Butterfly Quilt Block

We saw our first butterfly of the season this past weekend! It's so nice to have them back and knowing that spring is definitely here and summer is coming.

I often complain about the bugs here in the summer, but really I just mean I don't like the mosquitoes and flies. (I saw a postcard once in Ottawa with a mosquito on it and the saying "Provincial bird of Ontario"... I'm sure it's not just Ontario, but gosh there are a lot of mosquitoes here!)

Butterflies are a whole other story, though. I love to watch them dance, and watch my dog chase their shadow across the lawn. Sadly they're a very visible indicator of the state of our (diminishing) biodiversity, so I try to plant as many butterfly-friendly flowers as I can. We're lucky to have Monarch butterflies here, too, so any milkweed that likes to grow in my yard, regardless of where it is, I leave standing. I probably could pull the ones out from in between the veggies, there are actually quite a lot of them in the fields and along the edges of the bush here, but I feel like I need to keep them just in case there is a Monarch nearby depending on them.

This month's Quilt Block Mania pattern is not a Monarch butterfly, though. Although you could probably add the required orange and black touches to make it resemble one. It's a simple and quick to piece butterfly block to go with the month's bug theme. 

My own sample is a fabric pull from my scrap stash, but here are some other colour ideas for you, to jump start your imagination.

And if you're feeling a little adventurous, why not add a (fussy cut) print fabric for the wings, or even piece them as well? You could try a crumb block, or maybe selvedges, or even cutoffs such as a corner HSTs from another project...

The Butterfly block pattern is available in the pattern shop.

Don't forget to check out all all the other block designs this month!

Ladybug Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Snail by Appliques Quilts and More
Dragonfly by Mom and Me Quilting Co.
Aragog by Inquiring Quilter
Bugs in a Jar Quilt Block by Julia of Inflorescence
Christmas Beetle by Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Bug Jar Quilt Block
Butterfly by Penny Spool Quilts
Beetle Bug by Perkins Dry Goods
Caterpillar by QuiltFabrication
Jewel Beetle by Sugar Sand Quilt Company
Bumblebee Block by BoBerry Design Co.
Arachnid at Patti's Patchwork
Butterfly Wreath by Jessica of Blue Sky Modern Craft
Marvelous Moth by Blue Bear Quilts

*Quilt Block Mania blocks are free to download for the duration of the month they were designed for. After that, they are available in the pattern shop.