oops! Looks like I started this blog post almost a month ago!

I had only uploaded photos, so I'm not quite sure where my thoughts were.

This is Spring Sprouts, a quilt pattern designed by Laundry Basket Quilts.

The pattern is perfect to use as a Block of the Month, which is exactly what I did.
I tried to make it as scrappy as possible. Using as many coordinating fabrics in each block. Greens for the leaves were hardest to find, so many of the blocks use the same greens.

When I pieced the sashing stars, there were a lot of left over triangles...

 

... I just can't let these precious itty-bitties be unwanteds!

And so I had a little sewing day with them...

without a plan. First, I sewed two or three into half square triangles, but quickly dismissed going in that direction. It felt like I was loosing too much of the triangle. Which is really silly, because a 1/4" seam allowance is a 1/4" seam no matter which way it's sewn! The finished size is still the same no matter in squares or in rows...\

put together in rows please me more and away I went

playing with color placement. The color triangles were picked up randomly (yes, I'm going to let you believe that I didn't purposely place the prints where they wouldn't be near itself) and the backgrounds in vertical columns.

The triangles were pieced as they were. I didn't bother with trimming all to the same measurement.

Most of the points turned out pretty well, but by the time I had all the rows put together, one side is noticeably longer than the other.

I put borders on anyway (not pictured) but I haven't decided if I can live with the noticeable wonkiness. Which is weird that I am hesitant about it, because I actually LOVE wonkiness the most!

For now, it'll remain on the design board until inspiration dictates how it should be finished.

The other half of the left over triangles became butterflies.

I've been wanting to make one of these quilts for a long time.

where you simply sew the triangle onto a corner of a square. I kept the triangles in matching pairs. I think this makes them look like butterflies, don't you? I might stitch antenna and round the wings with embroidery stitches later. Or just leave it as is. I haven't decided yet.   

I moved onto the quilting.

I have a new embroidery machine. I was very excited to learn that I can do edge to edge quilting with it.

I searched many internet stores for digital butterfly quilting designs and decided on this one. (Sorry, I don't remember the name of either the pattern or the company at the moment.) I was certain this stitching pattern was going to be perfect for my quilt. But a practice piece showed me it was much too busy for what I envisioned.

I practiced some free motion butterflies along the side of the embroidery machine stitching. 

Although there's more space between the stitches, I still felt it was too busy.

I ended up grabbing my Ipad mini and loaded a picture and started doodling stitching ideas.

I wanted simple, organic, and butterfly in flight-ish (loop-de-loops.)

-------

... and once again I got distracted.

The above was composed on Oct 11.  Today is Dec 10. 

I was waiting to get a good photo of the quilting on a sunny day, but I guess I forgot.

So... I don't know if this is a good photo, but let's be done with this update!