Quilting up a Flutter

I am all a Flutter! 🦋🦋🦋

 Welcome, Sweet Peas and Happy Monday . 

My heart is overflowing with love and happiness. 

"Why?" you ask.

 Well shucks, for all kinds of reasons, but I am bursting over this  gorgeous hand appliqued quilt top that was sent to me from dear Susan. ❤🤗

Aaw Swoon!!! Flutter ! Flutter!  

Is it not stunning?  It is composed of 20 butterfly blocks made from ladies handkerchiefs. 

Knowing how I have been working on butterfly quilts for the last 4 1/2 years in memory of my sister, sweet Susan gifted me this beauty. 

Would you like to take a look at some of the beautiful blocks ?

Each little butterfly is so unique . The handkerchiefs are so intricate and colorful and were carefully folded to create the most perfect butterflies. . 

This one reminds me of my Granny with the muted earth tone colors. 

Isn't this one striking? 

The original quiltmaker embroidered a little head and antennas on each butterfly using matching floss. 

This butterfly is a dazzling. 

Have you ever made a handkerchief butterfly block? 

Immediately when Susan sent me the quilt, I purchased the batting and found some backing fabric. Then I thought about how I wanted to quilt each block.  Well, I began the other day and may I say that I am in love!!!!!

The first butterfly is quilted. I am hand quilting a flower, vines, and leaves in each block.  I have high hopes to quilt at least 1 block a week. 

Sorry for the bad lighting on all of the photos. It gets dark early in the holler. 😏

The first block is hand quilted. 

When I quilt and stitch , I think of my family , friends and tales of long ago.  Do you do that? 

As I was quilting this butterfly block, I thought about my sister and how she and her friends loved the TV show "The Golden Girls".  I think they saw each and every episode more than once. My sister  and her crew each called one another the name of one of the characters based on their personality. This butterfly reminded me of my cousin who my sister  and their friend Miss C.  nicknamed  Rose.  This memory brought a smile to my day.

🌹  🦋   🌹  🦋

"Thank you for being a friend

Traveled down the road and back again

Your heart is true 

You're a pal and a confidant

And if you threw a party 

Invited everyone you knew

You would see the biggest gift would be from me

And the card attached would say

Thank you for being a friend. "

The Golden Girls theme song

🌹  🦋   🌹  🦋

Is that little diddy going to ring in your head all day? Hee! Hee! It will mine. 

Thank you so much, dear Susan for the most precious gift and for the warm memories that  this quilt is bringing back to me. You brought tears to my eyes  and filled my heart with more love and hope.

Yesterday I finished "Hot Cocoa" , a darling freebie from my sweet friend, Dianet at Parchesdeamor blogspot.

 The little marshmallow snowmen are the cutest!  I will stitch the next 2 in the series before I fully finish this one. Thank you so much, dear Dianet.  I will begin Ho Ho Ho  today. 

Today is errand day. That means going to get groceries and some soil for the garden  and just maybe , mind you ,  I will find myself at the thrift store. Hee! Hee!  Fingers crossed I can find some thrifty goodies. I am looking for cross stitch finishing pieces and vintage lace on this trip. 

Have a Marvelous Monday, Sweeties!

 As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Friendship is the golden thread that ties the heart of all the world.  "-John  Evelyn

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy who loved the farm so much.  

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

Chalk art from my grandson

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🌞Parade of Homes 2026- Early 2026 parade of home freebies.

🌞2026 Love Parade- A Parade of Previous Valentine Freebies- Valentine themed stitches up to Feb. 4, 2026.  

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Parade of Stamps 2025  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to August 14, 2025

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Parade Of Previous Freebies- 2025- A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of November 15, 2025. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

🌞A Chilly Parade of Winter Stitches 2025- A parade of Winter themed freebies up to the date of Dec. 21, 2025

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A Berry Slow Stitching Sunday and Berries - A Freebie

  These last couple of days the weather has dipped back down into the 60's. It has been nice, but a bit on the chilly side.

Welcome, Y'all and Happy Slow Stitching Sunday. Have you pulled out a project or two to work on today.  Well, how about joining me for a bit of chit chat as we work on our projects together. 

Like I said , the weather has been nice these last few days. I have been spending them outside when I can. Planting flowers and cleaning flower beds has kept me a busy bee. 

Mr. Pinker added some metal raised beds to the hillside behind the house. He has dug them in place in the poor chert soil. I have been filling them with broken limbs and small logs before we add the soil. 

Oh, excuse me . I forgot to show you what I am stitching on today. I am working on appliqueing a body for a butterfly block. 

I need to Embroider the antennas and finish appliqueing the blue butterfly. 

Berries and Butterflies is fluttering  right along.🦋🦋🦋

  I still have more strawberries and butterflies to applique though. 

