Day 117 – Butterfly Wings

Way back in December when I showcased the blocks of the Winter Wonderland Quilt, I mentioned creating this design while working on that quilt.

I wanted a pivot design, which are fast to stitch, but more random movement and flow. Thus Butterfly Wings was born!

free motion quilting | Leah Day

Wow! I do one lecture and suddenly I’m being emailed and called for more workshops and lectures all over NC!

Today I’m trying to get it all organized, get my desk cleared back off again, and hopefully will get back behind the camera by the end of the day.

The kitchen is officially finished. I know because no one showed up at my house today and started banging on anything!

free motion quilting | Leah DayIt’s an enormous relief and I hope to do a video showcasing the new room this evening.

It was so wonderful to hang Release Your Light in her special place on the wall, though Josh kept hinting that she doesn’t match anymore with the new colors of the room.

I guess I’m just going to have to create a new goddess for my dining room wall, but in the meantime, I think she looks just fine where she is.

Okay, let’s get back to business with Butterfly Wings!

Inspiration – I think it was way back while working on Flower Ball that I realized how versatile the leaf shapes were. You can do loads with these shapes – stack, pivot, echo, you name it – it all looks great!

Difficulty LevelIntermediate. This is really not a difficult design at all, but I rate it Intermediate because if you’re not used to traveling over your previous stitching it could be challenging. Just make sure you’re using a really thin, but strong thread!

free motion quilting | Leah DayDesign Family – Pivoting. This is a design that is formed very similar to Paisley. You can pretty much place this design in any area of your quilt. Check this out:

This is one of the Winter Wonderland Blocks. It just goes to show that you can definitely wiggle this filler design around complicated areas.

Directional Texture – All Directions. Pivot designs really have a nice all over texture than looks great as the background texture of a quilt.

Suggestions for Use – This flowing, free form design will pretty much work anywhere, but I can definitely see using it in a landscape quilt. Need a stitch that will look like random foliage? Butterfly wings is a great choice!

Back of Butterfly Wings
free motion quilting | Leah DayFeel free to use this free motion filler designs in your quilts,

and send in a picture to show it off.

Click here to support the project by visiting our online quilt shop.

Let’s go Quilt!

 

Leah Day

LeahDay

Leah Day has been teaching online since 2009. She's the creator of the Free Motion Quilting Project, a blog filled with thousands of quilting tutorial videos. Leah has written several books including 365 Free Motion Quilting Designs, Explore Walking Foot Quilting with Leah Day, and Mally the Maker and the Queen in the Quilt.

5 Responses

  1. Ethne says:

    Leah, what a beautiful filler design, I love it 😉
    and it's not a suprise that you are getting requests for more 'trunk shows', I wouldn't be suprised if the start coming into you from further afield – just wait.

  2. Julie says:

    Congratulations on the success of your lecture and for all the others you are being asked to do :o) You deserve the success! I really like this butterfly pattern, it's very attractive without being overpowering.

  3. quilteddogs says:

    Let your husband know that art does not have to match the furniture. Your work is beautiful and should really be the only thing that matters in the room.

  4. Tracey says:

    I think you have an excellent 'voice' for teaching and lecturing so I'm not surprised you've been asked to do more. You are easy to listen to AND you know what you are talking about too …not a combo a lot of teachers have. Good luck in 2010 with side of your business

  5. tess says:

    congrats on being asked to do more lectures ! how flattering is that!

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