Fly Pattern - in a different way!

[Coach]

Ladies & Gentleman,

I am at my wits end and need some help. Hopefully, someone out there can come to the rescue.

My wife is in the process of making a quilt for our local Trout Unlimited Banquet. She asked me what should be in the squares (that is the tiny squares that make up the quilt) and showed me what she was going to do. There was a very nice Pine Tree, a Canoe, and a Trout. The first problem was, she needed me to design a trout. That came out great (if I do say so myself) and we were very pleased. Then she asked for one more idea and I said a "Fly".

For the past three nights I have been working on finding, drawing, designing, you name it a fly pattern from fabric to sew onto a square. I have been very unsuccessful. Thus, my question. Anyone out there have a great fly design that could be cut from fabric (in this case felt) and attached to a square? One you may have, seen, or used on a quilt.

What I am asking for is a picture, color scheme (she is working with browns and greens, earthtones with some flash of reddish - you know), and "how too" cut the material to make a quality fly. This sounds simple to us that don't make quilts, but it isn't. The pattern has to be placed in pieces and sown on a square (like a small jig saw puzzle). It then come together to look like a fly. Since it is stitched around the edges, very fine strips of cloth make a very tough job and some can not be done.

Ask you wives, mothers, mother-in-laws, or grandparents for any suggestion. If I get nothing, the quilt will look good with three designs. A quality fly design would make the quilt great.

Thanks in advance for you help. This is way out of my field.

Coach

[WarrenP]

Coach,

My wife is a quilter and does a great job of it if I may say so. Matter of fact, she dropped all her quilting magazine subscriptions because they all went to articles on making quilts by machines and she makes, assembles and does all stich work by hand. She loves creating quilt tops and she told me she will start looking on the web and will give me whatever she finds that might help out. Forgive me, but, I told her that a larger quilt square in the center of the quilt of the fly with the smaller squares around it of the pine tree, canoe, etc. would look good. I like giving her suggestions on her quilt top creations. She hardly ever uses them, but, I give them anyway!

I will PM you any ideas/patterns she comes up with.

[WarrenP]

Coach,

I sent you a PM with some ideas my wife gave me plus a web page to reference.

Hope it helps

[Coach]

WarrenP,

Thanks for the information and the website. I am sending it out to my wife for her to look at. Everything I get is a plus for me and more options for her.

Thanks again!

Coach

[Thwack]

Something like Jim Hatch's jelly bean fly (the one he turns out of foam) should be fairly easy to mimic for what you're doing.

Any minnow pattern, hopper or other naturally large fly is probably easier than a parachute adams.

Good luck.

[Lotech]

Coach,
You realize, of course, that we'll need to see a picture of the quilt when it's done.
Your wife's project sounds interesting. I wish her good luck.

[Coach]

Several ideas showed up on site to which I thank all of you. With those ideas, a little bit of thought, and some sewing know how (may wife is a sewing teacher for the past 34 years) I think we came up with a plan.

As asked for, when this thing is finished (about a month) I will post pictures. She laid out the plan last evening on the table and when I came home from a TU meeting I saw her plan coming together and I think it will be something any one of us would like, including the "guys". Stay tuned for pictures later this month or next.

Thanks for the help!