How to Make a Round Butterfly Quilt

Round quilts are designed in much the same way as this mosaic.

Butterfly quilts are pieced quilts with butterflies appliqued to muslin or cotton quilt blocks. It is thought that the quilts originated during the Depression and that mill workers would create the blocks from pieces of fabric from the mill floor. The butterflies were crudely applied using a buttonhole stitch. Round quilts can be very simple or extremely complex. A round quilt design can be based on simple panels that radiate out from the center or can have blocks arranged to appear as if they swirl out from the middle. There is also a butterfly block pattern.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Paper (large newsprint, such as end rolls from a printing company)
• Large compass
• Protractor
• Ruler or straightedge
• Fabric pieces
• Fabric for backing
• Quilter's cutting board
• Rotary cutting wheel
• Embroidery floss
• Quilt batting or blanket for filling
• Large safety pins
• Colorful yarn in coordinated colors
• Sharp yarn needle
• Six-inch commercial binding or fabric strips
• Tag board (or cereal boxes)
• Iron
• Quilting loop
• Sewing machine (optional)

Instructions

Plan the Pattern

1. Plan out the quilt on a sheet of paper. Use a child's compass and protractor to draw the basic shapes. Make a circle, using the compass. Keep the compass on the same expansion as it was when you drew the circle and place the base end on any point on the edge of the circle. Use the pencil end to make a mark on the edge of the circle. Next, place the base end on the mark you just made and make another mark on the edge of the circle. Continue in this way until you have six marks on the edge of the circle.

2. Use a ruler or straightedge to draw a line from the first mark to the third mark on the opposite side of the circle. Move the ruler to the second mark and draw a line to the fourth mark. Continue in this way until you have a circle that is divided into six wedges.

3. Draw straight lines across the wedges at regular intervals, creating a design that looks like a giant spider web. (Curved lines would make a prettier quilt, but would also be harder to sew.) You can make the center block one solid piece or six wedges that fit together. If you make it solid, place one applique butterfly on that piece. If you use wedges, place one small butterfly on each piece. Make the backgrounds alternating colors.

4. For the second row of blocks, adapt the butterfly pattern to fill the space. On the third row, use white muslin or cotton or a solid color and applique butterflies on each piece.

   For row four, go back to the butterfly pattern, but enlarge it or use it twice to fill the pattern wedge. Make sure that the edges of your pattern will match the corresponding edge of the next wedge. Continue in this fashion until the pattern is complete.

5. Transfer the pattern to a large sheet of paper. (A carpenter's compass or blackboard compass would be handy for this.) This can be taped-together newspaper, paper off a newspaper end-roll (some printing companies will give these away; others charge a small fee), or even taped together art paper. Cut pattern shapes from tag board or cereal boxes. Be sure to cut a butterfly shape as well as the regular quilt shapes.

Cutting the Fabric and Joining the Quilt Blocks

1. Press the fabric, using an iron to get out all the wrinkles. Sort out the colors you wish to use. Fold the fabric and lay it on the cutting board. Place the tag board pattern on top of it. Run the cutting wheel alongside the pattern to cut out the piece. Fasten same-shape pieces together. Cut the correct number of butterflies to go on the quilt.

2. Pin the butterflies to their backing pieces. Sew them on, using a button-hole stitch. You can leave the edge raw for authenticity or tuck it under for a more finished look. Construct the butterfly blocks by basting the pieces together. Machine stitch if desired.

3. Baste the quilt pieces together using a running stitch. Stitch along the seams with a sewing machine to make the quilt sturdier.

Creating the Layers and Putting It All Together

1. Lay the quilt batting or blanket on a level surface. Place the pieced round quilt top on the batting or blanket. Cut around the edges of the quilt top.

2. Place the backing piece on a level surface. Place the pieced quilt top on the backing and cut around it.

3. On a level surface, place the quilt back, then the blanket or batting filler, and the pieced quilt top. Starting from the center, pin the layers, using large safety pins, making sure the layers fit smoothly together.

4. Starting again at the center, use a quilting hoop or large wooden embroidery hoop to place tension on the layers of fabric. Thread a sharp yarn needle with strong, bright yarn. This will be used to tie-tack the quilt. Select corners of blocks or other places that will go with the pattern to place the tie-tacks. Push the needle down from the top of the quilt through the layers. Move over about an eighth of an inch, and push the needle back up through the fabric. Pull the yarn tight, and tie off in a square knot.

   Trim the ends so that they are about an inch long, creating a decorative tuft. Repeat at several strategic points. This will hold the quilt together. When the area stretched by the hoop is finished, move the hoop to another part of the quilt, working steadily out from the center.

5. Bind the edge of the quilt with the commercial binding tape or strips of cloth. Match the raw edge of the binding tape to the outer edge of the quilt. Pin it in place, taking small tucks in the binding as you go to curve it to the circle shape. Use a sewing machine or a running back-stitch to sew the binding to the edge of the quilt. Fold the tape over to the front side of the quilt, tucking the edge under to make a hem. Pin the binding tape in place, taking tucks in it to make it fit. Stitch it down securely. You can use a plain sewing machine stitch to do this, a mechanical decorative stitch, a plain running stitch or an embroidery stitch.

Tips & Warnings

• Press seams and press folds as you construct the quilt.

References

• Quilter's Muse Virtual Museum: Butterflies and More Butterflies
• How to Quilt: Butterfly Block Pattern
• Blog: Wish Upon a Quilt; Jane's Round Quilt
• Auntie's Quaint Quilts...Round Sunbonnet Sue Quilt