For the last few months, I have been flying back and forth to Los Angeles to help take care of my ailing father. In that time, I found that mindless sewing was therapy for me. I needed to create more than ever, but my concentration was on and off. I made some things here and there, but also began some crumb squares. I started turning them into butterfly blocks, but then got the final call to fly home. While I sat on the plane to L.A., my Dad passed away.

I’m not the first person- by any means- to lose their parent. I’ve been fortunate to have never been a mourner before. This new experience isn’t one that I ever wanted, but I knew, like an unwanted visitor, grief would arrive eventually. From all the cards, comments and words said about my Dad, it’s clear that others saw him as wonderfully as I did. He was a kind, warm, intelligent, strong and funny man. No one ever said a bad word about him, and he never had anything negative to say about others. In his many years of teaching History and being a middle school guidance counselor, he never took even one sick day! He was always my Superman, and it’s clear that I was not alone in feeling that he was special. I feel lucky and privileged to be his daughter. I am grateful for all the amazing and healthy years that he was with me.

Tonight, I finished up my butterfly quilt top which measures 43″ x 55″. This very easy patchwork Butterfly pattern comes from Cloud 9 Fabrics by Linda Spiridon. As we quilters often do, I made a few minor changes to the original.

• Instead of using yardage, I used scraps in orange, pink, yellow and purple to create the butterfly wings. I tried to do lighter fabrics on top and darker ones on the bottom wings. I wasn’t looking for perfection, but something fun to use up my overflowing scrap bins.
• To keep some consistency, each of the butterfly centers have the same lime green fabric. I chose a solid, light blue background fabric Kona by Kaufman in Lake. I began the quilt thinking it would be tiny, but kept going and going. I ran out of the lake fabric and had to order more. The new fabric batch is a slightly different hue. It just adds to the scrappiness of the entire thing! No one is likely to notice the different shades if I don’t point it out.
• I tried moving my butterflies in different directions as the pattern states, but it didn’t work for me. I kept them all of the blocks facing the same way. It’s a judgment call, but I’m ok with my arrangement.
• I wanted something extra and adapted a border idea from a Moda Blockhead quilt finish by Robin Pickens. The little colored squares (1.5″ unfinished) are separated with a 1.5″ x 3.5″ background piece.) These were so simple to make and the tiny blocks all around add an element of movement. I followed it all up with a 2.5″ background border all around the final quilt. Honestly, this all sounds much more complicated to create than it was in actuality.

This quilt is going to Cynthia of quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com for her charity Many Hands And Many Hearts. She collects comfort quilts for people who are critically ill in the hospital. I hope to send her a binding and backing for this as well. I hope to can get it close to ready before mailing.

That’s it for tonight. I am back at home, I am grieving and feeling very blessed. I have so much more to share from the last few months. I’ll try to share a photo of this when it’s completely quilted. Til then, thanks for listening.

Linking up to:

Needle and Thread Thursday , Put Your Foot Down, Finished Or Not Friday, Off The Wall Fridays,

Will be linking up on Friday July 26, 2024 for this month’s Rainbow Scrap Challenge