Fabric of Appalachia: Part 2

You can use the table of contents or simply scroll to explore each pattern. If you're joining the Fabric of Appalachia Quilt-Along for the first time, we're glad you're here! You’ll find the introduction and all the starting materials on this page.

Looking for blocks 1-6? Visit this page.
Looking for the next steps to finish your quilt? Click here.

 

 

The Road to Tennessee: Block 7

Welcome to Fabric of Appalachia, where American history is stitched together one quilt block at a time. This week’s block is Road to Tennessee.

 

Anne Davis (back row 2nd from left) watches Gov. Austin Peay sign legislation authorizing purchase of the first parcel of land for the park.

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Anne Davis c. 1925

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Alice Paul unfurls suffrage banner at DC headquarters when TN legislature ratifies the 19th amendment.

Library of Congress

 

Road to Tennessee

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If you’ve hiked a trail or driven a road in the Smokies, you know the best routes twist and turn, but the view is worth the effort. The Road to Tennessee block reminds us that sometimes the destination makes even a difficult journey worthwhile.

The journey to women’s suffrage began in 1848 with the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY and ended 72 years later in Nashville, TN, when the Tennessee legislature voted to ratify the 19th Amendment. The decision came down to a single vote in the House—cast by Harry T. Burn, whose red lapel rose indicated that he was an “anti,” but whose pocket held a note from his mother urging him to support the “suffs”. When his name was called, Burn voted to ratify, making Tennessee the 36th and final state needed to add the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and secure women's right to vote.

Burn’s “aye” mattered only because it was uncertain—it counted no more and no less than any other vote cast that day. East Tennessee was solidly pro-women’s suffrage, with representatives from several local counties all voting in favor. They could not have known how their actions would one day help shape the Smokies.

One of those impacts came through Anne Davis. After she and her husband, Willis—manager of the Knoxville Iron Co—travelled to Yellowstone National Park in 1923, Anne mused that while the western park was beautiful, the Smoky Mountains were no less majestic. She questioned why the West should have parks while the east had few. The Davises helped found the Great Smoky Mountain Conservation Association and used their connections to lobby for the creation of the park. In 1924, when Tennessee Legislature failed to approve land purchases, Anne stepped forward. Using the political efficacy newly afforded to women, she ran for a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Once seated, she introduced and advocated for a bill to purchase land for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Her goal accomplished by the end of her first term, Anne stepped back from politics and turned her attention to shepherding the park's development.

If you’d like to know more about Women’s history in the United States, consider visiting these National Park Service units: Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, Rosie Riveter WWII Homefront National Historical Park, First Ladies National Historic Site or explore the National Park Service’s Women's History subject site.

 

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The Road to Tennessee Instructions

Design Notes

We made our block scrappy and arranged the individual units to form a grid, but the look can change depending on how you turn the units. You can make “X”s and “O”s, rows of zig-zags, concentric circles, and even a small x in a larger x. And you can change the look by reversing the colors on half of the pieces. Play a bit with arrangement possibilities before you stitch your block together.

Cutting and Marking

Using your preferred cutting method:

• Cut sixteen 3 ½” squares

• Cut thirty-two 2” squares

Mark each of the 2” squares with a diagonal line from corner to corner

If you aren’t sure how to cut and mark pieces, you can rewatch the video about cutting and marking squares see this video.

Assembly/Piecing

Remember, our directions are for hand-piecing. You can also assemble your quilt by machine if you prefer.

These directions will show you how to make one of the individual square units within the larger block. We are using a different stitching technique, if you’d like instructions, see this video.

Step-by-step

Step 1: Place one of the marked 2” squares right side together with one of the 3.5” squares, orienting it so the diagonal stitching line cuts across the corner and lining up two sides of the square.

Step 2: Stitch across the diagonal line you marked on the smaller square, then trim away the excess leaving ¼” of fabric beyond your stitching line. Hold off on pressing until you’ve determined your layout in Step 6.

Step 3: Repeat with a second 2” square on the opposite corner, placing fabrics right sides together and lining up two sides of the corner.

