But, I don't like Paper-Piecing!

Hi everyone! 
I've been busy lately, quilting (for others), setting up my "new to me" AD860, 12 needle embroidery machine (loving that!).
I've decided before I can start another project, either quilting or embroidery, I need to finish a few UFO's.
First up...a paper-pieced butterfly quilt that uses blocks I found at Quilter's Cache:
http://www.quilterscache.com/B/BisforButterflyBlock.html

Simple enough, even though I don't like paper-piecing...and I did some for a block swap years ago...thought since this is the block I used to teach myself paper-piecing...and did them bass aackwards (had the paper on the bottom..blocks came out facing the oposite of what they should have.... I'd do 30 of them...maybe I'd like paper-piecing better.

Well, I had done a paper-pieced Double Wedding Ring quilt for the same reason (didn't make me like the process any better, and took over 3 years to complete).

King Size Thanksgiving Double Wedding Ring Quilt

Not perfect, but it fits on my bed and works for me.  I just wanted the blasted thing done, so played with random doodles for quilting. Those arcs took forever!

That done...I decided I needed a way to joing the pieces on the butterfly blocks...took way to long to line up the stitching lines while sewing...so here is what I came up with:



This is two of the three sections I needed to join together..notice the corgugated plastic fabric board behind the sections.

I inserted a straight pin into the very corner of the orange wing section........

Then I inserted the same pin through the very corner of the blue wing section....





Next you insert the pin into the plastic fabric board, making sure the pin stays standing perfectly straight, then you push down gently on the wing sections to have them flat against the board....

Now, insert a pin through the stitching line on the orange wing section, through to the blue wing section...note that the pin is NOT on the stitching line of the blue wing section...I have to remove the pin and adjust the orange section to line up that pin....while doing this, make sure the first pin stays in the upright position & has not shifted.

Second try is perfectly lined up.  Now, I just need to secure the pins for sewing....

I first secured the bottom pin, leaving the original pin secured into the fabric board....then I secured that first pin for sewing.  Nope, don't have to make sure the tip is lined with that left line, as we aren't stitching that line.

Once we stitch the line the pins are on...we continue with the body of the butterfly, lining up and securing with pins the same as above.

And here is my finished block...well almost...needs to be trimmed and have the sashing added...but it's a butterfly & it points in the intended direction!

I don't know how the pros do these, but this is how my left brain told me to do it..lol.

Can't wait to get this quilt done, and get on to the next one...a scrappy kinda crazy quilt.

Till later...

May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You in His Arms!

Marge

http://www.Lmcampbel.com

Campbell's, Quilting by Marge

(and now, embroidery too!)