Saturday, January 14, 2017

RSC butterfly - purple edition

Purple scrappy butterfly quilt block
January 2017 RSC block
I finally caved.  For the past several years I have been drooling over all the beautiful blocks and quilts popping out of quilters' scrap boxes as they join in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I've always admired and not joined in because my quilt "to do" list was already long enough.  Last Saturday's linky party showcasing finished RSC quilts just pushed me over the edge and I caved. I'll be making at least one block a month this year.

In case you haven't yet stumbled across an RSC post somewhere in blogland, here's how it works.  Every month a featured color is announced, and participants delve into their scrap fabrics for scraps in that color to make a block (or several) in that color.  You can make the same block (or blocks) every month in each month's color, or you can make something different each month.  It's really up to you.  Every Saturday you can go to the So Scrappy blog and link up a blog post about your RSC sewing for the week.

My big challenge is to wait next for month's color!  I drafted this butterfly block in EQ, and while I was at it, I popped it into a quilt layout.

UPDATE: If you would like to make your own butterfly blocks, check out my tutorial here.  Please give me credit for the design if you use it.


Or maybe this one:



I really want to make them ALL right now so I can play with them right now.

This isn't helping:

Overflowing box of fabric scraps
What happens when you take the lid off the scrap box

When I opened the scrap box it exploded and the lid won't go back on.  That's just the unsorted scraps.  I also have several plastic shoe boxes of scraps all tidily cut into squares and rectangles.  (I'm not doing that anymore, as you may have guessed from the picture above.)  One block per month is not going to solve this problem.

Still, I'm going to try to stick to one block per month, because I also really want to work on these projects:

  1. Chic Country (52% of the units are made!)
  2. A quilt using all my snowflakes (all 26 of them!) and maybe turning that into a BOM pattern.
  3. Something else snowflakey - because I may or may not have come up with another versatile snowflake design that will need a quilted something to live in.
  4. Three or four new design ideas floating around.
  5. Quilt math tutorials (I've been meaning to start those for a couple of years - it's time to do it!)
  6. Write up patterns for my son's kaleidoscope quilt and for Fundy Skies.
Maybe listing it all here will keep me focused.  Or not.  I'll just have to see how it goes!



Linking up with So Scrappy for RSC Saturday



21 comments:

  1. Quilt math tutorials! Yes please!! The butterfly is awesome:)

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  2. I've seen the challenge and I like what you're doing with it, but no one said you could only make one block! I see there are other purples in that box...

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  3. Beautiful butterfly! I like your quilt designs with them. The second layout makes me think of a bunch of resting butterflies that have just been disturbed and are fluttering up from their repose. : )
    Scrap boxes are pretty explosive, aren't they?

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  4. Sweet butterflies - a great choice for RSC 2017. Oh dear, that scrap box looks like mine!

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  5. LOVE your butterfly! I especially love the layout with them on point. It gives the quilt so much motion. Let me know if you are sharing the pattern!

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  6. One block a month will take a SMALL bite out of that scrap explosion you've got happening. That will have to be good enough... until you complete the tasks on your list. Stay focused!! You CAN do it!!

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  7. I love the butterflies. Your purple one is so cute. I haven't joined for the reason you mentioned. I wouldn't want to wait each month.

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  8. Nothing like an exploding scrap box! But gee, is that ALL that you have? :) Love your new flutterbys!!! The 2nd version is my choice because it looks more like how butterflies would be naturally.

    And look at you ... all organized with more good things wings! :) Lots of great new stuff coming for us to drool over!!!

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  9. So glad you are joining us. Those are the prettiest butterflies I've seen and both of your layouts are good. Math tutorials are what I need. Spent half a day recently trying to do the math for the scrappy backing to match the top. Look forward to your posts.

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  10. Love the butterfly's! The second setting is so darn cute! I have yet to 'find' the purples in the bins. Maybe after I get that quilt pinned today I will dump the scraps and sort? So glad you are jumping into this challenge!

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  11. Alright Joanne, you did it now!! You made me want to make one too!!! Your butterfly with all strings caught my attention!!
    It really isn't hard to make one block per month, however it is definitely hard not too wait for the next months color!

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  12. I've been eyeing the RSC for a few years too, but haven't succumbed yet--lol! Your butterflies are so cute and I love the second setting--they look like they are fluttering over a flower garden.

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  13. SO GLAD you're joining us in the fun Joanne! Making lists really DOES help me focus...at least once I'm done chasing whatever squirrel aka DrEAMi! caught my attention LOL. LOVE LOVE your butterfly blocks and quilt layouts OOH!!! Hope you'll link up with my new linky DrEAMi! on Jan 28.

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  14. Great block, I love the on point layout, it looks like the butterflies are flying around the quilt. You could even use a flower for the middle block, for them to land on.

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  15. Cute butterfly. A rainbow of butterflies will be grand. I love the second layout.

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  16. Welcome to the party! I look forward to more butterflies. (And snowflakes? I'm going to have to poke around your blog, I LOVE snowflakes.)

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  17. So much to do! I love the butterflies.

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  18. I've done the same thing -- lurked for several years and finally gave in this time! love your butterfly block. So cute!

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  19. LOVE that butterfly .... it's the best I've seen!!!! Did you paper piece? (lynnstck[at]yahoo.com)

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  20. Lovely! I've been very tempted to join in too, but I just don't know what block to pick. That straight layout is so pretty!

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  21. How pretty is this? I love the second layout. So free, just like butterflies are. I was wondering if you would like to share your pattern with us?

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