 

Before sewing

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Step 1 completed.

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Step 2 stitching.

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Step 2 trimming

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Step 2 flipped and completed.

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Step 3.

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Step 4: Again, stitch across the diagonal line marked on the smaller square, trim away the excess leaving ¼” seam allowance. Hold off on pressing until you’ve determined your layout in Step 6.

Step 5: Repeat this sequence until you have 16 completed square units.

Step 6: Lay out the square units in four rows of four squares. Play with the arrangement until you are happy with the design they create and the distribution of color in your block.

Once you’ve determined your layout, you can press your square units. The best way to press your units will depend on the layout that you choose. Look at the intersections where four pieces will come together, you want to make sure the seam allowances of adjacent units go opposite directions at this point. If you choose a layout where all the units angle the same direction, it will work to press all the seam allowances in towards the center color of each unit. If you are placing the units so they form a V or an inverted V, you will want one unit to be pressed with the seam allowances towards the center color and the adjacent unit to be pressed with the seam allowance towards the corner triangles. That sounds complicated but just take it one step at a time… start in one corner, press that unit, then look at the one next to it in the row and think about which way it should go in order to avoid overlapping seam allowances, press accordingly, then move on to the next adjacent unit.

Once your units are pressed, mark a 3” square inside each unit; this will be your stitching line. Assemble like you did the Nine Patch block, stitching the squares into rows, then stitching the rows to one another.

Finish by pressing your remaining seam allowances.

 

Step 4 stitching

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Step 4 trimming

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Step 4 flipped and completed.

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The Carolina Lily: Block 8

Welcome to Fabric of Appalachia, where American history is stitched together one quilt block at a time. This week’s block is the Carolina Lily, which reminds us not only of the abundant natural resources in southern Appalachia and throughout the U.S., but also of the country’s conservation legacy.

 

Handcar on a rail line running through a clearcut mountain slope.

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A log loader

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Carlina Lily block

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When the United States was first founded, the continent seemed vast and the resources unlimited. By the mid-19th century, however, Americans were concerned by development and the rapid depletion of natural resources and began thinking about conservation. In 1864, President Lincoln gave Yosemite to California to become a state park; in 1872, President Grant made Yellowstone the country's first National Park; and in 1890, Congress created Sequoia National Park and changed Yosemite's designation, making it the country's third national park. However, it wasn’t until President Theodore Roosevelt made conservation a focus of his presidency that the movement took off.

Roosevelt was an avid hunter, fisherman, and amateur naturalist. Over the course of his presidency, he set aside 230 million acres of public land, and from the start there was tension over how this land should be managed. Gifford Pinchot advocated for sustainable use of natural resources, arguing that unregulated exploitation by private interests posed long-term threats to national security. John Muir, by contrast, argued for preservation and urged Roosevelt to keep wild places free from human impact. Ultimately, the nation chose to do both.

In 1905, President Roosevelt established the U.S. Forest Service to sustainably manage the country’s timber and grassland resources for future generations. In 1916, President Wilson signed the Organic Act, establishing the National Park Service to preserve the country’s natural and cultural heritage. The system has since been expanded to include 433 sites.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in 1934 and is the most visited national park in the country. It protects remnants of more than 9,000 years of human history, is one of the most biologically diverse parks and protects the “scenic grandeur of the southern Appalachian Mountains.” Mountain land that once supported subsistence farms and later a timber industry now contributes to a tourism economy, generating an estimated $2 billion economic benefit to local communities annually.

If you’d like to know more about the history of conservation in the United States, consider visiting some of these National Park Service units: John Muir National Historic Site, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site, and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.

 

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The Carolina Lily Instructions

Design Notes

This block has lots of pieces and the order in which you stitch them together can be the difference between lots of simple sewing and wrestling with more challenging types of seams. Take your time and follow the assembly instructions.

When choosing colors, there’s no right or wrong. You can bring the vase color into the flowers like we did or you could give them green bases and matching stems. You could even make each flower a different color. Build a bouquet of Carolina Lily’s that makes you happy.

