On The Bright Side

When it's cold and gray and foggy everyday for weeks on end, it is lovely to be basking in the beautiful and colorful array of sweet Sunbonnets and Butterflies in a swirling cloud of calico. 

And that's just what I've been up to.  In my mind's eye, anyway.  I decided that this adorable butterfly had been tucked away in its shoe box far too long, and deserved to see the light of day--and got to work on it.  And, after all the hours of work I put in on this, I should have had an actual quilt to show you.  But, no.  I just have a new pattern for anyone who is looking for a sweet, sunny little winter project to keep them occupied.  If this appeals to you, the pattern will be available for a limited time in my Vintage Stitch Shop as an instant download.  Follow link:  Butterfly Quilt #527

Whilst digging through shoe boxes, I found other butterfly patterns!  I will be happily working toward doing something with these in the coming months.  So get ready for more butterflies!  These old patterns are just too sweet to be forgotten.  They date back to the newspaper mail-order days between the 1930's and 1950's.

And so does our darling SunBonnet Sue here.  She was originally a "trace" design and I offered it through the website as such.  But it too has been over-hauled and re-designed as an iron-on transfer for embroidery, with optional applique pieces.  This may look like a complicated quilt block, but the dress and bonnet are each one piece.  That leaves an arm and a leg piece, and the mid-section of the watering can; a simple rectangle shape. Bloomers, shoes, and flowers are embroidered.  (I've included directions for using traditional applique and freezer paper applique methods). 

These types of quilts were popular in their day and are still an economical way to make a quilt by using small scraps of fabric and/or recycled clothing.  Earlier quilts were made from the colorful prints found from feed sacks.  

What are feed sacks?  Well, at the turn of the century when the cotton industry was in full production, cotton bags replaced the bulky barrels that had been used to store things like sugar, salt, meal, and grain.  It was an added convenience for the shop-keeper and probably more sanitary in the long run, to offer pre-measured bags of goods ready on the shelf. 

At first, the bags were made of plain muslin, and as the depression wore on, housewives used this "free" fabric to make clothing and such; one unfolded bag equaled about one yard of cloth.  Before long, suppliers and marketers took note of this trend and began making feed sacks with colorful prints as a selling point.  Good move.  I often wonder how many amazing quilts would not have been made if it were not for all those feed sacks for inspiration.  Today, the reproduction "feed sack" prints are still fun to work with and effective when used with the older patterns to achieve a vintage look. 

Comments

[Debra Wortman]

Hi, Vicki!
I have missed your cheerful and inspiring posts, but I am happy to see that you have been busy with some very lovely projects. We are in a deep-freeze in the Northeast, and anything spring-like is most welcome! I have 2 grand-daughters who would probably love butterflies and sunbonnets.

[Susan]

I too have missed your posts and am happy to see you have been busy. Now, what I find to be very odd is you posting a butterfly pattern. Four days ago, I found an Aunt Martha's quilt booklet at a thrift store that features a pieced butterfly. I want to make a butterfly quilt but want to try applique. My Internet searches did not turn up a pattern I like. Well, what do you know? Here you post a gorgeous butterfly pattern. Hopefully, I can find a way to print it. Thanks so much, Vicki. :)

[Vee]

Reworking projects will keep a gal busy. Hope that you have more sun soon. Cold and gray wear a person down. lovely butterfly pattern and Sunbonnet Sue.

[Cgirl]

I love the butterfly and Sunbonnet Sue patterns. I ordered the Sue pattern. Thank you for offering them. Sunbonnet girls are some of my favorite patterns. I have a very large collection of Sunbonnet girls and ladies, most of them are originals but I love finding a new one to add the group.

[Beth Payne]

Hello, Vicki
Your wonderful blog is the very first one I found on the Internet, several years ago. I was looking for vintage embroidery patterns and was lucky enough to find your site. I had no idea what a blog was. Needless to say, Turkeyfeathers opened up a whole new world. I believe that Turkeyfeathers is still my favorite.
Love today's post. Vintage butterfly quilts are so pretty. Thank you for your cheerful posts and your preservation of so many beautiful vintage needlework patterns that would otherwise be lost. Not only is this of benefit to those of us who want to use these patterns today, but it saves an important piece of history and gives us a picture of women's lives that we might not otherwise have. It is a sweet connection with those who have gone before us.