Mariposas- a new Butterfly quilt pattern

Today is a big day in these parts! New pattern, new bundles, and kits too! So exciting. 

The pattern is called Mariposas (butterflies in Spanish) and it's a fast and easy sew, made with fat quarters and a bit of yardage. The pattern has instructions for a straight-grid setting of the blocks, but you'll find instructions for off-set blocks in an upcoming blog post. I have kits for everything except the backing!

These two fabrics aren't a part of the kit, I just had to make a pillow so I could embroider the antennae! So cute!

I didn't originally plan on releasing a pattern with this bundle, but when I was trying to think of patterns that would complement these large-scale, gorgeous fabrics, I thought butterfly wings would be just the ticket. I'm grateful for testers who helped me get this one ship shape for you. 

If you don't plan on making the butterfly quilt, I also have fat quarter and half yard bundles of just the beautiful, silky, floral Art Gallery prints. I love the vibrant colors and bold florals. They would be great for a Swoon quilt, or a High Tide Remix!

If you'll indulge me in a few personal stories today, I'll tell you why I named this one "Siena Spring". 

When I was 12 or so my parents gave me a calendar for Christmas that was full of photos of Italy. Little did they know this would start a life-long obsession in my young heart. As soon as I got to college I enrolled in Italian classes and after 2 years I had the remarkable opportunity to go on a study abroad trip based in Siena, Italy. Located right in the middle of the country, Siena is one of the best preserved Medieval cities in Italy. I took language, history, and cooking classes at a small local university and worked (for free) as a waitress in an adorable family restaurant. The dad cooked, the mom managed, and the son was the main waiter. The town is as precious and charming as they come. What a dream!

Via: Alamy Stock Photo

The big church in Siena has pillars inside that are black and white striped, just like the binding on the Mariposa quilt. This is where I fell in love with red geraniums that are the specific shade of orangey-red in these fabric bundles too. On the weekends we'd travel to other cities and tour around. Probably my favorite part of the entire experience was the cooking class where we'd make 3 course meals from scratch and eat them all together in a room with an adjoining rooftop terrace, as the swallows swooped in and out of the sunset. You can't make this stuff up you guys, I get teary eyed when I talk about it out loud. I love that place!

Gelato!

Quilting by Emilee Hathaway of Paisley, Prints, and Polka Dots

Alright back to the matter at hand. I absolutely adore the luxurious black minky that I used to back my quilt, but I did find some other backing suggestions that I really like for this quilt too. It was a hard choice! The kids always want minky though :) My local quilt shop Cali Quilt Co. specializes in minky, they must have every imaginable color and texture! That's where I got this simple black one. Here are some more great options. 

Spotted Butterflies in Black 

Old Made Wallflower in White would be a wonderful choice. You also couldn't go wrong with classic black Swiss Dots. If you can wait until October, this upcoming Ruby Star would be an amazing option:

I'll be back in a few days with instructions for this off-set layout of blocks. See you soon!