Cutting

Using your preferred cutting method:
Color 1 (vase):

• Cut one 6 7/8” square, then cut it on the diagonal (you will only use 1 triangle)

• Cut one 2 7/8” square, then cut it on the diagonal

Color 2 (background color):

• Cut one 4 7/8” square, then cut it on the diagonal (you will only use 1 triangle)

• Cut one 6 7/8” square, then cut it on the diagonal (you will only use 1 triangle)

• Cut two 2 ½” X 8 ½” rectangles

• Cut two 2 ½” X 4 ½” rectangles

• Cut three 2 ½” squares

• Cut two 3 1/4” squares, then cut on both diagonals (you will only use 6 of the triangles)

Color 3 (tips of flowers):

• Cut two 3 1/4” squares, then cut on both diagonals (you will only use 6 of the triangles)

Color 4 (middle of flowers):

• Cut two 4 7/8” squares, then cut them on the diagonal (you will use three of the resulting triangles) Note: if you want the flowers to be different colors/fabrics, you will need to cut three squares and use one triangle from each

Color 5 (base of flowers):

• Cut three 2 ½” squares

Color 6 (stems):

• Cut three stems ¾” wide and roughly 8” long, cutting on the bias so that the stems are stretchy. You won’t need the full 8” but cutting these strips long will allow you to bend them into a shape that you like before you trim them off at the appropriate length. *optional applique, see step 8 for other possibilities.

Marking

As with the other blocks, if you are hand piecing, you will need to add a ¼” seam allowance; however, this block has a lot more pieces and some will be marked in stages. In this section, we will list the pieces that get marked as stand-alone pieces as we did previously; however, there will be additional marking directions embedded in the assembly directions. All markings will still be on the back side of the fabric.

Begin by marking the following pieces:

• Mark a 2” X 8” rectangle in each 2 ½” X 8 ½” rectangle (background color)

• Mark a 2” X 4” rectangle in each 2 ½” X 4 ½” rectangle (background color)

• Mark a 2” square in each 2 1/2” square of background fabric

• Mark a diagonal line across each 2 ½” square for the flower bases

• For the 6 7/8” half-square triangles (one vase color & one background color), if you are using a template, cut a 6” square template and cut it on the diagonal and then trace around it on the fabric. If you are marking with a ruler, mark a stitching line ¼” from each of the short edges of the triangle, making each stitching line 6” long from the corner where the two stitching lines intersect to the end near the point. Then, connect the ends of the two lines to complete the triangle.

• For the 2 7/8” half-square triangles (background and flower tips), if you are using a template, cut a 2” square template and cut it on the diagonal and then trace around it on the fabric. If you are marking with a ruler, mark a stitching line ¼” from each of the short edges of the triangle, making each stitching line 2” long from the corner where the two stitching lines intersect to the end near the point. Then, connect the ends of the two lines to complete the triangle.

If you aren’t sure how to cut and mark pieces, you can rewatch the video about cutting and marking squares see this video and this video for cutting triangles.

Assembly/Piecing

Remember, our directions are for hand-piecing. You can also assemble your quilt by machine if you prefer. If you aren’t sure how to assemble, piece, and press your block, see this video

Step-by-step

Step 1: Place one marked 2 ½” flower base square right sides together with the corner of one of the 4 7/8” middle flower triangles, lining up the two sides of the corner. Stitch across the diagonal line marked on the square, then trim away the excess leaving ¼” of fabric beyond your stitching line. Fold the small square over the stitching line and press. If you need a refresher on how to do this see this video.

Repeat two more times. We’ll call these “center-flower units.”

Mark each completed “center-flower unit” as if it were a 4 7/8” triangle. If you are using a template, cut a 4” square template, then cut it on the diagonal and trace around it on the fabric. If you are marking with a ruler, mark a stitching line ¼” from each of the short edges of the triangle, making each stitching line 4” long from the corner where the two lines intersect to the end near the point. Then, connect the ends of the two lines to complete the triangle.

