Imagine a quilt made up of these distinct, unique, and very beautiful butterfly charm blocks!
Be warned, however, for those of you (and there are many of us) who prefer quilting projects that don’t require paper piecing, this is a paper-piecing quilting project.
The free pattern for this project includes printable appliques and step-by-step instructions for piecing the different components together.
There are eight sections in each of the Gidget and Cricket patterns, while there are six sections in Pepper’s pattern. Detailed assembly instructions for piecing the sections of the pattern are included on every pattern, but there are a few general instructions that apply to all of them: The pattern sections include a 1/4″ seam allowance that is indicated by a dashed line on the outer edge of the pattern.
It is recommended that you trim your paper pattern pieces outside of the dashed line. Foundation paper piece each section and trim to the dashed line. There is a lot of precision required to ensure that the sections of these patterns line up, since these patterns are small.
Trimming your sections should be done with great care and accuracy. The outer solid line should always be used when piecing sections together, and the alignment should always be checked before stitching. The paper must be removed only from the sewn seam allowance after you have sewn the two sections together and then the seams must be pressed open and as flat as possible. In this way, you will be able to reduce bulk and keep your overall size as accurate as possible.
Each time you want to piece together two sections, you will need to repeat these steps. Upon the completion of all your sections, your block should measure 5.5″ and will be ready to be used as a 5″ finished block as soon as it has been pieced.
To finish the block as a 4.5″ square, you can trim your block on the outer solid line, which should measure 5″, if you wish to use your block as a 4.5″ square after stitching. Be sure to check this measurement before trimming as minor size changes can occur when piecing. If the solid line on your paper pattern does not measure 5”, trim your block from the front using the center of the body and the seam between top and bottom halves as guides. This seam falls slightly above center, 2.375” down from the top when the block is trimmed to 5”.
Each block, when complete, measures 5-1/2 inches, making each one a 4.5-inch finished block when sewn together with others. Although there is a myriad of different color options you could consider for this one, we definitely love the idea of throwing together a bunch of very brightly colored fabrics.
Here is a link to this pattern
Image and Pattern Source: commmandndesign.com