeing through the tulips, the red is a keeper. The blues are made of two wonderful fabrics I've stored for too long. The light purple tulips are fish fabric that look like trout. I'm always amazed at the changes in this design as it's filled in. It actually loses its definition; that will come back as I sew it up.

Filling in the corner triangles of the kaleidoscope pattern.

For the third purple tulip, I tested the dark stripe on the left. In my opinion, it's too dark. Sophisticated but not happy. The choice on the right works much better.

Two  purple choices.

This is where my kaleidoscope stands today. How are your butterfly and kaleidoscope projects coming along?

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkx removed because it was hacked.

Who Wants to Flitter Through a Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Link Up?

Cathy wrote last week she's starting a quilt using some of her butterfly fabric in a kaleidoscope pattern! Many other kaleidoscopes are floating around the Internet. Wouldn't it be great to share them all and publicize the need for butterfly habitat improvement, too?

We think a link up might be fun. Very casual. Any information about butterflies, release events, planting, festivals is great. We'll also share photos of quilts we're making with butterfly fabric. Or any kaleidoscope or butterfly quilt. Quilters are an inventive group. :-)

Clusters of monarch butterflies
at Natural Bridges State Park, CA

Again, here are the parameters:

1. Celebrate butterflies and other pollinators with photos of butterflies, pupae, or larvae in your area and/or the plants they feed on AND/OR
2. Use butterfly fabric OR
3. Use any kaleidoscope or butterfly pattern (Don't forget those fabulous designs by Paula Nadelstern!)

Let us know if you're interested in the Kaleidoscope of Butterflies link up starting February 1.

Enjoy the day, Ann

A New Kaleidoscope

Three of us decided to have a quilting day and we chose to play with kaleidoscopes: sophisticated fabrics for Gayle, whimsical for Joni, and a bright mix for me. Each of us brought a good selection then spent the day laughing, sewing and discussing. Gayle made a delicious bean soup for lunch. Joni brought a wonderful salad. I brought my appetite. Oops.

Kaleidoscope wedges by Gayle, Joni, and me.

This is some of what we finished by day's end. The biggest surprise was how much better all of our blocks looked together than individually. It emphasized the need to mix values and vibrancy.

Continuing my monarch butterfly theme, I plan to use orange, yellow and black... along with other colors, of course. I was determined to use this fabric - Tribal Lace Mountain by Zandra Rhodes for Free Spirit. It worked better once I decided to semi-fussy cut the strips.

One of the large scale fabrics
used in my kaleidoscope was
Tribal Lace Mountain by Zandra Rhodes for Free Spirit.

Can you find it in the blocks below?

Some potential kaleidoscope layouts. 

Here's my progress at the end of day two...

Day 2 progress.

and after day three.

Day 3 progress.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Vintage Kaleidoscope and End of Year Sorting

I intended to write about cleaning up my sewing room but Julie wrote everything last week. We must be related: there are millions of shiny, new objects (quilts) in my mind but I couldn't get started until I'd cleared out the scrap bag, sorted the storage and vacuumed, dusted and polished. As Julie said, it's so refreshing to take the time to regroup.

As part of the general cleaning, I pulled out this top. Some kaleidoscope blocks have been around since 1997. About five years ago, I made more blocks, tossed some older ones and sewed the top. It's never been quilted.

Kaleidoscope quilt

This is another quilt constructed using Marilyn Doheny's kaleidoscope ruler. (I can't find photos of the first two made with this ruler. They were lovely and well-loved.) The ruler continues to be useful.

Detail shots include some of the original blocks as well as newer ones.

Kaleidoscope quilt, detail

This design is created with two blocks; both have the same pieces but the value placement changes. It's most noticeable if you look at the darks; they create either an X or a + in the center. The four corner triangles that complete the squares are very light against the dark X or medium light against the medium X. The strict attention to value creates the stronger light circles and diamonds as well as the occasional dark circle "after image."

The center octagons are usually created with two sets of four wedges (alternating dark and medium.) However, many of these have two pairs of darks and/or mediums.

It's still a pretty quilt that should be used instead of languishing on a shelf.  Now it's donated as a veteran's quilt.

Kaleidoscope quilt, detail

Over the holidays I sewed 146 string blocks solely from my [now empty!] scrap bag. In addition to these colors, there are  yellow, orange, black, brown and purple blocks. Perhaps they will become toddler quilts or... ?

String blocks from the scrap bag scraps.

This year I am choosing a scrap block as a leader/ender project to regularly reduce the scraps. There will still be scraps in the scrap bag but hopefully it will take longer to fill. I know I'm weird but a full scrap bag bothers me until it's used.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Kaleidoscope Quilt and Peanuts Movie

We have a good friend who shares a love of Snoopy/Peanuts with my husband. Oh, and a birthday! We celebrated this year by visiting the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA, and attending the Peanuts movie. This past spring I decided to make her a quilt with Peanuts fabric. I'd seen some before this decision but I only found two pieces in six months of searching - one in California, the other in Colorado. (Once the quilt was finished I found a huge selection at PIQF and more at the Schulz Museum. Too late.)

My original plan would not work with only two fabrics. On to plan B. I've quoted Claire Cook before. "If plan A doesn't work, remember there are twenty-five more letters."

I used Marilyn Doheny's kaleidoscope ruler to make the Spiderwebs. There are directions for making kaleidoscopes with strips on the back of the card (which I still have, imagine that.) More recently I saw this lovely quilt by Linda Miller using four or five strips in each wedge. Sujata Shah made another that gave me the idea to wait to fill the corners until the top is on the design wall. (I can't find the link.)

Mine have only two strips, cut 3.5 inches each. Because of the angles, the seam at the top of the wedge is about 5/8". Once sewn, the inner ring becomes smaller than the outer and the blocks finish 11.25".

Kaleidoscope quilt using
Peanuts or Snoopy fabric.

I looked through my stash for cheerful fabrics that seemed to go with either the red or blue Snoopy fabric. Those two were used in most of the kaleidoscopes. I made strips of fabric pairs about 28" long and cut wedges with the point on opposite sides. This gave me two sets of four wedges. Then I placed the them on the design wall and rearranged.

Laying out the spiderweb portion of
Peanuts Kaleidoscope

Larger, slightly oversized HSTs fill the corners. Each was cut from a 4.5" square. By carefully selecting triangles, I made some flowers. (Thanks, Sujata!) The blocks were easier to trim because of the extra room in the corners.

Possible flowers in the Peanuts Kaleidoscope

I considered this Jane Sassaman fabric for the border. Using it as triangles looks better than the diamonds but in the end, decided this quilt didn't need anything more.

Considering a border for Peanuts Kaleidoscope

Because this is a snuggly lap quilt, I wanted a looser, all-over pattern. Maria Shell gave me the idea to mix swirls and flowers. Fun and easy.

Quilting details on Peanuts Kaleidoscope

Here's the leftover Peanuts fabric on the back, extended with some random scraps.

Back of Peanuts Kaleidoscope

Quilt Details

Size: 58"(H) x 58"(W)

Pattern: Kaleidoscope variation

Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton

Thread: Gutermann cotton thread in orange

Quilting: Free motion on a Bernina 1230

Remember, the next Ad Hoc Improv Quilters link up is this coming Tuesday, 24 November. What have you been thinking about?

Enjoy the day, Ann