Just finished this yesterday and it's a mix. Machine piecing, machine quilting and then I hand quilted the butterflies on the 15 inch squares. Hopefully the photo comes through so you can see the quilting. I also did the border on machine (2nd try) and used the blanket stitch on the top. Since I'm decent with the traditional way of doing binding, I may or may not try this again. Time will tell. This quilt is for my college roommate's daughter who is celebrating her 40th birthday while they are renting here in the villages - she is Down Syndrome. Her bedroom and bathroom in IL are decorated with gorgeous butterflies. This is the 3rd butterfly quilt I've worked on (2 for granddaughters) and each time I bought fabric kept thinking, Kim would love this so would buy extra and now Kim is getting hers. They had dinner with us last night so she got to work magic by spritzing water on the blue marking lines to watch them disappear. I'm working on the tag using the text feature on my Pfaff quilt expression 4.0 and as soon as I get it done will give it to her. My machine had a hissy yesterday while working on it. Every now and then a bobbin doesn't wind correctly - still new and obviously need practice - so it taunted me a bit. Now it's working again so will make a new one tomorrow - practice is good. Thank you for looking.
Patty

Very pretty. You even made butterfly stitches. Cool!

That is just lovely. The handquilting on the butterflies is beautiful. Great job. I'm sure Kim will treasure it.

Beautiful quilt and I really like the hand quilted butterflies!!

oh that is sew pretty!

Kim is one lucky young lady. I'm sure she had a great time making things disapear :thumbup:

Simply gorgeous!!!!!! My favorite colors too!

Gorgeous !!! Lucky Kim and good of you to make it for her.

Thank you and yes I did. I love hand quilting although I suspect this could have been done totally on the sewing machine.
Hugs
Patty

LOVE IT!!! The handquilted butterflies add such a unique touch.

Thank you. I'm sure she will. She's very happy and very easy to please. I was amazed while watching her Mom though. When she thought I was busy with Kim, she was touching and feeling all over the quilted areas and looked like she was fighting tears. A good friend of hers in IL is also a hand quilter and has won prizes. I'm basically non competitive so have never entered a juried quilt show. We have one here Jan. 2011 and several are trying to talk me into it. I put quilts into 2 shows in IL and was so stressed out the entire time and they were just on display. They didn't have any security and I'm very uneasy about even displaying a quilt now although nothing happened to mine.
thank you
Patty

Thank you. I love the detail that hand quilting can add to a quilt since for now I'm very free motion quilting challenged. Maybe one day but obviously not yet.
Patty

Thank you.
Patty

Thank you. She had a ball doing it and took her job very seriously. LOL.
Patty

Thank you Dee Dee.
Patty

Thank you. Her Mom tells me that people are just naturally attracked to Kim and always doing special things for her which is really wonderful.
Patty

Thank you. I just had to do them. I use polyester batting which is why the quilt puffs the way it does plus I don't use a frame or a hoop as my family and I love the puffy look I'm getting.
Patty

Thank you. I just had to do them. I use polyester batting which is why the quilt puffs the way it does plus I don't use a frame or a hoop as my family and I love the puffy look I'm getting.
Patty

How lovely--soft and cozy. :-D

That is so pretty. I love your hand quilting. I can't do it at all. Great quilt.

Thank you and yes it is nice and soft and cuddly.
Patty

Thank you. So many ladies here have told me that they can't hand quilt for one reason or another so aren't we lucky to live in a time where we have so many options available to us. I messed up my right thumb and knuckles a year ago when I went into a knitting frenzy and it really scared me that I wouldn't be able to hand quilt anymore. Luckily I've responded well to the aspirin therapy and my thumb and joints are doing well. Maybe one day I'll be able to knit again but never ever in a frenzy but sensible moderate pace. For some odd reason, hand quilting doesn't bother the thumb or the knuckles but that's why I decided it's time I start trying to learn how to machine quilt so I can continue quilting.
Patty

Thanks 4 sharing, giving, feeling so happy, proud.....etc u deserve it.

That is really pretty, and your hand quilted butterflies are the perfect touch! Beautiful! :)

Lovely!

Very pretty

Oh so pretty!! Good job and I'm sure she will treasure it :D

Adorable!
Love the butterfly's

very pretty, love the butterfly

I am not much of a pastel person, getting there though. But i REALLY think the colors are so pretty and relaxing in this one.
Excellent job.

Thank you so much. I don't normally work in these colors but did just use these fabrics for 2 granddaughters and now Kim because they are their favorites. Where in west central IL are you? We are now in FL but lived most of our lives in and around LaSalle-Peru. I was born in Sterling and grew up in Rock Falls. Later for about 15 years or so we were just out of side of Bloomington, IL in Colfax.
Hugs
Patty

Attached is the butterfly pattern I used to do the hand stitched butterflies. It's actually a template to do an applique butterfly but I realized that the outline was exactly what I wanted and couldn't find. It is necessary to cut and glue or tape to construct the whole butterfly which will not fit on my scanner. It was in an issue of Stitch & Sew June 1988 so that was a very long time ago. I don't even know if that magazine is still in business as I don't recall seeing it recently.
Hugs
Patty
Thank you everyone for all of your heart lifting comments.

Beautiful

we are close to macomb, so a ways from where you live.

Absolutely gorgeous. It is so pretty and the quilting is beautiful!

Very pretty. :thumbup:

that is very pretty and soft looking. thank you for sharing. Penny

Oh Patty that is lovely. Your colors are so pretty and feminine and your quilting is really nice.

Thank you.
Patty

Thank you Penny. It is very soft, comfy and cuddly.
Patty