Day 1 "It's For the Birds" Blog Hop

Woohoo!  Time for another blog hop, led by cheerleader Mary who blogs at I Piece 2-Mary and led by Mdm. Samm of Sew We Quilt fame.  She keeps coming up with fun, fun themes that are sure to bring out the creativity of the participants.  I do not think that Mdm. Samm named a sponsor for this round but if there is one, I will correct this assumption, post haste! edited:  I see that, Clothworks is our sponsor.

Today happens to be MY assigned day and I am likely your last stop for Day 1.  Here is the group of talented bloggers that are sharing the day.  I converted them from the list of links we were provided with as I think it is a little easier for the hoppers to see, perhaps, some of the familiar blog names.


Fiber Babble
Sew Incredibly Crazy
Squawk That
Life in the Scrapatch
Kwilty Pleasures
Sowing Stitches
Just Quilt It
Kris Loves Fabric
A Passion For Applique
Dancing Moon
Bumbleberry Stitches
Sew and Sow Farm
I Piece2-Mary
Dancing Thru-Threads
I Like to Quiltblog
Life, quilts and a cat too    >>>THAT'S ME<<<<<


Now  that we have the formailities out of the way:
What did I make for the hop?  I had long been wanting to make a project I had seen at Bird Brain Designs called a "make-do".  I got the pattern but they had no wool kits available at that time.  I have long resisted doing a wool project as I do not want to start stocking another item that I have no room for in the sewing room.   I did track down what I needed from an online vendor with a little bit leftover.  Can you see that there will probably be something wool in my future??  That is how it starts!!

Two view of the same bird.  I think you can see the vintage clamp that holds the pin cushion a little better from in the 2nd picture.  I used their pattern but I changed up the assembly directions, sewing and turning it conventionally and changing the beak construction as well.  The eye was supposed to be a french knot while I used two beads using a sewing technique similar to what you would do in doll making.

The picture above also gave you a hint of my other entry, the main one.  I have been making Joined at the Hip Button Ups since 2011.  I love the folk art look as well as having the ability to switch out quilts for the seasons, household events and/or holidays.  When the hop was announced, I knew that I wanted to put my own spin on their "Rise and Shine" button up.  I went with chickens for my member of the bird kingdom.

This is just the hanging itself.  I took it over to the neighbor's home (she is my hair dresser) and asked if I could borrow their newly painted fence and lovely red painted masonry blocks saying "anytime"  Good thing I brought those binder clips with me!  The best picture I took caught part of her husband Robert doing a little clean up work in the yard.  Since we have had "beaucoup" amounts of rain this spring, it is good thing I took the picture when I had the chance!

I have to tell you a funny story though.  When I held up the wall hanging, my husband said "oh yeah.  Chickens and chicken soup in those bowls!"  I had to tell him that I was sure those were supposed to be coffee cups as it was a "wake up, it is morning" thing, not "get out the crackers, it is time for soup and 1/2 sand".  LOL, what a goof ball!

Here is a view of it on the button up base-----you can see why I borrowed the neighbor's fence now, can't you!  The resultant pictures always look like it not a perfect rectangle, when it is.  I don't know how well you will be able to see on the standard view but there is jumbo red rick rack on the sun rays.  The rick rack on the wings is far more obvious!   Perhaps it will show up better on the large view when you click on it.  Trust me, it is there!  I used fabrics entirely from my stash though my mom mailed me some chicken fabrics when I was about done with the project.  One was a perfect choice for the backing.   Woohoo there!

Perhaps I captured the top a little better in this view?  The pattern jacket sure gave no clue to this little bit of zing on the sun rays either!

Another change I made was to up the font to my favorite Comic Sans 200 pt versus my usual 12 pt.  Part of that was aesthetic but the other part was the methods I had used to prep the sun rays and sun "rings".  I wanted to avoid fusing in this area (except for the lettering).  I may have over-calculated the seam allowance and then didn't have room for the letters provided in the pattern.  Maybe I shouldn't be telling how I messed up and just say it was a "design opportunity", a chance to make it more my own??  LOL.  I do like it better! With two more button ups in my plans I will keep this font substitution thing in mind, let me tell you.

Also even though the pattern was perfectly fine for traditional piecing, I chose to draw the chickens up in Electric Quilt and foundation piece them.  After I did the first one I realized I could eliminate a extra line near the head and tail sections. It also made it far easier to piece that itty bitty beak section and line it up.
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Birds are often a design element in many wall hangings I have made.  Joined at the Hip and Nancy Halvorsen are a couple of my favorite designers, among others.  The pieces with birds on them are on my blog somewhere if you are desperate enough to search or look for them, LOL.  I did want to share one other project, though not a fresh one.  I just thought it was pretty darned cute.  Actually I made two of these things---one as a fall challenge gift for my FAB pal Pat.  You know how that goes---if you like it that well, you have to make more than one!

Fabricraft pattern though I am not sure where I put it to verify that.  You basically are dressing up a soda bottle filled with cat litter or sand to weight it.  I just love these silly black birds though I could not get a decent picture that shows up their beady little eyes.  The legs are made with chenille stem wrapped with jute.  Just a fun, fun project and I think Pat liked it.  Using the same designers patterns, I also have made a gardening angel, a snowman, a Santa and an Easter bunny with planting paraphenelia.   I also have made the Noah and friends one as a baby gift for my sister who decorated her daughter's room in Noah's Ark way back when.  Not sure which niece now but one is a sophomore in college and the other is a senior in high school----that tell you how long ago that could have been?  LOL.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope, commenting.  I appreciate your visit today and hope you enjoy the rest of the hop!  I know I will.