Step 2: Place one quarter-square flower tip triangle and one quarter-square background triangle right sides together and pin along the short edge. You’ll want to have the full block laid out before you do this so you can see which short edges need to be stitched together. If you do the wrong short edge, you’ll end up with the colors reversed in the finished block. Be sure to pin precisely in the stitching line. Stitch, then press the seam allowance towards the background triangle. Repeat five more times. We’ll call these “tip triangle pairs.”

After these “tip triangle pairs” have been stitched and pressed, follow the directions for marking a 2 7/8” triangle to add a ¼” seam allowance to each.

Step 3: Place one 2 ½” square background piece right sides together with one of the “tip triangle pairs.” Pin carefully through the stitching line, making sure you are attaching the correct short side of the triangle. Stitch, then press seam allowance towards the triangle unit. Repeat to add a second “tip triangle pair” to the adjacent side of the same square. The finished unit should be a triangle. We will call this a “flower-tip unit.” Repeat two more times.

Step 4: Place one of the “flower-tip units” right-side-together with one of the “center-flower units” that you stitched in Step 1. Pin the long sides of the triangles together, placing pins precisely in the stitching line. Stitch to form a square. Press seam allowance towards the “center-flower unit”. Repeat two more times to complete all three flower units.

Step 5: Pin and stitch the top two flower units and one 2 ½” X 4 ½” background strip together to make a “double-flower unit.” Press seam allowances towards the background strip.

Pin and stitch the remaining flower unit to the remaining 2 ½” X 4 ½” background strip to form a “single-flower unit.”

Refer to the layout photo if you aren’t sure which units to stitch together.

 

Step 1

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Step 1 stitched

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Step 1 completed

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Step 2 completed

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Step 3 completed

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Step 4 completed

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Step 5 completed

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Step 6: Pin and stitch the “single-flower unit” to the 6 7/8” background triangle. Press seam allowance towards the large background triangle.

Step 7: Pin and stitch the “double-flower unit” to the expanded “single-flower unit.”

Step 8: Add the flower stems, letting the bottoms of the stems extend beyond the edge of the background triangle. These will be stitched into the next seam. You have options on how to add your stems.

The stems were appliqued in the original quilt. If you would like to applique stems, you will cut narrow strips as listed in the cutting instructions. Because they are cut on the bias, you can bend them into any shape you like, pin them in place, and then applique them down. Look at this video for instruction on how to stitch your stems in place.

If you prefer not to applique your stems, you could embroider them instead. We’d recommend using the stem stitch to outline the two long edges of each stem. Directions for the stem stitch should be easily found online.

Step 9: Pin and stitch the 6 7/8” vase triangle to make a complete square, pressing the seam allowance towards the vase triangle. You can trim off any remaining stem that extend beyond the seam.

Step 10: Pin and stitch one 2 7/8” vase triangle to the end of each 2 ½” X 8 ½” background rectangle. Press seam allowance towards the background rectangle.

Step 11: Pin one of the background units to the side of the flower unit, pinning precisely in the stitching line. Stitch, then press seam allowance towards the background unit. Repeat to add the second background unit to the bottom of the flower unit.

Step 12: Pin the remaining background triangle to the base of the vase, pinning precisely through the stitching line. Stitch in place, then press the seam allowance towards the background triangle.

 

Step 6 completed

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Step 7 completed

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Step 8 completed

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Step 9 completed

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Step 10 completed

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Step 11 completed

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Step 12 completed

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The String Block: Block 9

Welcome to Fabric of Appalachia where American history is stitched together one quilt block at a time. This week’s block is inspired by the String Block.

 

CCC Roadwork

NPS Historic Photo

FDR dedicates Great Smoky Mountains National Park

NPS Historic Photo

 

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Quilting rebounded in popularity during the Great Depression, offering both a distraction from economic hardship and a way to repurpose fabric scraps and empty feed sacks into something useful and beautiful. While many popular designs were structured, the String Block was an improvisational style that used up odd bits of fabric.

Already, by the mid-19th century, life in the mountains was changing. With the economy shifting toward wage labor and the soil becoming depleted, it had become increasingly difficult to support a family through subsistence farming. Farmwork increasingly fell to women and children, while men looked for work elsewhere, often with timber companies or railroads. By the 1920s, easily accessible timber stands had been clearcut, and the price of lumber began to drop. The Great Depression in the 1930s accelerated the decline, leaving many families struggling to make ends meet.

