Butterflies and Borders

I am butterfly stitching today and thinking of sweet loved ones.  🦋🦋🦋

Good afternoon, Sweet friends and Happy, Happy  Tuesday. 

My nimble fingers have been busy with the rhythmic motions of stitching all morning long. 

All of my butterfly and nine patch variation blocks are quilted in my Pretty in Peach Butterfly  quilt .

All of the blocks are quilted. 

Twenty blocks measuring 15" (finished ) all quilted up. The borders await!  Flutter ! Flutter! 🦋🦋   I will quilt a chain design in the borders. 

I think the nine patch variation looks like a blue flower. Do you? 

Pretty  in Peach is in memory of my sweet sister, Amo  and it has a story , but I will get to it on another day.  It was five years on Saturday since my dear sis received her Angel wings.  How can that be? 

This quilt has been my 15 minute  + a day project for the last few weeks. 

The earth tone colors of this butterfly reminds me so much of my sweet sis. Amy  was bright and vibrant, but she loved to wear earthtoned colors-  well, most of the time. 😏❤

The blocks are hand appliqued and quilted

I will be moving on to  quilting the borders later this afternoon. 

This will be 3rd butterfly quilt that I have worked on in the last few years. 

 Butterfly Kisses was my first butterfly quilt. If you see a butterfly, say "I love you " and it will send the message to Heaven to the loved one you are thinking of.  I say those 3 words every time I see a butterfly. 

I believe in signs from our loved ones. Do you? 

Flaming Butterflies   was my 2nd quilt. Papa nicknamed my sis, Flaming Amo because she was a firecracker and boy, was he right. I think this quilt depicts her energy perfectly.❤

Berries and Butterflies is currently under construction. It is based on Amo and her love for the family strawberry farm. 

Sweet Susan gifted me a beautiful handkerchief butterfly quilt top earlier this year.  She knows my love for butterflies and how much they now  mean to me. I wish you could see how beautiful this top   is in person. It is in the hoop being quilted as well.  Thank you, dear Susan. I think of your kindness each time that I work on it. ❤🤗

Well Sweeties, you know my plans for the day. Stitch! Quilt! Stitch! 

What are you up to on this lovely summer's day? 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Love makes the heart feel strong inside. It flutters like soft wings in flight.  "- Dolly Parton

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy . I miss your laughter, your love and the joy. 

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

🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

      Heaven received another beautiful angel today. 

Rest in Peace , dear Dolly.  You are a treasure. ❤🦋

"Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing. " Dolly Parton.  

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 needleworkers to meet. 

Jennifer at Inquiring Quilter for Wednesday  Wait Loss- Wednesday

Denise at For the Love of Geese for Put Your Foot Down- Thursday

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 

Lazy Days and Making Progress

 It feels like it has been a spell since our last visit. 

Good afternoon, Sweet Peas. Wheew! It is as hot as blue blazes out there. But for the last few days, Mr. Pinker and I have been enjoying lazy days with the grandsons at the creek. 

The youngest grandson said it was as hot as fried chicken!  😂🤣

 I even put my camp chair in the water where I could dip my toes in it- that is when I was not walking the rock filled creek and dodging crawdads with the youngins' nearby.

The water was up at the creek. The large fallen tree is slowly being moved down the creek which you can see glimpses of.  

It is a lot cooler in the cove especially near the creek, but once you get out in the fields the heat rises and the sweat is pouring. 

The dragonflies reminds me of dear Isabel of Alromasar Blogspot

This week I am on a mission to finish quilting 5 butterflies in my Peaches and Butterflies quilt. Can I do it? Hmmm... I am not sure, but I have my mind set on it. 

I worked on hand quilting a butterfly this morning. This is my 15 minute a day or longer project. 

Meanwhile I finished the embroidery work for Sweet Melody Roundabout . It is just one of the  embroidered blocks in the monthly "Roundabout series"  that I am sharing. 

Oh, before I go any further. RUN ! DON'T WALK! There are 2 Sweet friends you have to check out! 

Di at Quilting is Blissful Blogspot shared her roundabouts today. Oh my goodness! You need to see how she is setting  them- in Dresden Plates!  CUTE! CUTE! CUTE!   Di also shared her Tiny House finish and her Summer Stamp finish which she used different stamps from other series that I have shared. And may I say it is adorable?! ❤

Diann at Little Penguin Quilts Blogspot shared her progress on the Summer Stamp series on Saturday . She made the little bird in the Home Tweet Home Stamp an adorable House finch. Let me say that it is as precious as all get out! ❤

I thought about making my bird into a House Finch, but my love for bluebirds won out on this embroidery. 

Well on my Sweet Melody Roundabout , I used 2 strands of floss and used the backstitch. 

I  used the following floss colors:

 

🐦DMC 3346 ( leaves),

🐦  DMC 898 ( tree limbs) 

🐦 DMC 783( beak, claws)

🐦DMC 930 ( bird)  

🐦DMC  760 (Music notes) 

🐦DMC  3687( scalloped border) 

As an afterthought, I add a little bow to the birds neck using DMC 815. 

