One To Go...

Don't Mind The Resident Moocher

As requested, I'm sharing photographs of all three wall hangings together. Of course, I'll rearrange when I complete the autumn wall hanging in 2026, but this is how I've arranged these three for now.

Robins and Cardinals were hanging in my studio until I moved them into our bedroom. Now, I'll see them when I wake up in the morning, and last thing before bed.

Handsome thinks I should consider having custom shadowbox frames with UV glass made for them. I'm seriously considering it! What do you think?

"Song of Spring - Robins"

"Winter Song - Cardinals"

"Summer Serenade - Bluebirds"

Thanks to everyone for all the lovely and encouraging comments along the way. We'll start again next year, but for now, I'm going to take a break from songbirds and get busy on Christmas projects. I'll have something completely unrelated for next week! See you then.

Nearly Done...

Freehand Quilting The Bluebirds

I was hard at it yesterday, quilting on my bluebirds. I spent hours quilting a meander pattern around the main block that will highlight my birds.

Border Details

The meandering was the easy part for me. I'm working on the borders now. I've done a straight stitch "in the ditch" (along the seams) for the straight borders. Those were all complete, leaving the half square triangles. By dinner I'd completed two sides of the wall hanging. I have two sides and corner details to do before I've finished the quilting. Once that's done, all that will be left is to trim the excess, bind, attach my hanging sleeve and my label.

I work today, so I know I won't get it all done until tomorrow...My Birthday! It will be a perfect day to finish this piece! Then I can really celebrate!

Fresh From The Hoop...

Completed "Summer Serenade - Bluebirds" Quilt Top

I completed all the embroidery on my bluebird quilt top yesterday. It was my plan to begin assembling the wall hanging in the afternoon, but I got a call from my boss at work asking if I could come in early (which I did). Needless to say, the process stopped here. I took this photograph before I even had a chance to press the hoop marks out of the corners!

Today is Craft Day in Portage, so I'll be away this morning. If Handsome doesn't have some outdoor tasks for us when I get back, I'll begin where I left off on my wall hanging. I'm hoping I can share a completed piece early next week. I'll definitely have it completed by Thanksgiving!

I'm going to make a coffee for my go cup and get on the road. I need to be there by 9 am, and it's about an hour and twenty between here and there. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Time for me to fly!

It's Here!...

Brynwood Needleworks - "Summer Serenade - Bluebirds" Jelly Roll For Binding

Who would have thought that mail service from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin would take so long, but it's finally here! The jelly roll I need for the binding has arrived. I'm still working on the feathers, but plan to finish them today. 

Quilting the panel will be next on the agenda, and then I can add the binding. That won't all happen today, but it will happen soon. I've promised to share a closeup of the wall hanging when it's finished, and I'll also photograph it with the other two so you can see them the way I do...all together. I'm looking forward to that more than you know. I'm so enamored with this piece.

I'll close for now so I can get back to work. Fun times in my happy place...

Oh, What A Night!...

Brynwood Needleworks - "Summer Serenade - Bluebirds"

As I was assembling the other colorway on Saturday night, I noticed that the measurements I'd written down weren't working. After sewing three borders to the main block, I realized that I'd made a mistake when I cut the ground fabric for the birds. The width was correct, but I hadn't cut down the height. 

I sat for a bit, chatted with my resident sounding board (and excellent analyst, Handsome), and in the end decided to take it all apart and make it right. The work I'd accomplished throughout the day was completely erased. Handsome went to bed, and I painstakingly and carefully removed every stitch of sewing and at last, I was able to cut the block to the correct size. (You'd better believe I checked both of the other two bird hangings to make sure before I got out the ruler and rotary cutter!)

At 3 am Sunday, I re-ironed every strip and even though I probably could have kept working, I decided to pin everything up and start fresh after I slept.

I got up Sunday morning, made coffee while Handsome exercised Bella and Carly. Then I took a shower and started the day fully alert and awake...and raring to start over.

I also decided that there were going to be changes. While I loved the other colors, some of you commented that it looked autumnal. As this piece is called "Summer Serenade", I decided to jetison that colorway and look at it with new eyes. I went back to the fabric room and pulled the original blue/gray/brown colors from my Blackbird Designs "Blueberry Crumb Cake" assortment and previewed other blues, as well. I'm soooo glad I did. There was only one small problem that was soon revealed.

After I fell for the dark tiny floral inner and outer border as the perfect choice - and started the assembly - I realized that I wouldn't have enough of that pattern to use for the backing and binding. The backing was no big deal. I'll use the brown dot batik for the back. The binding will be another issue. 

Today, I'll be going through all my fabrics to see if I have something that will get close to that dark blue print. I'll also be looking on Etsy and other websites to see if I can locate a full quarter or half yard of it to match. I know I'll figure it out, but I'm hoping it will be easy rather than difficult. I'll let you know. I'll also be stitching the additional four feathers onto the main block this week while I figure out the binding.