In 1932, Americans resoundingly voted for change, electing Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his “New Deal for the American People” by a landslide. North Carolina and Tennessee had already begun acquiring land in the 1920s, hoping that a park would spur federal investment in regional infrastructure. Once in office, Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps was put to work shaping that land into the park we know today. The “CCC boys,” many from regional communities, built secondary roads, removed slash and restored areas damaged by logging, stabilized historic structures, and created outdoor museum areas. The young men were provided with meals, clothing, shelter, medical care, and had the opportunity to learn a trade or take academic classes. They were paid $30 a month—$5 kept as an allowance, with the remainder sent home to support their families. Roughly three million young men served in the CCC between 1933 and 1942, leaving a legacy that is still evident in state and national parks throughout the country.

If you’d like to learn more about The Great Depression and the New Deal, consider visiting these National Park Service units: Home of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, or Frances Perkins National Memorial.

 

The String Block Instructions

Design Notes

Traditional string blocks are made on a foundation, which helps to prevent distortion as miscellaneous fabric scraps are sewn on without regard to fabric grain; however, the need to stitch through an additional layer of fabric, combined with the many seams, makes that style of block challenging when hand-piecing. Instead, we are sharing this block inspired by the String Block, which has a similar look, but is easier for a hand stitcher to construct.

Cutting and Marking

Cutting

We’re going to be cutting this block in an improvisational manner, so we will start with squares that are larger than we need and will cut it in multiple steps.

1st Cut: Cut four 9” squares, 2 from light fabric and 2 from dark fabric.

2nd Cut: Stack all four squares of fabric directly on top of one another and slice the pile into 5 segments (i.e. make four cuts). You do not need to measure but make sure that each of the cuts is a straight line. We angled ours from the corner, making it wider at one end than the other. This gives us the option to make the final block look like a star or a sunburst.

 

1st cut.

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2nd cut.

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2nd cut with stacks opened.

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Assembly (and marking)

Next, we need to arrange the slices that we made into squares, each of which will be one quarter of the finished block. Because the fabric was stacked when we sliced it, each stack has 4 identical pieces, 2 in each color. We are going to shuffle the colors when we lay out the block.

Step by Step

Step 1: Move 5 slices, one from each stack, choosing alternating colors to form a square. Repeat three more times. You should end up with four sets of slices, which will be the four quarters of the finished block. I’ll refer to these as quarter-squares in the directions.

Step 2: Mark a ¼” seam allowance on the long edges of each slice.

Step 3: Stitch together the slices in one quarter-square, pressing all the seam allowances in the same direction.

Because we cut these improvisationally and did not add seam allowances when cutting, the resulting pieced unit is going to have a ragged edge; it will not be square. That’s ok. We cut our starting squares large to account for this.

Repeat for the 3 remaining squares. Be sure to press the seam allowances for all four quarter-squares in the same direction so they will be evenly distributed with the block is fully assembled.

Step 4: Trim each pieced unit into a 6 ½” square, removing the uneven edges as you do. Mark a 6” square on each trimmed quarter-square; this will be your stitching line.

Step 5: Decide whether you want your block to come to points at the corners like a star or radiate out like rays of sunlight. Layout the quarter-squares in your preferred orientation.

Step 6: Pin the top two squares together, as we did for previous blocks, and stitch to form a row. Repeat with the bottom two squares. Then pin and stitch the two rows together. Press your final four seams.

 

Step 1 completed.

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Step 3 in progress.

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Step 3 completed.

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Step 5 star layout option.

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Step 5 radiating layout option.

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The Variable Stars: Block 10

Welcome to Fabric of Appalachia where American history is stitched together one quilt block at a time. This week, we’ll stitch thirteen Variable Star blocks to represent the thirteen original colonies and the service men and women who have fought for freedom and democracy over the last 250 years.

