Butterfly Garden - finally completed

This was started a long time ago - back in February 2008. I'd bought this as a block-of-the-month kit from Buttonberry, (an online store that has since closed down) simply ages ago. This is a design callled Butterfly Garden, and was designed by Leanne Beasley. I had originally attached the flowers and hearts with needle-turn applique, but apart form the butterfly it looked disastrous!! It was put in a cupboard, and every month the next block arrived, but ...I'd lost my mojo for it!! Last year my FB friends May Britt and Hanne had made a challenge with each other to complete a mini block each week, and May Britt invited me to join them!!.....

.....I painstakingly unpicked the applique, and decided to use a lightwight steam-a-seam to attach the shapes, and completed the applique with my sewing machine, using a buttonhole stich and a different coloured thread to match each piece of applique!!

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.....I finally finished the quilt top in the summer of 2010, when I decided it was quite beyond me to attempt to quilt this darling, so it packed back in it's box yet again.....

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.....then HORRAY!! I discovered Janette, who was able to work her magic with her longarm quilting machine, and hey presto! She brought this quilt to life.....

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.....she picked a silver thread which blended beautifully across the pastel colours of the quilt - and used the Hearts in Bloom quilting pattern for this one, which picks out the hearts and flowers perfectly.....

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.....I machined the binding into place on the front of the quilt, then hand-sewed the binding to the back. The red binding fabric is the same one as some of the appliqued butterflies and frames the quilt beautifully. Glad I've got some nice sharp needles for all this hand sewing!.....

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.....drum roll pleeeease - here we are - Butterfly Garden completed at long last! Thanks Janette - you have worked wonders on this quilt!

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