Back in the Quiltmaking Groove–Waking up Butterfly Outtakes and Leaders-and-Enders

2/9/16 Reviving this post for Val’s Tuesday Archives. It is indirectly related to the Butterfly theme. The top is made from “bonus” triangles left over from the butterfly blocks a friend was making. It’s still not finished. Needing a pieced backing put it back on the back burner. (Tuesday Archives button in the sidebar.)

It takes a while to shift from vacation mode to ordinary life mode and on to quilting mode. What easier way to do the latter than to grab a project that is almost finished. Butterfly Outtake is a true example of “out of sight, out of mind.” It has been dormant since 2012-13. I don’t even remember why I put it away when it was so close to finished. (Previous posts: started here , progress here and here.)

I will admit to getting a push from Le Challenge, where the month’s theme was “single.” My first thought was “Single Girl”; I chuckle every time I see that comment on Double Wedding Ring. But I knew I didn’t have time to do a whole top. So I went for a single shape, right triangles. So linking with Le Challenge.

I thought I had had a plan, one more border to add and the top would be finished. So it wasn’t indecision that put it away. Maybe company. Or a project with a due date. At any rate, I’m glad I’d not finished it.  I no longer liked the border plan. I auditioned multiple fabrics before deciding on the two inner borders. I should have taken photos along the way, but I was too busy pulling, looking, and pulling some more. And I knew I didn’t have time to ask for and wait for advice.

So here is the finished top. The block is called Flock of Geese. The small HSTs are 1 1/4 inch.

43 x 43

The pattern section ended up 21 x 21, and I want a baby quilt or lap quilt 42 x 42. I’d been concerned that a 10 inch border would overpower the 21 inch pattern part. I think that was why I’d not considered accent inner borders earlier. But the quilt seemed to want them.  All the fabrics had some bit of cranberry in the prints, so that one was easy. But what next?

I tried pinks and blues and greens that looked good with the Flock of Geese blocks; however, the overall look wasn’t right. I need to work on color theory–I can usually tell when something is not working, but don’t know enough to know what it needs to make it work. At any rate, I found the almost-tan batik, auditioned it and liked it. The paisley had been in the plan all along. I’m thinking the paisley reads more tan than I had realized, and that is why this combination works. The aqua in the upper left corner is what I’ll use for binding. I’ll need to piece a backing–fabric is only 42 inches wide, and some is lost in selvedge.

The HSTs were leaders and enders way back when. But I have current ones going too. However, sewing borders doesn’t make the pile grow much; here is all I produced this week.

Over the last couple of months, the pile has seen one more round, and most are pressed.

Those on the left have their fourth side sewn, need pressed; the middle stack needs the fourth side, and the right hand stack is pinned and waiting for the third side to be sewn. I am resisting a quick finish because if I did, I’d have to prepare a new leader and ender project. And for this one, once I get all four sides sewn, I’ll still need to be cutting triangles for each side. So this project will keep me out of trouble for quite a while. (Backward history begins here.) (I link back both for new viewers who may be interested in beginnings and for myself so I can find the various stage posts when I need them.)

Linking with Leaders and Enders on Tuesday. Check up on others’ progress.

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