 

Edwards Sparks, Eagle Rose, and Tom Jenkins in uniforms for the Spanish American War.

NPS Historic Photo

Mike Tipton holding WW1 Gun.

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Variable Star Block.

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While no military battles were fought in the Smokies, residents of the communities that once dotted what is now Great Smoky Mountains National Park have a long history of military service. Cemeteries within the park’s boundaries are the final resting place for roughly 250 veterans. Among the earliest graves are those of Revolutionary War veterans, and generations of mountain people have continued to serve in nearly every conflict in our nation’s history—as well as in times of peace—right up to the present day.

Those who came before us understood that becoming free was only the first step, and that there would be a cost to remain free. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, whom himself was a veteran, having earned the rank of Five-Star General, stated in his inaugural address that “A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” He and Mamie considered the farm they purchased in Appalachia “the only home, truly ours.”

Today, we remember those lost in the attacks of September 11, 2001; the first responders who ran towards danger instead of away from it because their fellow Americans were in need; and the friends, neighbors and even strangers who offered a helping hand to those who lost loved ones or found themselves stranded halfway through a journey. We also remember the service men and women who understood that September 11 was an attack not just on our buildings, but on our way of life, and were willing to face the ultimate sacrifice because they believed that freedom, equality, justice, self-determination, and the opportunity to achieve the American Dream were principles worth fighting for.

If you’d like to know more about the country’s military past, consider visiting some of our National Park Service Battlefields - Battlefields (U.S. National Park Service) or places of remembrance such as National Cemeteries (U.S. National Park Service) or Memorials - Monuments & Memorials (U.S. National Park Service), some of which honor those who served.

Variable Stars Instructions

Design Notes

We’re making 13 variable star blocks in two sizes. The nine in the center of the quilt are 4” blocks, while the four corners are larger 6” blocks. You can choose to make these single-color stars, or you can choose a color for the center that is different from the points. You could even mix and match and do some of each.

Cutting and Marking

Cutting

For each 4” block, cut the following:

Background color

• Four 1 ½” squares

• Four 1 ½” X 2 ½” rectangles

Star center

• One 2 ½” square

Star points

• Eight 1 ½” squares

For each 6” block, cut the following:

Background color

• Four 2” squares

• Four 2 X 3 ½” rectangles

Star center

• One 3 ½” square

Star points

• Eight 2” squares

Marking

• Mark a ¼” seam allowance on each of the background pieces, as well as on the center of the star, by marking within it a square or rectangle with a length and width that is ½” less than the cut fabric. For example, in the 2 X 3 ½” rectangle, you will mark a 1 ½” X 3” rectangle.

• Mark each of the squares for the star points with a diagonal line from corner to corner.

If you aren’t sure how to cut and mark your pieces, see this video.

 

Drafted star

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Drafted star

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Assembly and Piecing

Remember, our directions are for hand-piecing. You can also assemble your quilt by machine if you prefer.

We will be using the stitch and flip technique again. If you need a refresher on how to do that, see this video.

If you need a refresher on how to assemble, piece, and press your block, see this video.

Step by Step

Step 1: Place one star point square, right-sides together, with one background rectangle lining it up with the end of the rectangle. Be sure the stitching line is oriented to connect the outside corner of the rectangle to the inside center of the rectangle. Stitch across the diagonal line you marked on the square.

Trim away the excess leaving ¼” of fabric beyond the stitching line, then fold what’s left of the square over the stitching line and press.

Repeat on the other end of the rectangle to add the second star point.

Repeat step 1 three more times.

Step 2: Pin and stitch each row together. For the top and bottom rows, press the seam allowances towards the corner blocks. For the middle row, press the seam allowance towards the center block.

Step 3: Pin and stitch the rows to one another. We recommend swirling the seam allowances to distribute the bulk; you can follow the same pressing diagram as for the Nine Patch block.

 

Step 1: one seam stitched.

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Step 1: one seam trimmed and flipped

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Step 1: one pair of star points complete

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Step 1 completed

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Step2 completed

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Step 3 completed

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Bonus Content - Butterfly Applique

Welcome to Fabric of Appalachia where American history is stitched together one quilt block at a time. We’ve been exploring the history of Appalachia and its place in U.S. history, while stitching quilts to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary.