I hope you love the new colorway as much as I do. Did I surprise you? lol I think it complements the birds and has a more summery vibe. It's nearly finished and I love this one so much! And to think...it only took thirteen months. See you tomorrow!

Half Square Triangles...

Previewing Colors

I created nine different half square triangles in various combinations yesterday, and did a trial layout to see how it might look with my choices. There will only be a half inch of the gold border showing once I sew on the border of half square triangles. In fact, I may make it even narrower than that, so there's just a hint of it. Of course, this set of borders will repeat all around the main block and first two borders.

At this point, I'm thinking I may need a couple more fabric/color combinations for the blocks. The "X"s are where I'll still be stitching larger feathers into each corner. I'll use the same color threads for those feathers as the smaller ones in the hst borders.

Half Square Triangles (HST) Blocks

These will be 1" square after they're assembled. While previewing them, I may decide to add one darker color into the mix for my little blocks...or at least one other combination of different fabrics. I'll play with that today and decide.

I'm enjoying this process and look forward to completing it over the weekend. I hope to hang it with the other two when it's done. The robins and cardinals hang in my studio right now, but I may change their location once the bluebirds are ready to hang. We'll see. I need to get it finished first. Best not to put the horse before the cart, right?

Needle Dancing The Cha Cha...

Pre-Frogged Original Colors

Two steps forward, one step back...cha cha cha. I spent most of Sunday afternoon stitching out the colors on the neck that you see here. Then I photographed it and decided the colors were too brown and dark for the male bluebird. You know what that meant. Ripit. Ripit. Ripit. Sigh

Post-Frog Final Colors

I chose new colors and started again. It still needs tweaking, because I want that darker band to be wider. I'll take out the lighter colors below and rework that area today. I do love the new colors much more, though, so I will stay with those.

I think the program is to photograph my piece as I'm working on it each session to evaluate placement, etc. The picture shows more than I can see as I work, I guess. Some things just jump out at me in the picture that I never seem to notice until I've worked past it. Then, it's more involved to go back and carefully remove the threads I want to change. Lesson learned.

I'll share photos from Craft Day (last Saturday) with you tomorrow. We had a great time, and I really enjoyed the project! 

I'm off to get my morning cuppa, and then back to the needlework frame. Let's see just how much I accomplish today.

I've Decided On The Next Big Project...

Bluebirds!

This photo is of the very first step of my process. I have a huge notebook, filled to the brim with nature images - inspiration for future projects. My next seasonal quilt will be the bluebirds. I pulled examples of the poses, subjects and colors I'll need for this piece, and will proceed from this starting point. 

First, I'll size the basic images I want to use to be comparable to the two quilts I've already completed...Song of Spring - Robins and Winter Song - Cardinals. This one will be called Summer Serenade - Bluebirds. Once I've chosen the poses and corrected for size, I'll work on the composition and lay it out on my musical notes background fabric. I intend to share the major steps in this process with you as I do them, but I'm sharing the first steps now.

At this point, I've chosen my colorways and will spend the next few hours just winding threads onto bobbins so they're easier to pull and strand when the stitching begins. It's really grunt work, but also very zen to just sit winding thread.

You will see other projects I start and complete while I also work on this, but this will be a long-term, fall/winter project until it's finished.

*** While most images I use are actual wildlife photos, I was so smitten with the mother feeding her babies by Marjolean Bastien that it ended up in my binder. Of course, I'll change some things, but I wanted to recognize the artist for that artwork.

When I get to working on the next phase, I'll take photos to share. As I said, winding bobbins is next on my agenda. Time to make a cuppa, turn on some good music, put up my feet, and get to it.

Happy Weekend!

 

Birds On The Brain (Already)...

 

A few of you asked what I might be planning for my next bird embroidery, so I thought I let you all know. I've already decided the next one with be bluebirds, and called "Summer Symphony". Just for fun, I thought I'd look for a few images for inspiration. 

The first images that came up in my search were painted by one of my favorite artists, Marjolein Bastin. I've loved her work for years, and I think her bluebirds are perfection.

Now all I have to consider is what type of image I'd like to stitch...a pair of birds (as I did with my cardinals), or another young family (as I did with the robins). I really love this adult feeding three wee birds. Both parents feed the offspring, so I could also add the other parent coming in for a landing with more food. 

I'm not going to start the bluebirds right away - holidays coming soon, you know - so I'll have time to mull over my options. I think this might be my first project for the new year, because everyone should have a bluebird to bring a smile to their face. 

Winter Song, Done and Delivered!...

