Tweet Tweet!

[This post is now linked to TGIFF hosted by the lovely Rhonda at Quilter in the Gap!]


Inspired by Susan's recent posts about her birdy quilt I thought it about time to finish my own....

I first thought about making this quilt in 2010 inspired by all the great birdy fabric I kept seeing on the internet.  I bought the fabric mainly off ebay and started making my Birds in the Attic Window blocks in May 2011.

I thought it was going to be hard to mitre those frames but it turned out easier than I thought and the top was soon finished....

Then I was thinking how the back should look and still had birdy fabric to spare...My answer was found on Cindy's blog @ Hyacinth Quilt Designs  with her birdbath blocks quilt!  

I thought how cute to use this block and put birds in the bath!?

I thought just one or two would be great on the back of this quilt but got carried away and ended up with another quilt top ful!  My layout is a bit different as I added those pink squares in there just to brighten it up a tad you understand and tie it in with the skinny border on the front!

At this point I asked my readers which top should be the front? 

They all seemed to say they should be two different quilts! 




I was still thinking about putting the two together - yes I am obstinate but that could well be down to my Capricorn tendencies - and was stumped as to how to quilt it as the patterns did not match up.  That's when I shelved it for a while!

Since then I have learnt about Free Motion Quilting and all over patterns and a light bulb went off in my head and I saw that was my way forward!  My idea was birdy free motion quilting of course!


Well here is the finished quilt - now called Tweet Tweet!

Not as sunny now is it??  Birds in the Beech tree!

 Have to say that the quilting is probably my least favourite part of the quilt and this is my second attempt - don't ask!  But for someone who does not unpick, I unpicked a whole lot of bird's nest quilting in too heavy a thread and replaced it with some not great quilting...can't unpick it all again so will need to learn to love it!

I do love the label though - fed up of sewing a label onto my quilts at the end of the process I made sure I pieced a block ready to be my label.  Thinking I would hand embroider it I left it until now and then I just FM quilted that thing and that is probably the best quilting because the thread matches the background and doesn't really show! 

Ok it is not awful but I am getting more picky and I have done better I feel.  Don't tell Lucy as she will call me a hypocrite and you know what she would be right.

Birds of a feather, flock together!

Well, I now have two bird tops completed to be put together back to back but do you know what?  I cannot decide which is to be the front - can you help me decide?

This one you have seen before, which is using the attic window block 

If you have been following my progress you will know that I have been making birdbath blocks - just a few to go on the back of this quilt.  Well I'm sorry to say I have failed to do just a few....I LOVE this block and soon did this many..

I took Mary and Katie's idea of pink background and Susan's idea of green and it came together just like so... 

So the question is which is the front - attic window or birdbath?

Or is there a third way??


Looking forward to seeing how you cast your vote - the bigger the sample of voters, the better, so any lurkers now is the time to make yourself known, to have your say, to come off the fence...this quilt needs your opinion!

Nicky

New Birdbath blocks

The lovely block called Birdbath caught my eye on Hyacinth Quilt Designs, but it is originally from a book called The Practical Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman.  This block will feature on the back of my Birds in the window quilt. 

Here I have 2 new birdbath blocks with different bird fabrics.  I am using a mixture of solids and prints as the borders.  


A pink one -

An orange one -

A threesome - in a triangle formation 

A foursome - in a square formation -

And in a cross or circle formation with square in the middle -

In my previous post I mentioned that there will be a lot of background between these blocks - it is supposed to be the back of the quilt after all  - and I asked for suggestions for the background colour.  Both Mary and Katie suggested pink....but looking at these formations I am not so sure there will be any background....

What shall I do now?  Make more of these addictive blocks of course!!  Haha laughing madly all the way to the cutting board and sewing machine....?   

Whatever, I am sure there is more room for pink - thanks Mary and Katie!

Nicky


Previous post here

Birdbath backing to birds in the window!

I saw a lovely block called Birdbath on Hyacinth Quilt Designs, but it is originally from a book called The Practical Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman.


I thought this block would be cute on the back of my Birds in the Window quilt.  Of course in my version the centre piece has birds on it!




Here are my early results

If you like this, or even if you don't, go and have a look at Alison of Little Island Quilting's latest quilt Woof Woof using this block!  And also look at Hyacinth Quilt Designs versions too!


I am not intending to make a back for my Bird in the Window quilt made entirely out of these blocks - not quite that mad yet - but I do intend to sprinkle a few of them on a solid background but I haven't decided what yet so I haven't squared off my blocks.




If you can suggest a solid colour I'd be glad to know as I am not sure where I'm going with this yet....I have already taken up several people's suggestions on other projects and benefited by their kind advice.  Just remember that it will be the back to this quilt.


Thanks!




Nicky

More update on Birds in the Window!

I told you this quilt didn't want to sit on the shelf.  It likes hanging on the washing line flying this way and that....

I just added a teeny accent border in shocking pink - I think it makes your eye follow those pink birds.  Followed by a decent sized border in ever popular It's a hoot!  More of a chirrup with these birds really I would have thought....

Sorry pictures are not great - evening sun!  I spent the day getting my daughter's stuff ready for her first guide camp.  Don't know who was more nervous?  And I have just realised I need to square off my borders - oh dear I was in too much of a rush to take the photo!

Now need to work on the back of this quilt - hope it comes together as easily!

Nicky

Birds at the Window update

I have just cracked on with these blocks and before I knew it I have finished the main part of the quilt top (and have also sewn 25 neck scarves for guide camp taking place this weekend!)

I want to enlarge the quilt a bit with one or maybe two border(s).  Not sure what they will be made with yet but it cannot be the solids I have already used, as I have very little of those left - just enough to add one light strip to the right hand side and one dark strip to the top to finish those edges.

 I have quite a lot of the\ bird fabric left - although that might be better on the back of the quilt.  I was thinking of introducing another solid colour - but which one?  Yellow, fuschia pink.............or something else?  I think you will find out soon as this top wants to be finished not left on the shelf for months like all those others. 

Nicky

Little Birds at the Window

I collected lots of cute bird fabric last year to use for an attic window quilt.  I have not done mitred corners before so thought that should be my next challenge!  This is a new project for this year although I was planning it and buying for it last year.


 Here are my bird fabrics

I teamed them up with some solid fabric to form the window frame,

 and these are my first few blocks

I was only intending to make a smallish quilt with these -  about this size really.  But I think I will make three more blocks like this!  And maybe add a border or two!  That will make a reasonably sized single quilt.



If you've made one of these quilts do tell me what was in your windows...


Nicky,

Shopping!

Did you realise I love shopping!?

Well, on Saturday on the way home from dropping the Tudor Princess of somewhere I visited a favourite little shop called the Pepperbox in Cuckfield (pronounced Cookfield) in Sussex.

It is owned by the lovely Sarah who takes brown or pine wooden furniture and paints them up in subtle Farrow & Ball colours so they can go on to have a second life - check out the photos on her website. 

From her shop I have bought a lovely small chest of drawers which sits by the front door and holds my collection of hats, scarves and gloves.  I also have a lovely chair in my bedroom, plus the most glorious collection of glass and metal baubles and hearts which were hanging from the beams in our upstairs library at Christmas.  Indeed the hearts are still up there!

But it's not just what is there that makes this a wonderful place to visit it is also the warmth of the welcome you get.



Here is what I bought on Saturday:

These Easter Robins sort of smuggled their way into my handbag heart!  Was also tempted by some furniture but just managed to resist....not much room left in the house!

Nicky