Is this vintage block finished ?
 

I bought 8 of these vintage butterfly blocks about 7 or 8 years ago. Now I am cleaning out my stuff and want to put it together in a small lap quilt but I am thinking it's not done yet. My DH and I have looked at it and have no clue how to finish it with embroidery. These blocks are all sewed on natural cotton and are about 17 inches square. Each background fabric is just beautiful, but the shape and everything else is not so great. I will welcome any ideas please on how to finish this block. Thanks so much.

Quite unique! I would bring all the blocks to the same size by adding a narrow, matching colored sashing to the outside of each one or by adding triangles to each side to make a square-in-a-square (or in this case, it might be a rectangle?). Whatever you decide, it will be very pretty finished.

Cute blocks - you could give this a bit of a modern twist and put a couple of wonky shaped borders on each with some fabrics that capture all the colors. Could we see pictures please of some of the other blocks? Doing this would certainly enlarge your blocks, I'd probably go close to 24" total on each - that would be roughly 3-1/2" on each side, but cut them wonky. You could mock up one more block and put in the center - 3 x 3. This would end up giving you roughly a 72 x 72 quilt. Will be fun to see what you come up with!

Is this a bat or a butterfly? I think the blocks need something extra in the wing area like another shape or more lines. For the feelers I would add some small black buttons.

I think it's finished if you want it to be, but you could certainly add embroidery or embellishment if you would like to do so. Depending on how the blocks measure out, you might be able to just square them up and then put together with sashing. Or you might want to do as Terri and WTxRed suggested and add borders before putting them together.

the shape is probably 'off' a bit because the blocks have not been squared up yet after the embroidery/applique was done- if you would like to embellish them a little more you could embroider antenna onto the butterfly- or what ever other embellishment- then just give them a good press & square them up so they are all square & equal in size.

Looks like the antenna's are already there. different looking but nice.

If it were me, I think I would not add any embellishments to the blocks ... the new would show as just that.

What I would do would be to square it up, and add sashings, as I wanted with coordinating fabric(s) or alternate with coordinating print blocks. When it came to quilting, that's where I would add any extra detail wanted on the butterfly ... such as quilting lines from the body out to the scalloped wing edge and perhaps across the body or a u-shape thru the length of the body.

Now you have me curious ... are all 8 the same fabric? Or do you have an assortment of colours/fabrics?

What a treasure you will have ... and fun to finish it off.
Now if only you knew the story behind the blocks, and who made them!

Just needs a few lines of embroidery in the wing area to bring it to life, square up, add some sashing and you are good to go. Very pretty.

I've never seen anything like that. I would be tempted to stitch details into the wings and body. Such a great find.

I would also like to know if all the blocks are the same color, just curious. Antennae are different from any butterfly block I've ever seen, little black buttons on the end would do the trick and I think the wings (maybe the body) needs some embroidery to set them off, but maybe quilting could do that too. Have fun!

I like QuiltE's idea of using coordinating print blocks. The block you show is indeed primative, which is attractive to me. Detail in the butterflies could be achieved through the quilting, as QuiltMom2 suggested. What a great find! Let us see the finished quilt.

Each of these blocks are of a different fabric but made the same. I think I will print out my picture of the block and then play with it regarding embroidery. I can mark on multiple copies to find something that works for me. I have many butterfly blocks made in the 1930's but this is the most unusual of all. I think originally I bought it to take the body fabric for blocks and discard the rest but I just can't do that now. I restore old quilts and use vintage blocks and try to do the best I can in making quilts come to life. I will add sashing and borders and this may not turn out my favorite, but when finished, I'll post the picture. I am also making 3 other quilts now from vintage blocks.

I would just add french knot eyes and leave it the way it is.I like Terry D.s suggestion.j

I would do some stitching in the wings just to give them a bit more dimension, give them a good starch and square them up. You might look for some butterfly material that you can use as a coordinating block.

I like to find "vintage" embroidered blocks and "save" them. My usual method is to get them all the same size, then sash them with 30's reproduction fabrics to the desirable size. (Either all the same or a mix of colors) I would not add any machine embroidery. To me, that would take away from the original stitching.
Another possibility would be alternating the embroidered blocks with same size fabric blocks (one fabric, or mixed colors in pinwheels or 9-patch designs.) If you want eyes, you could do French knots. I have even sewn on little bitty doll-clothes black buttons for butterfly eyes. Of course, the buttons would go on AFTER the quilting. Have fun!

Just a suggestion. Square up the blocks, Use complementary fabric for sashing and maybe put in corner stones. When you have it quilted that is when you will see the difference in the quilt. Have the quilt quilted in the wings and also in the body of the butterfly and outline the butterfly. When the body is quilted, you can have the stitching make the separation between the body and the head of the butterfly. There are a lot of good suggestions being offered. Combine all the ideas and pick out the one you like the best. Hope you post the finished project.

I would do a satin stitch around the outside edge over the straight line stitching. I have seen how these fall apart after washing.

On another note, this image looks like a white lined sphinx moth. They are fascinating to watch. They are almost as big as a small humming bird and this long tongue rolls out to suck on the middle of a flower.

Here is a few pictures of them.
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...tuTzk#imgdii=_

I like this idea best.

I don't think the blocks will fall apart with washing. It looks like the edges are turned under so it should be as secure as any other quilt block out there.
Rodney

Yes some Embroidery would bring out the wings and the head etc... even if its the same color or just a shade different would keep that Old Vintage look... Will work up nice into a Lap robe...

I agree with Terri. Beautiful blocks

I think Terri D. is right. Bring the blocks to size with sashing and you will have a very special quilt. froggyintexas

That butterfly is so unique! I agree with QuiltE's suggestion to add detail on the butterfly we ith your quilting.

I can't wait to see the finished quilt! And would love to see photos of the other quilts you are doing with rescued blocks!

I agree. I think some hand embroidered embellishments would add a lot of character to the butterflies. Some daisy petal shapes on the wings, tiny black buttons for the eyes and a little larger buttons for the end of the feelers.

I would add some embroidery to the wings. If you use the wonky sashing it would be cute to embroider eyes and a button nose on it and French knots on the end of the antennae. I have seen many different butterflies but never this shape.

RedGarnet222, glad you posted the name of the moth my grand daughter & I found one in my kitchen sink! We were talking how strange & pretty the pink was.

I'd do the wing detail with the quilting, and not overdo it. Ditto on the french knots for eyes....

Okay here's my two cents. I would applique two small pieces in each wing. Then I would had some lines to the body of the butterfly. Some sashing and cornerstones would also bring it all together.

I think I would sash with pastels and the quilting like suggested will bring some beauty to the butterflies. I was thinking of Small pastel gingham checks for the sashing.