I completed the last stitch to attach a hanging sleeve on Winter Song at 2 pm on Monday afternoon. I made sure it was clean, pressed and show ready - along with my entry forms - and packaged it for the trip to Larsen, WI and Primitive Gatherings. It will hang in their Red & White Quilt show for the months of November and December. I'll get it back in the new year.

When I took it into the shop, my quilt was visible through the cellophane envelope (which was serendipitously the perfect size for the quilt to lay flat). I handed it to the the clerk who immediately took it to some of the ladies who work in the shipping area of the shop. They asked me all kinds of questions about my techniques, and then "oooo'd and aaahhhhh'd", which of course, I lapped up like crazy. (Yes, ladies. That's the effect I was hoping for.) I smiled as I thanked them and then I went back to go home with my waiting husband. 

This is the label I printed from a photograph of my embroidery. It's on printable silk. I made a border from the same fabric as the backing and attached it to my quilt. Rules for entering in this show required my address on the label, which I've obscured above for obvious reasons. As much as I know information is available on the internet, I like to think I'm maintaining a modicum of privacy.

I know this show is going to be incredible, because I know a lot of talented and creative quilters who will be entering their pieces, too. I can't wait to make the trip back once the show is hung. If you're in Wisconsin, or willing to make the trip to a great quilt shop, it's going to be worth the travel. I'll share more about the show in an upcoming post. I'll also put a link into my sidebar in the next day or so.

I took this photo of both of my bird-themed quilts right before I packaged up Winter Song. They won't be together again for a couple of months, by I'm looking forward to hanging these - and eventually two more - once my red birds come back home.

Needless to say, yesterday was a day of rest. My next surgery is tomorrow, so I'll do a few tasks today and go to bed early. We have to be at the surgery center early in the morning, and on a good day it's an hour and a half away. I'll also right a couple of posts to carry me through recovery, and I'll be back in person soon after. Thanks again for prayers. I know they're heard and answered. 

A Few More Decisions...

I've assembled the inner borders and half square triangles, so I'm well on my way to completing this wall quilt. Then I have a few more decisions to make.

Once I have the final outer borders on, I'm going to embroider small branch segments and berries in the corners of the main piece, and also in the music fabric squares in the triangle borders.

A - Red Outer Border    B - Berry and Red Borders

Now, I need to decide on the outer border(s). These are my two choices: A is on the left...a simple red outer border. B, on the right...a narrow berry border, with the red outer border. I'm leaning toward B. What do you think? I'm also going to go with a red binding, which would be the same as the outer border, and they'd overlap.

So, this is what I'll be doing today...adding the outer borders, and then embroidering the corners. I'm saving the quilting for Friday. I'd better get to it, so I can stay on schedule! Coffee and breakfast, and then off to the studio. See you tomorrow!

A Perfect Studio Day...

 

I woke up Monday morning to SNOW! Noooooooo! Autumn is my very favorite time of year, and it seems we only had about three weeks of it. Where can I lodge a complaint? 

I went outside to make sure my girls were toasty warm in the current porch digs (you wouldn't believe what I've had rigged for them since late summer), and they were. Even so, I fortified it a bit, as I'm on restricted duty right now. The special heat reflecting beds I ordered for them arrived just in time, so I augmented their sleeping arrangements for now. Although it blew out of the west all day and wasn't conducive to a full move to the Compass Barn, it's supposed to warm up later this week, and I'll get that accomplished them (with a little help).

At any rate, it was a perfect day to work in the studio. I spent the entire day making half-square triangles for my Winter Song project. I used triangle paper because these blocks are 1-1/2" square when they're finished. The papers help keep things aligned and consistent. But, once they're all sewn, I have to cut, trim and removed all the papers. Lots of little shnibbles at the end. lol

I'll be back in the studio today as I work toward completing my wall hanging. I'll share more photos soon.

In the meantime, could someone please get some meds for Mother Nature? I think she could use some about now. She needs to settle down and enjoy a little more autumn before she puts on her white dress!

Revealed...

Brynwood Needleworks - Completed Embroidery and Fabric Choices

 

I completed the robin's nest embroidery on Saturday, which led to my starting on the next phase of my project. I can tell you now that I'm creating a quilted wall hanging to enter in an upcoming quilt show.

Handsome has been watching my progress, and he's named it for me..."Song of Spring". As I want the embroidery to be the most prominent feature, I chose fabrics that were more muted.

I've already created the half-square triangles that will be my block border. I'm using the grey plaid and rust-colored print fabric for straight sashing to frame the embroidery. I won't cut my embroidered panel until I do all the math, but I know that, as I'm entering it in the "Miniature Quilt" category, it needs to be under 26" square. That won't be a problem at all.

I'll probably have the top completed when I post again on Wednesday. Tag's up tomorrow. He's such a hoot. He makes me laugh every day. I'm as interested to see what he has to say as you are. Time to sew! See you later.