I back stitched a "string"  to the birdies neck and then tied a small bow and  tacked it down on the embroidered string. Now she is all "fancy-fied"! Is that a word. Hee! Hee!  

The Roundabout was stitched on 8 1/2" x 8 1/2"  (unfinished) white fabric. 

It is framed with 20 -  2 1/2" squares (unfinished) 

The Roundabout Block  with Scrappy Borders Measures:  12 1/2" x 12 1/2" ( unfinished)

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Around and Around we go! Tomorrow I will be sharing Block 7 in the Roundabout series. 

I will also be sharing the newest Tiny House cross stitch.  I think I will break them into 2 posts though. Tiny House will be posted in the morning and the Roundabout around noon so if you are in the neighborhood drop by. 

Alrighty, I better "get to catching up" with all of my friends and see what pretties they have been making. 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Taking time each day to relax and renew is essential to living well.  "- Judith Hanson Lasater

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy who  always enjoyed spending time on the river or at the creeks. 

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

🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

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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. 

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

Summer Finishes and Butterflies

 The squash is coming on! Well I hope. 

And the fig bush is putting on figs. 

Happy Sunday , sweet friends.  Though my garden is on the pitiful side this year, I just may end up with some squash and figs at least. 😀 

Today is the official 1st day of Summer. Are you going to be working on a special project in celebration? Yesterday I worked my fingers to the bone to finish Summer which I shared as a freebie yesterday. 

About a month ago I found the galvanized candle tray at Hobby Lobby. I had another stitch in mind for this piece but as soon as I stitched Summer , I knew it was the finishing piece to use. 

If you are interested, here is the information on the galvanized tray. I found it in the candle section at Hobby Lobby. 

Bits of cardboard, batting, gingham fabric, ribbon and a small Daisy made for a perfect finish, and the best thing is they were all in my stash. 

 In the past, I  have shared similar seasonal pieces  like Summer   which includes..

Spring 

And... Winter Quilt and Winter

I still have Fall to create , but that will come on another day. 

My 2nd finish for the week was the Little Patriot ... This was a CHOOSE YOUR OWN COLORS CHART.  ( Hmmm... I think I would change the house color if I stitched it again. ) 

⭐I used the following flosses for Little Patriot :  DMC  407 (symbol U) , 435 ( T) , 610 ( ▲),  730  (O)  , 731 (V) , 815 (  R) , 926 (B),   3371( •)  , 3750 ( B)  , 3830 (X)  , and   Blanc ( W) .⭐

I stitched and I stitched and I stitched on the Little Patriot  . And then I realized a made some boo boos on the Little Patriot. Some I ripped out but most I did not. 

 I accidentally miscounted and stitched the stars and the house too far over . To compensate I added  some light blue doohickey's- Hee! Hee! that is my name for the little crosses to even out the side. 

I added the little doohickeys compensate for my miscounting . 

On the quilting front, I appliqued a few butterfly wings for my Berries and Butterflies quilt.

The butterfly appliques has been my 15 a minute a day project this week. 

 These butterflies will soon receive their bodies. I plan to applique 1 or 2 butterflies today. 

Now onto the plans for the week. 

But 1st What about Last Week's Goals?...Well Here is How I Did.   

✅🌞1. Post new Summer Stamp. I posted  Summer Stamp  9  Canning Season as a freebie. 

✅🌞2. Work on Little House Needleworks "Sheep Virtues"

✅🌞3. Work on Melva's Little House on the Prairie Sew Along. 

✅🌞4. Share my latest thrifty finds. Yes we went to some thrift stores and I found some goodies. Eeeh!! On Wednesday, I shared a visit to the farm and Big Red , my new vintage quilt. 

✅🌞5.Work on the  Strawberry Sampler

✅🌞6. Work in the  garden and post a garden update.

Hip Hip Hooray! I checked everything off on my list! I am doing the happy dance! 

Hmm.... What Should I do This Week? 

🌞1. Post the final Summer Stamp

🌞2. Work on Little House Needleworks "Sheep Virtues"

🌞3. Finish Sweet Melody. 

🌞4. Share my latest thrifty finds. Yes there is still more to share. 

🌞5.Work on fully finishing the  Strawberry Sampler

🌞6. Applique Butterflies. 

That is a good enough list . I am sure I will find more to work on. 

My daughter and son-in-law came home for a visit for the weekend. It has been so good to have them here . Of course we had a family gathering, played baseball and other games. They return back to their home today.  

Well Sweeties, I better get started on my To Do List. I wish you a lovely upcoming week and thank you for dropping by. 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"The world is so beautiful in summer- so full of life and song and laughter.  "- L M. Montgomery

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy . We should be having cake and ice cream today. If only you were here. 

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

🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉

 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 Stomping Stamp Parade 2026  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to June 2, 2026

🌞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

🌞Let's Dye Some Fabric- A tutorial on my process of dyeing Aida 

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