Recently, dear Susan sent me a "Blessing box" . From that box, were 2  scrumptious fabrics that I will be including in "Berries and Butterflies". Aren't they so pretty? Thank you , sweet friend. 🤗

I was tickled pink when dear Melva at Melva Loves Scraps messaged me that I had won a fat quarter for participating in the Little House on the Prairie SAL. My heart fluttered when not only I saw the beautiful orange fabric , but when I saw the name of the fabric as well-  "Butterfly Sonata " by Connecting Threads . I knew that a piece of this will have to go in Berries and Butterflies. Thank you so much, sweet Melva . 🤗

Oooh ... What are you working on today? I know you are stitching on something that is fabulous. Will you be working on several projects today? 

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Yesterday, Mr. Pinker and I laid the plastic down in the garden. Soon we will be planting tomatoes , peppers, and mounding up small hills for cucumbers, squash and zucchini. 

We are getting the vegetable garden ready with plastic and irrigation. 

As Mr. Pinker stretched out the plastic , I sat down on the ground. A sweet butterfly fluttered to my side. " I love you" I whispered ; knowing that the orange butterfly would send the message to my sis. 

This butterfly stayed near me as we worked on the vegetable garden at my sister's house. 

Later I moseyed back home and dug up some of my hostas from the wild and woolly garden and transplanted them to the edge of the English Ivy garden.  Fingers crossed they will make it and the deer will let them be. 

I transplanted hostas in the garden. 

I am curious. What kind of shade plants do you like to grow? I am thinking of adding coral bells to this area too. 

 On the hill , we  have a good number of blueberry plants. They love the poor chert soil and do quite well here in the holler. 

The blueberry bushes are loaded with berries

The blueberry bushes are putting on the berries already. I say by next month we will be enjoying a  yummy blueberry pie. 

Speaking of berries. Yesterday , I posted my 1st country clutter hutch tour entitled Berries, Berries and More Berries  . My country hutch was filled to the brim with berry related knick knacks and stitched items. 

So today, I wanted to share a Berries  stitch that I created a couple of years ago. 

As I stitched Berries, I thought about strawberries, but really it could be any kind of berry- such as blueberries if stitched  in blues.  The berries are sort of nondescript in the basket.

I layered 2 ribbons on top of one another and embroidered x's on them along the seam. 

Berries sat in the "NEED TO BE FINISHED BASKET " for a couple of years. Last year, I finally finished it. I added a bit of fabric and then layered 2 Dollar tree ribbons along the seam and tacked the ribbons down with some wonky black X's.   Berries is now complete and on display for the 1st time. 

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If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

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Later today I will be working on "Pieced Strawberry Pin Cushion" from Buttermilk Basin. This is a kit that I bought a few years ago. 

Then I will make my way back out to the garden. Unless.... I find myself stitching away on another berry related project.

And Where the Strawberries Grow is in the works. 

Alrighty, I better stop all of this yammering, and we get to work. Right? Let's get to stitchin' ! 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Life is what you make it. Make it sweet .  "

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy who loved the farm so much.  

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

Is this a Lizzie Kate piece? My memory fails me. 

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes 2026- Early 2026 parade of home freebies.

🌞2026 Love Parade- A Parade of Previous Valentine Freebies- Valentine themed stitches up to Feb. 4, 2026.  

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Parade of Stamps 2025  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to August 14, 2025

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Parade Of Previous Freebies- 2025- A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of November 15, 2025. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

🌞A Chilly Parade of Winter Stitches 2025- A parade of Winter themed freebies up to the date of Dec. 21, 2025

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I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet.

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday

Kate at Life in Pieces for  Stitching Stuff ( Sunday) 

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh Scrap - Sunday 

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Carol at Quilt Schmilt  for To Do List Tuesday 

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If all goes well, I hope to post the following this week,

🌞A Garden tour

🌞 A new quilt in the hoop

🌞Summer Stamp SAL stitch 

🌞A new Salt Box House 

🌞 Stamp Parade

But we shall see. You know how life and chores sometimes get in the way of all of the fun. But I do hope you will drop by when you have the chance. You know how I love visitors. 

 

Berries , Berries and More Berries Hutch Tour

 Rise and Shine, Sunshine!  Please do come in  and join me on this lovely Spring day. I hope you have some pep in your step  and joy in your heart today. 

Believe it or not, I have not posted a country clutter tour since December! Wowzer!  But don't worry , I have still been piling in the clutter. Hee! Hee! 😀😁  I would be delighted if joined me for this year's first "Colorful Country Clutter " tour .

 I know this is not for all, but I am a maximalist . I enjoy the  humble jumbles of knick knacks and whatnots. Now my collections didn't happen overnight , but have been in the decades of making.  So if you are up to it, let's go check out my hutch all decorated in the Strawberry theme. 

My hutch is not very large. Mr. Pinker built it for me almost 30 years ago, and it has been tucked in the corner of the small kitchen ever since we moved here. 

