Thursday, April 28, 2016

A Very Birdy Post


Last Friday I started a new quilt!  This is the center and is 30 inches square.  The background is a piece of muslin that I tea dyed.
Here it is pinned to my design wall.
This will be the center of a medallion style quilt with various styles and techniques.  All the pieces are leftovers except the pot.  The tiny berries are 20 years old!

Working Titles include but are not limited to:
No Berry Left Behind
Cast offs and Rejects
Also Rans
This and That

Mr. Fun and I pulled the piece off the design wall without losing a single pin.  I've decided to machine baste the pieces for needle turn applique'.

I tried several things, but a long straight stitch for the stems and a wide zigzag for the leaves seems to be working the best.
It will be such a pleasure to have everything basted so I can sit and stitch.  The super skinny (thanks Susan) stems required slow stitching.
OMG look at the disaster of my sewing room!
There wasn't a clean surface anywhere!  I did, however, hang my lollipop garden quilt this week for spring.
 Goodness!  Designing a quilt is messy messy messy.
One bright spot - I organized the lights and shirtings.  Now about half of my fabric has been reviewed and restacked.
I'm excited to plant morning glories this year.  It has been a few years without them.   They get a better start if you soak the seeds  first.
Big News on the Bird front.    I think the Bluebirds have a family!
Here is the hard working mom loading up her beak before flying off.
They are working together to break up the mealworms to carry away.  Here is the proud Dad.
I'm a little bummed because I don't know where they are nesting.  They fly around the house to the woods.  With the cold snap they are feeding A LOT.   I ordered the food on Amazon.  It looks like this and I put them in a cereal shaker.  I actually think they have a nice earthy odor - not bad at all.
Here is a photo of a pretty Goldfinch.   The boys are really showing off their bright yellow color for the ladies.  He has a lovely song too.
And here is a female Red Bellied Woodpecker.
Mr. Cardinal would not cooperate with me.  He kept hiding on the wrong side of the feeder the little stinker.
I just love Pansies.  They are my favorite spring flower.  
 Here is 'you know who' to see what I'm doing outside in my PJs.
I'm going to the Northern Star Quilt Show on Sunday.  I'll share some photos next week.
Well that's all folks.
xo

45 comments:

Karen said...

Can I just say in smitten with your quilt medallion?? Oh goodness it's going to be wonderful!! This is exactly why we save all those spare parts. Can't wait to see more.

Jacky W said...

Wow, what a stunning center that will be. New pot for old berries sprang to mind for me. Its always fun to make a "free quilt" with whats left over, well almost free you usually have to buy something extra. Can't wait to see the end result.

Angie said...

The new medallion center looks wonderful - who knew that "leftovers" would play so well together?! Thanks for the bird pictures! I'm having withdrawal - haven't been to the camp in a few weeks. Although I have seen ducks, egrets and wood ibis while on my appointed rounds...

Janet O. said...

Wow--love it! Birds, berries and bits--they all came together into something wonderful.

Ginger Scott said...

The medallion center is awesome! The variety of prints and colors is so fun. I like Jacky W's suggested title, "New Pot for Old Berries". Those wild birds sure love you! Happy Spring!

Kathy in FL said...

Love the center of your new quilt! Have fun at the quilt show! It's one of the things I miss, since we moved to Florida (from NJ).

Jan said...

Love that block, Barb! You seem to be working on so many interesting projects. I've been in a terrible stall lately ~ time to snap out of it!

Pinkadot Quilts said...

Oh my gosh I love your medallion!!! It's super! what a great use of your leftovers!!
Tasty Mealworms????? How do you serve them? I might need to get some of those, we have tons of bluebirds!

Aunt 'Reen said...

What a beautiful start to your new quilt!
Love all the sweet bird pictures.
Enjoy the show, can't wait for show & tell.

Janet said...

I LOVE the start of your new quilt - you have fantastic leftovers!! I can't wait to see what comes next :0) Your bird photos are lovely - you have such a lot of variety!

Quilting Babcia said...

What a gorgeous beginning for your new quilt! I love all those berries and the birds are the frosting on the cake. I wonder if we could attract bluebirds if we started putting out meal worms or if the Jays would just eat all of them. We haven't seen bluebirds around our property though we had a brief visit from an indigo bunting last spring.

Taryn said...

Your standards are too low. That is not a disaster of a sewing room. And I suspect that the cup on the floor is a plant. Let me know if you want some coaching; I can really wreck a room. P.S. You're the bird whisperer.

Susan said...

Great post, Barb! Thanks! Can't get enough of those Bluebirds!

Lori said...

What a great bird post! That applique block is going to be super! I look forward to watching your progress.

Linda O said...

Oh, my heavens, is that a wonderful start! Love all the beautiful birds! So fun watching them at the feeders, isn't it?

Ann L said...

What a fun project! I'll have to try machine basting for appliqué. I must say that I never thought of doing that myself.

CecileD said...

Congratulations for this wonderful medaillon ! Colors, fabrics, the setting and the birds.... It's amazing !
I can't wait to admire your progress.....
Happy Friday !

