'Sunflowers and Butterflies' OR, "It Screams Summer"

I have finished a quilt! After letting this one just 'sit' for over a year, it is done. Sometimes my idea of a good quilt is a finished quilt. Well, not really, I still have some standards, but finishing anything these days is quite a remarkable thing around here. I'd like to blame the world situation, the economy, the telephone, dealing with the trials and tribulations of family life, household duties and so many things....but, really, I can't. It all boils down to the fact that somehow, I have lost momentum and it can't be blamed on anything but my current lack of self-discipline. So...boy, am I going to have to work on that one. There is a quote I've attached to the top of my computer that says "Nobody can be exactly like me. Even I have trouble doing it." Tallulah Bankhead said that and I'm experiencing it.

Now, about the finished quilt....here it is. It all began with some old neckties my son-in-law gave me. If you look at the very center of this quilt, all the piecing in that block (except the very center square which is the same as one of the borders) is made from two of the neckties. That got me started on this odd little 36 inch square quilt! First I made the center block, then decided to 'grow' the quilt, adding borders. After the borders were added, I decided the quilt was "too simple" so added some appliqued sunflowers and butterflies, all embellished with beads, crystals, and embroidery. You have to look closely to see them all and I suppose this quilt shows that sometimes too much is never enough for me!

Oh, gosh yes, I know the quilt is too busy! It just turned out that way, so I've decided to chalk it all up to the fact that for years, I have enjoyed making quilts that have to be looked at 'up close'
to see all the elements, thus giving those doing the looking a small 'reward' for their trouble.
Maybe I overdid it this time. But, hey, it's FINISHED!

If you look carefully, you can see that I did embroidery on the leaves and the bud, beaded around the center of the flowers and added crystals to the wings of the butterflies. The crystals sparkle nicely when the lights hit them 'just so' and I like that. I hand quilted around each flower, leaf and butterfly along with some meandering quilting in the borders. Plus, I machine quilted each border 'in the ditch' as it is called.

This quilt may go to Second Saturday Studio, or on my etsy unless someone 'out there' is interested...contact me if you are. Y'all have a good weekend and I'm going to get back to work on that self-discipline! take care, pat

PS. Today, after publishing this post, I received a comment from my friend, Francien from Holland, regarding this quilt, saying "it screams summer." Loving that as a title, I added it to the quilt label on the back of the quilt and then here as part of the title of this post. It does absolutely SCREAM summer. Thanks, Francien!