After removing all of my Easter decor ... ( Hmmm I failed to show you the hutch with all of the bunnies. If you would like to see that just let me know. ) ... I added my red Dollar Tree  and thrifted strawberry plates. I kept the white valances which I am using as shelf runners on the hutch.  I use a string of white Christmas lights which I tuck among the clutter to bring a little twinkle to my hutch. 

I rarely change what is on the top of the hutch. The old large Campbell's soup tin holds dishes.  I added the Toll House cookie tin which holds Christmas kitchen salt and pepper shakers . ( I am always interested in where maximalists store their stuff. Are you? ) I bought the Coca Cola crates years ago at an Estate Sale. The old coke bottles have been found in creeks and such. 

Shhh... Don't tell anyone , but I have a plate addiction. And I refuse to get help. Hee! Hee!  Little saucers are stacked in the corner on the top shelf with a Hall pitcher purchased at the World's Longest Yard sale sitting on top.  More little tins are added to the mix . Vintage children's  toy kitchen utensils are carefully placed in a juice glass.  My sweet sis gifted me the strawberry bottle opener. 

I often leave some of the same old things on the hutch from season to season such as the little glass salt and pepper shakers as well as the white ones. They were some of the last gifts from my sis. 🤗 She was like me and loved to go to yard sales and thrift stores, and boy, could she find the bargains. 

Sitting above the little wooden strawberry sign is  Strawberry Jam Jar   from my Mason Jar series. ( And yes, I still have more jars in my mind to create. ) 

Years ago I found this little crewel work at the thrift store for under a dollar. It is still one of my favorites. 

Well we made it through the 1st shelf.  Are you up to seeing more? If so, let's hop on down to the 2nd shelf.  Hippety Hop! Down we go! 

Ok, Ok. I will admit to another addiction -TEAPOTS! Gosh, I love them. 

I have 2 strawberry teapots. This little beauty came with the teacups.  And there are  more salt and pepper shakers- a third addiction. Hee! Hee!  ( When I store my strawberry items, some of the  salt and pepper shakers are stored in the teapot for safe keeping. )

Front and center is Amy Lou the Berry Picker   which was made in memory of my sweet sis. It holds a very special place in my heart. Below it are some of the strawberry stamps that I shared last year including Strawberry Quilt Stamp,   Strawberry Jam and Biscuits Stamp  and Berries For Sale Stamp

Faux berries are tucked in an old measuring cup. 

Right on top of the old vintage tea canister is  Mini Strawberry Sampler  which I shared a couple of years ago. The  Strawberry Ice Cream Stamp is placed in the vintage red tea glass. Isn't that drinking glass gorgeous? It was another World's Longest Yard Sale find. 

 

Wheww! Are your eyes crossed yet? 👀😜😅 I sure hope not because we are shimmying on down to the bottom shelf. Shimmy shimmy! 

On the bottom shelf, I place a simple red and white quilt made from 3 1/2" ( unfinished) scraps. And then I went to town layering in all kinds of berry goodness. 

In the corner is my 1 and only strawberry themed cookie jar. ( My cookie jars are usually stored in the "she shed") . In the old juicer, I placed a 1990's Dollar General jam jar.

The jam jar sits on a little postcard quilt that I made decades ago using scraps and ink stamps. 

 Strawberries and Cream Stamp

Last year, Dolly Parton had a Spring collection at the Dollar General. When I saw the measuring cup with strawberries on it, I could not snatch it up quick enough. 

 

 Strawberry , a freebie found on the Lizzie Kate website, fits perfectly in the measuring cup.   

Lastly on the vintage scale are some gifted small platters from my sis which are filled with vintage pot holders, berries and "Sweet Strawberry " which is a freebie from Caroline at Cosmic Handmade.  

Well that's my Berry themed hutch in a nutshell   I mean berry basket . Filled to the brim . Right? Hmmm or can I squeeze in one more berry piece? LOL.  Gosh, I better not try. It is bursting at the seams as it is. 

It was berry sweet of you to join me today. If you have the chance, stop back by tomorrow. I will be sharing  my BERRIES stitch which I have shown in previous posts. 

Spring on the Farm  and Berries

May your day be as sweet as a strawberry! 🍓

As Always, 

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

"Life is like strawberries- sometimes sour sometimes sweet .  " - unknown.

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy , the sweetest strawberry picker. It is just not the same without you, Amo.  Love and miss you, Amo.  Also this is dedicated to my Nanny . Today is her birthday. Happy Heavenly Birthday. Nanny I love you to the moon and back! 

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 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes 2026- Early 2026 parade of home freebies.

🌞2026 Love Parade- A Parade of Previous Valentine Freebies- Valentine themed stitches up to Feb. 4, 2026.  

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Parade of Stamps 2025  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to August 14, 2025

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Parade Of Previous Freebies- 2025- A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of November 15, 2025. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

🌞A Chilly Parade of Winter Stitches 2025- A parade of Winter themed freebies up to the date of Dec. 21, 2025