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

What a pretty pattern and I vote for no berry left behind!: ) You have some wonderful captures of your feathered friends here ! :)

Frog Quilter said...

Great picture eye candy this morning. Love the applique block. YUMMY!!!

Barbara said...

Love your new quilt, Barb! It's happiness at its best and really makes me smile :) Never would have thought to machine baste all those pieces for applique. Great idea! Your bird pics are wonderful. Keep them coming :)

Rachel said...

Beautiful bird medallion. Going to be one spectacular quilt.

Rachel said...

Beautiful bird medallion. Going to be one spectacular quilt.

christine said...

Such fun! Heading to sew right now. And to ponder cleaning the mess.....

Nancy said...

That is a stunning centerpiece for your project. Lots of meditative stitching ahead for you. After you do the sewing room tidy up. Oh my, how I relate to the messy work space. Beautiful photos of the birds, pansies, and your "butler" at the door.

Nancy said...

Your center medallion is just wonderful with the berries and birds. What about Birds of a Feather? My work room looks a lot like yours most of the time. I think of it as creative clutter. Great post.

Lin McQ said...

Your center medallion is gorgeous! Never thought of machine basting. I glue baste but not too fond of all the glue in the piece. Are you replicating another antique quilt or is this your original design? Great pics of the birds. We have feeders too with lots of birds, but no camera. So fun to watch them all day.

Wendy Caton Reed said...

Squeal! I LOVE that center! Did you design it? One I vote for "No Berry Left Behind". I have boxes of unused berries in different colors and sizes and I surely would like to know that they will never be left behind. I am really looking forward to watching the progress on this one. Fun! I love all your birds and I hope you get your Oriole to join the group. If you think that your sewing room is a "mess" you'd faint in mine right now. And do I spy a Mary Poppins lunchbox? Cool!

Linda in NC said...

It looks like you have another winner in the works! I love the idea of all the oldies and extras working together to make something fabulous. And I do love me a medallion! Will you have more applique in some of the borders?

Great idea to machine baste for applique!

Kyle said...

Nothing but wonderful color in your post from berries, flowers and birds. Your center design is truly wonderful. And to think its from leftovers. I never thought of machine basting the applique pieces for needle turning. That's a great idea. Designing is messy work. It drives me crazy until everything is put back. Your posts are always inspirational.

Rebecca in AK said...

Your center medallion is absolutely beautiful! This is the first time I have seen anyone machine baste their applique pieces, very interesting. I have been using glue for quite a while now. Love your Lollipop Garden, so cheerful! I always enjoy your bird photos too!

O'Quilts said...

The medallion center is stunning, the birds are stunning...love the dog and all. Please mail to me..immediately..some of your energy..I want it so!!

Raewyn said...

Your quilt is going to be gorgeous and I love your working titles! You are definitely not alone with a creative mess in your room, mine often looks like that too (or worse!). I love all your bird photos... I've been able to capture some of those same birds lately while here in the US :-).

Cynthia@wabi-sabi-quilts said...

Wow just wow - a great center for your new medallion project!! Great idea to machine baste for needleturn. Love all the birds - this gives context to your trademark appliquéd birds!

Barb said...

Hi Lin - you don't have an email set for your profile - Thanks for the comments. It is my original design work.

Teresa Rawson said...

I love your new quilt start! Very inspired and I can't wait to see what happens to it next! Machine-basting for applique...cool idea!

Ruth said...

The medallion is amazing! Way too difficult for me. Love seeing your birds. We saw a new bird this week, but couldn't really match it to photos in 3 different bird books. It was kind of like a Nashville warbler with a yellow belly, but had white on the wings. Is there a good web site for identifying birds?

rondiquilts said...

Be still my heart! Waiting with baited breath for a pattern!
Rondi

Judy in Missouri said...

The medallion is wonderful! Will enjoy watching your progress on it. Also, sure enjoyed your bird pictures.

Karen said...

I am drooling over your medallion center. At first sight, I thought you meant you started it on Friday and by today, it was all stitched. Then I read that you are basting the pieces down. I was thinking you were a speed demon at applique! My sewing room looks like what you call a disaster most of the time. Creative mess for a creative mind is my thought. I don't keep things like the berries you say you have had so long. Maybe I should have.

Thimbleanna said...

Wow Barb -- that new quilt center is gorgeous! I've never seen that method to keep your pieces ready to stitch though -- very clever. And the bird feeder! You have such a wonderful variety of birds! I'm getting a little discouraged with the feeder at Mom's -- the squirrels and raccoons keep knocking them down, taking the tops off and spilling the seed all over the ground -- they're SO obnoxious!

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Wow that medallion center is gorgeous! That is going to be an amazing quilt. Love all your bird pictures too.

Anonymous said...

Really love your lollipop garden quilt; so fun and colorful; makes you happy. You're lucky to get such a variety of birds in CT. We're pretty set with cardinals, bluejays, wrens and woodpeckers! I'd love to see a bluebird at my birdbath one day.
Norma

audrey said...

What a great centerpiece! So much fun to read through your process.:)

Marit said...

A very pretty start!

; )

Marit

smazoochie said...

I LOVE your exuberant basket!