15 Stunning Butterfly Quilt Pattern Ideas + Free Butterfly Block Tutorial
Summer is just around the corner, and butterflies are one of my favorite critters that seem to show up just at the start of summer! I love to see all the different shapes, colors, and sizes of these beautiful animals, and they have inspired me to create a butterfly quilt pattern.
Today, I’m super excited to show you my free butterfly quilt block tutorial. Then we’ll look at some gorgeous examples of other butterfly quilt patterns that quilt designers have created.
Free Butterfly Quilt Block Pattern
I had so much fun designing this block, but it’s even more fun to make! This tutorial will show you how to make a 9” finished butterfly quilt block.
Fabric Requirements
Background
- 2- 4 ½” x 4 ½” squares
- 2- 2 ¾” x 2 ¾” squares
- 4- 2 ½” x 2 ½” squares
- 2- 3 ¾” x 2 ¾” rectangles
- 2- 2” x 2” squares
- 1- 1 ½” x 1 ½” square
- 1- 1 ¾” x 1 ½” rectangle
Large Butterfly Wings
- Fabric A (floral print): 2- 6 ¾” x 2” rectangles
- Fabric B (green): 2- 6 ¾” x 1 ¾” rectangles
- Fabric C (purple): 2- 6 ¾” x 2” rectangles
Small Butterfly Wings
- Fabric D (floral print): 2- 3 ¾” x 2 ½” rectangles
Butterfly Body
- Fabric E (peach): 1- 1 ½” x 7 ½” rectangle
Supplies You Will Need
- Sewing Machine
- Thread
- Fabric (see fabric requirements)
- Iron and ironing board
- Rotary Cutter and Mat
- Ruler
- Marking Pen
Step 1: Cut the Fabric
Cut all of the pieces from the Fabric Requirements section above.
Step 2: Sew the Large Wings
Sew two sets using the Fabrics A, B, and C strips.
Take the 2 ¾” squares and place them right sides together with the sets of strips. You want them to be a mirror image of each other. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner, like the image below.
Sew along the lines you drew. Then cut the excess fabric leaving a ¼” seam allowance.
Press the seam towards the background fabric. Place a 4 ½” square on each block and draw a diagonal line from corner to corner.
Sew along that line, trim the excess leaving a ¼” seam allowance, and press the fabric towards the background fabric.
Finally, place two 2 ½” squares in the top inside corners like in the image below. Follow the same steps as the other corner pieces: draw the diagonal line, trim the excess, and press toward the background fabric to reveal our two large butterfly wing blocks.
Step 3: Sew the Small Wings
The steps to make the smaller wing pieces are identical to Step #2. Take the two Fabric A 3 ¾” x 2 ½” pieces and the remaining 2 ½” squares from the background fabric and place them right sides together. Draw the diagonal lines so they mirror each other.
Repeat the previous steps to sew the line, trim, and press.
Place the 2” squares in the outer bottom corners, and repeat the same steps to add this background piece to the block.
To complete this section, add the two 3 ¾” x 2 ¾” rectangles to the outside of each small wing block.
Step 4: Sew the Body
Sew the 1 ½” square to the top of the 7 ½” x 1 ½” strip. Then sew the 1 ¾” x 1 ½” piece to the bottom.
Step 5: Sew the Butterfly Together
Now all we have to do is sew all the pieces together to complete the block!
First, sew the small and large wing blocks together.
Next, sew the wing blocks to the body to complete the butterfly quilt block.
Trim the block to 9 ½” square, and then you’re done! Gorgeous!
15 Gorgeous Butterfly Quilt Pattern Ideas
Now let’s check out 15 unbelievably gorgeous butterfly quilt patterns that are sure to set your heart a flutter…see what I did there? Haha! Okay, I’ll stop, but I hope these quilts inspire you to create a butterfly quilt for your next quilting project.
This beautiful butterfly pattern is fat quarter friendly and features butterfly blocks strategically placed across the quilt top. This is an excellent “confident beginner” quilt project and looks like a lot of fun to make. The finished quilt measures 69” x 79”.
How cool is this modern quilt pattern? The curved wings give this quilt a unique mid-century modern vibe, which I love! You will use traditional piecing to create these butterfly quilt blocks, and the pattern includes four sizes to choose from.
Tula Pink is a well-known fabric and quilt pattern designer that uses bright colors and funky prints in all her designs. I’m personally a HUGE fan! This is one of her patterns that features a large butterfly motif that is comprised of a sampler-style quilt pattern. Gorg! The finished quilt measures 88” x 94”.
Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) is a popular quilting technique where you use paper as the foundation for a quilt block. This allows you to create intricately detailed quilt blocks, just like this adorable butterfly block. This pattern will show you how to make this 9” quilt block.
Here is a super simple yet beautiful FPP butterfly quilt pattern. The butterflies dance across the quilt top in this design. This is a fantastic beginner-friendly FPP quilt pattern, and if you want to try FPP, I would recommend trying this pattern. The pattern includes layout instructions for a 40” square and 60” square quilt.
Isn’t this a fun butterfly quilt? This beginner-friendly quilt pattern uses the hourglass quilt block to create this larger-than-life butterfly design. This fat quarter-friendly pattern will help you create a 68” x 84” quilt top.
Wow, this modern quilt is stunning! The designer recommends that if you choose to make this quilt, you should have some experience sewing curved edges. The finished quilt measures 70” x 80”, a generous size for a throw quilt.
Here is a timeless quilt pattern that features sweet little butterfly blocks set “on point.” This jelly roll-friendly pattern will help you create a baby quilt that measures 42” x 59”. The pattern also includes bonus instructions to create a 10” x 34” table runner.
Although this design is technically a moth instead of a butterfly, I HAD to include it in this pattern collection. This would be such a fun beginner quilt project. The finished quilt measures 60” x 40”.
This quilt block is so life-like! You will need to know the basics of FPP to be able to make this monarch quilt block. This pattern includes printable templates for a 15”, 20”, and 30” square quilt block. You can use these blocks for a mini quilt or make several to make a larger quilt.
This sweet 15” quilt block is made using applique techniques. The pattern comes with all the necessary templates to cut out all of the pieces for this quilt block. You will need to print this out at home using a regular home office printer on 8 ½” x 11” printer paper.
Here is a precious baby quilt pattern that features chubby butterflies flying all over the quilt. This is a jelly roll friendly pattern, or you could use scraps for the butterfly wings. The finished quilt measures approximately 35” x 44”.
Here is a gorgeous Elizabeth Hartman quilt pattern that features several different butterfly quilt blocks. This pattern includes two sizes to choose from 45” x 45” or 84” x 84”. All of the blocks are pieced using traditional piecing methods.
This quilt pattern has a lot going on, and it is breathtaking! The pattern comes with full-size templates, instructions, and detailed diagrams to help you every step of the way to make this quilt. The finished quilt measures 40 ½” x 51 ½”.
Here is a fabulous layer cake friendly quilt pattern. You only use half a layer cake to make all of the butterflies for this quilt. The finished quilt will measure approximately 46 ½” x 47”. If you want to make a larger or smaller quilt, you could simply add or subtract butterfly blocks and adjust the length of the borders.
Oh my goodness, I hope you enjoyed these patterns as much as I did! Butterflies are such beautiful creatures, and it just makes sense to use them as inspiration for a butterfly quilt pattern.
Interested in more quilt patterns? Here’s a fun post all about boho quilt patterns.