The blocks we’ve shared have marked turning points in history, celebrated the rich culture of Appalachia, and highlighted the spirit of its people. One person who embodied that spirit was Dolly Parton; her passing, one month ago, left a hole in the hearts of many people here and around the world.

Dolly was proudly Appalachian and never forgot who she was or where she came from. She loved the Smokies, celebrating their beauty in her music and investing in the people and communities of east Tennessee, while extending her philanthropy well beyond the bounds of Appalachia. She followed, according to one obituary, an ethic of “work hard, give generously, and never apologize for who you are,” living those values herself while creating space for others to do the same. As one relative put it, “Dolly loved everyone, especially children.”

Today, we invite you to remember Dolly and her legacy and offer one last motif for those stitching the Fabric of Appalachia quilt.

We’ve chosen three of the more than 100 butterfly species that live in Dolly’s beloved Great Smoky Mountains as inspiration for our patterns.

• Bright yellow, and boldly striped in black, the tiger swallowtail is one of the flashiest butterflies in the mountains. It’s adaptable and can be found in almost all Smokies habitats.
• Monarchs summer in the park but are most common in fall when they pass through on their long journey to Mexico where they spend the winter before returning in Spring.
• Spring azures are one of the early signs of spring in the mountains. At rest, their muted color and small size make them easy to overlook, but when they take flight, the bright flash of blue makes them anything but ordinary.

 

Dolly’s visit to a kindergarten field trip at Sugarlands Valley in 1997.

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Eastern tiger swallowtail

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Monarch

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Spring azure

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Applique patterns. How to print this image from a computer: Right click the image and click open image in new tab. From the new tab you can print the screen, this should be available in your browser's main menu at the top right corner of your screen.

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Butterfly Applique Instructions

Design Notes

The patterns provided are for three different Smoky Mountain butterflies. These are a new addition and are not part of the original quilt design. Add none, one, two, or all three, whatever you prefer.

Pictured above are the butterflies appliqued on the Nine Patch block, so you can see what they look like, but they can be added anywhere on your quilt... in the blocks, in the sashing or borders, crossing over between sections; you could even put one on the back and use it to "sign" your quilt.

Below are directions to add the butterflies in two ways. The first set of directions are with needle-turn applique, which is the same way that we showed you to add stems to your Carolina Lily block. The second set of directions, for those who prefer not to do needle-turn, is for adding them with fusible, which is a product that you would need to purchase from a quilt shop or craft supply store.

While we’ve provided three butterfly patterns, another option is to find a fabric that has butterflies printed on it and cut carefully around the printed butterfly, following the directions for whichever method you choose to add it to your quilt. The smaller blue butterfly shown above on the sample block was cut from butterfly fabric.

Preparing Your Pattern

Step 1: Begin by printing off the pattern image. If you print it at 100% scale, the butterflies should be roughly life sized, but of course you can shrink or expand the scaling to make them whatever size you wish.

Step 2: Cut out the butterfly, following the lines on the pattern.

From here, you will need to decide whether you are applying your butterfly with needle-turn applique or by fusing it, then follow the corresponding directions.

For needle-turn applique

Needle-turn Step 3: Trace around the butterfly pattern on the wrong side of the fabric. This is NOT your cutting line; it marks where the turned edge will be. In the step-by-step pictures, we marked with sharpie so it would be easy to see where the traced line was and where we cut. Do not use Sharpie on your fabric; it will bleed through and be visible on the front of your quilt. Mark with pencil or chalk pencil, just as you did when marking seam allowances for blocks.

Needle-turn Step 4: Cut out the butterfly shape from the fabric leaving about 3/16” of fabric outside the line. This is the fabric that you will turn under when you are stitching your butterfly onto your quilt top.

Needle-turn Step 5: Place the butterfly where you want it to be on your quilt and pin it in place. You will want to use enough pins that the edges can’t shift around and create a pucker as you are stitching.

