When I started quilting 10 years ago I remember exactly what I was thinking while watching (admiring!) others works. I was impressed by the craftmanship and I was convinced than I never ever be able to piece some blocks, get know some techiniques etc. For instance, I couldn't figure out how Dahlia Blossom quilts are made (I was sure that they are pieced by hand, because back then I thought that piecing curves is impossible [I know - silly me;)]).
I was convinced not only that some types of works are and will be forever beyond my skills, but also I wasn't even dreaming than that one day I will be designing quilts by my own.
How wrong I was... Fun fact is that I started designing my own projects in the first year of quilting. I just did it naturally. Without any special preparation.
Buttefly Blossom, finished block, 16in square
Back then I was hit by the idea of making a flower from butterflies. I knew exactly how it should look like, but it was just before I get know paper-piecing method. Therefore I tried to recreate my idea using applique. In a fact first flower made of butterflies was not a quilted one, but it was cut out of felt (I used it as little mug rugs).
I thought that my first flower made of butterfles was this one (CLICK), but recently while organizing my sewing room I found a pillow top made before this one was made. If I remember it correctly I just learned how to make appliques and it was one of the first tests of this technique, but I decided to add a cord on the edges (I thought then that it will look more pretty:).
[I hesitate whether I should add photo of this project, it's just ugly:)]
I wasn't able to design the circles of butterflies properly, but I gave several tries to draw it (in Paint - I know, what a perfect software for print designing). Here is one of the prints:
At the end of last year all of a sudden I decided to make this pattern using paper-pieced method. And it worked perfectly! I don't remember when was the last time (if ever!) when I pieced so many repeats so quickly! The finished block is presented at the beginning of this post.
So a dream from the title of this post did finally come true… I was so proud that after many years of quilting I was finally able to design the pattern in the way I really loved.
The pattern is a combination of two of my previous patterns (THIS one and THIS one) and it's quite big (16" square).
Later on when I was brownsing my old designs on my very old laptop I found that I actually designed circles of butterflies in the past! I just forgot about it… (I have no idea how I could forget such design). It is different than the above pattern, its shape is based on hexagon and probably is more beginners friendly.
Here's the comparison of these two patterns:
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I am now preparing to fulfill this promise.
Pattern testers are invited! Just e-mail me at jednoiglec (at) wp (dot) pl