North East Ohio Regional Quilt Council        

2010 Mystery Quilt                                 back to  Mystery Quilt

The Garden of My Life - Step 6

Butterflies

Finished Block Size: 6” x 6” 

 

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cocker shells all in a row. Well the garden would not grow unless we had some way of pollinating the plants. Birds and bees probably do a great a job at this but I prefer to think that butterflies play a big part too. If you love a butterfly let it go, if it comes back it was always yours. If not, then move on girlfriend, another one will come to you soon. I drew lots of butterflies in my garden drawings. They resembled a way to be in flight and flit around and dabble in all sorts of things. I spent some time crocheting, some time knitting. I even made ceramic vases and figurines. But I always had that hankering to sew and I started to sew squares together. I found out these squares were fun and I could actually make something useful from them. What do you know I made a quilt! 

We have a ton of time and love invested in our garden and we picked out the weeds. We have become that perfect flower that every butterfly wants to visit. Then we go searching to find the perfect butterfly to enjoy all that we have become. I did not let moths in to enjoy the flower I had become. I searched high and low for the monarch butterfly that I would spend all my days with. Well the butterfly did not stay and I guess he was never mine to keep. As always happens, God sent another one my way. This new butterfly was kind and fun and loving and handsome and this butterfly has stayed with me. This butterfly stays even when winter comes and the beauty inside me shrivels up. He knows that in time I will again become that beautiful flower he once found. 

Let’s build some butterflies that will end up as hearts of love. The secret of how this will happen will be revealed soon.


Cutting:

From Green Dots print : cut for background (BG)
(3) strips 2 ¼’ x WOF, subcut into
(40) 2 ¼” squares
(2) strips 2” x WOF
(40) 2” squares
(2) strips 1 ¾” x WOF, subcut into
(40) 1 ¾” squares
(3) strips 1 ¼” x WOF, subcut into
(80) 1 ¼” squares
(2) strips 1” x WOF, subcut into
(20) 1” x 2 ¼” rectangles and
(20) 1” x 1 ¾” rectangles

From Beige Floral #1: cut
(4) strips 4 ¼” x WOF, 
subcut into (40) 4 ¼” x 3 ¼” rectangles

From Beige floral #2: cut
(3) strips 2 ¾” x WOF, subcut into
(40) 2 ¾” x 3 ¼” rectangles

From Brown: cut
(2) strips 1” x WOF, subcut into
(20) 1” x 3 ½” rectangles










Note:
The kit for this block includes equal amounts of 2 Beige Floral prints. You may choose which print you wish to use for the Upper Wings (designated Beige Floral #1) and which you wish to use for the 
Lower Wings (designated Beige Floral #2.)

Construct the Upper Wings:

You will need: (2) Beige Floral (wing) 4 ¼’ x 3 ¼” rectangles
(2) Green dot (BG) 2 ¼” squares
(2) Green dot (BG) 1 ¼” squares

Sew the BG squares to the Floral rectangle using a diagonal seam as shown. Open squares, press and trim excess. Make 20 of each.


Construct the Lower wings:

You will need: 
(2) Beige Floral (wing) 2 ¾” x 3 ¼” 
(2) Green dot (BG) 2” squares
(2) Green dot (BG) 1 ¾” squares
(4) Green dot (BG) 1 ¼” squares

Sew the BG squares to the Floral rectangle using a diagonal seam as shown. Open squares, press and trim excess. Make 20 of each.

Make the Body:

You will need:
(1) Green dot (BG) 1” x 2 ¼” rectangle
(1) Green dot (BG) 1” x 1 ¾” rectangle
(1) Brown 1” x 3 ½” rectangle

Sew the rectangles end to end as shown. Make 20.

Make the butterfly:

Sew the left wing sections together along the 2 ¾” side. Similarly, sew the right wing sections together along the 2 ¾” side . Add the body to the wings to make a beautiful butterfly. 
Make 20. 

Give each square a final press and trim to 6 ½” x 6 ½”.

See you next month!