Needle-turn Step 6: Applique the butterfly to your quilt top the same way that you did the stems on your Carolina Lily block. For instructions, watch this video.

One difference is that we cut the stems on the bias so they were stretchy; the butterflies will not stretch in the same way. When you are stitching into Vs or around points or tight curves, you will need to clip your seam allowance to allow the edge to turn under smoothly. You will be able to tell when you need to add a clip because your fabric will start to pucker.

In the step 6 picture, we have marked where you are likely to need to clip on the fabric shape from step 4, but you won’t actually mark these on your fabric and you won’t make the cuts until you get to them while stitching. Clipping allows the edges to fray, so it’s best to wait and clip right before you turn the edge under.

To clip, cut inwards ALMOST to the line you marked on the fabric but do not cut right up to or through it.

 

Applique step 2 complete.

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Needleturn Applique Step 4 complete.

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Needleturn Applique Step 6 areas to clip.

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For fusible applique:

To fuse your butterflies, you will need a piece of fusible web. This is simply a heat activated glue held between two pieces of parchment paper and is usually sold by the sheet. There are many different brands; any store that carries sewing and quilting supplies should have some.

The fusible web photo shows a piece of the web with the paper peeled off. It is slightly sticky, so we don’t recommend doing this until you are ready to use it.

You will also need your applique fabric (i.e. the fabric that will become your butterfly). Since this was a last minute addition to this series, we are demonstrating in the instructions below by appliqueing an owl, rather than a butterfly.

Fusible Step 3: Cut your applique fabric about 1” larger than its finished size. In the example, we are cutting around a printed owl motif. If you are cutting out a butterfly using a pattern, mark it on your applique fabric using a chalk pencil or something easily erasable; then, cut out the shape, leaving roughly a 1” margin.

Fusible Step 4: Leaving the paper on, cut your fusible web the same size as your applique fabric. Take your applique fabric and fusible web to your ironing surface.

Carefully peel off one side of the paper. Lay the fusible with the paper side down, and the sticky side up on your pressing surface. Carefully place the applique fabric, right side up over the fusible web.

Iron the two together. Refer to the package directions for the iron temperature and time to fuse. Different brands use different times! You may want to cover the applique with a piece of parchment paper when you do that to keep any excess fusible glue from sticking on your iron.

 

Fusible web close-up.

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Fusible applique step 3 complete.

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Fusible applique step 4 prepping fusible.

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Fusible applique step 4 layering.

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Fusible applique step 4 ironing.

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Fusible Step 5: Once your applique has cooled enough to handle, carefully trim around your shape. In the step-by-step photos, this is the owl shape. You can trim very closely around your butterfly, as in the example, or leave a small edge, as in the bottom right of the owl applique. Either is fine, it’s a matter of personal preference.

We recommend leaving the paper on until you are ready for the final fusing step.

Fusible Step 6: When you are ready to fuse, prepare your base by ironing it well. Do NOT use any starch or sizing. For the Fabric of Appalachia Quilt, the base will be your quilt top.

Lay the part of the quilt top where you will be adding the butterfly flat on your ironing surface. You may wish to mark exactly where the applique will be placed with a light pencil mark.

Carefully peel the paper off the back of the applique. Turn the applique over and place it carefully on your quilt top; be sure it is straight and exactly where you want it because after you fuse it, it is difficult to change.

Very carefully press to fuse the applique. Again, you may want a sheet of parchment between your applique and your iron.

Let it cool and you are done!

 

Fusible applique step 5 complete.

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Fusible applique step 5 complete reverse side.

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Fusible applique step 6 prepping fusible.

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Optional: fusible applique step 6 layering.

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Optional: fusible applique step 5 ironing.

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Optional embroidery

You may wish to embroider the edges to secure your applique or to add details to the butterflies. By machine you could straight stitch or zig zag stitch around the edge, or if your machine had decorative stitches, you can choose one of those. By hand, the blanket stitch is popular. This is recommended if you fused your quilt and it will receive lots of wear and washing (i.e. if you will use it as a quilt and not hang it as an art piece); otherwise, it's purely an aesthetic choice.