To Everything There Is A Season…Block 8

Posted in "To Everything There is a Season", Hand-Applique Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Where did October go?!? It’s time for me post the 8th block of “To Everything There Is A Season”, a BOM I launched back in April. If you are new to my blog and you haven’t seen the blocks yet, here they are! All of the patterns are available for purchase on my website Simple Bird Studio. The patterns are available either as a digital pattern (which I will email to you) or as a paper pattern (which I will mail to you). The choice is yours.

Block 1

Block 2

Block 3

Block 4

Block 5

Block 6

Block 7

And here is Block 8, The Poinsettia, just in time for the upcoming festive season. (It will be here before you know it!)

Here are a few close-up photos. The yellow centres are made of Ultra Suede. This is where I purchase my Ultra Suede. I love the little bit of texture that Ultra Suede adds! I also stitched around each yellow centre with one strand of gold embroidery floss. I added a few French knots to the flowers, but I used 2 strands of embroidery floss for those.

I also used one strand of brown floss to embroider around each of the ovals on the vase and around the darker handle on the right side. Fancy!

Til next time…

Kerry

6Mar2014

It’s all about the details!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Applique Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

It’s all about the details! That is what I learned in Sandra Leichner’s class when I attended TESAA last month. This is the block we worked on in class.

Sandra’s quilts have an almost life-like quality to them, thanks to the incredible details, which include embroidery with just a single strand of thread around berries, fabric paint and choosing the perfect fabrics. You can see Sandra’s beautiful quilts here.

I like to use Ultra-Suede for really small, intricate shapes, like calyxes. I purchased some packages of Ultra-Suede from Faye Labanaris, one of the wonderful merchants at TESAA. Check out her website here. If you have any question at all in regard to using Ultra-Suede, make sure you take the time to watch her video. It may just be the best 10 minutes of your day!! Of course, I would have liked one of everything she had for sale, however, I played it safe and chose a green package and a gold package. Each piece measures about 3″ x 6″. As you can see, you get a lovely assortment in each package.

When using Ultra-Suede, simply cut out around the shape (no seam allowance is necessary). I stitch it in place using the same applique stitch I use for “normal applique”. Don’t tug your stitches too tight or you will end up with “dimples” around the edge.

I started to think about what I learned in Sandra’s class and thought I might try embroidering around the calyx, just to give it a more “finished” look. So, I used just one strand of embroidery floss close to the same colour as the Ultra-Suede.

This is a picture when the Ultra-Suede is just glued in place.

This is it after it is stitched with thread.

And, after the embroidery. See? It really is about the details!!

As you can see, I have been plugging away at the border of Friends of Baltimore. I am working on one side of the border at a time, just to make the stitching a little more manageable.

And, I am working away (slowly, but surely) on Rita’s block. I have an awesome plan for this block!

Til next time…

Kerry

29Nov2013

The Sun is Shining!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Quilting Tools, Ladies of the Sea, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

The sun is shining, so I ran to get my camera so I could finally take a picture of “Circle of Tulips”. I find the handquilting shows up really nicely in the bright sun! The only time I hand-quilt is in the evening. I like to sit down around 9 o’clock with a pot of tea and stitch the night away and contemplate life in general! You can download the pattern for “Circle of Tulips” on my website. It’s free! You can also check out the new video for the second installment of “Peggy’s Puzzle”.

Finally finished stitching the fruit bowl from Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. This could possibly be one of my favourite blocks! One more block left!!

I used Ultra-Suede for the little frilly green things on the strawberries and blueberries. Ultra-Suede is a life-saver for these tiny, tiny pieces. I also love the little bit of texture that it gives.

I was going to wait til I completely finished the fruit bowl before I started Ladies of the Sea, but I couldn’t help myself. Curiosity got the better of me. I just wanted to see what the colours would look like against the background. Dandy!

Til next time…

Kerry

1Jul2013

An Intriguing Ostrich!

Posted in Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Applique Techniques, Hand-Quilting Tools, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Even in this heat, I am still managing to get some hand-quilting done! Here is another block from Sue Garman’s “Bouquets for a New Day”.

With only 2 blocks left to quilt, I am starting to give some thought to the borders. The half-square triangle inner border has me a little stumped. Not sure how I will quilt all those triangles! The good news is, I found a stencil that I love for the outer border. Not only do I love the cable design, it fits the border perfectly!

Now that I (0nly!) have 5 blocks left of Civil War Bride, I am getting really antsy to finish it! I love this next block! I must say I really don’t know too much about ostriches. But I find them intriguing, just the same! First I started with the stems and some leaves.

Next, I added some pretty pink flowers.

I used Ultra-Suede for the legs and beak.

Next came the fun part! I found this fabric in my stash (of all places)! It is one of those landscape fabrics that looks like tall grass. It has stripes of different colours and shapes of grass, which I think is brilliant.

I turned the fabric upside down and here is what I saw….ostrich feathers!

And here is one very intriguing ostrich!

Til next time…

Kerry

16Jun2013

Another block…another nest!

Posted in Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Applique Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Time to start another block of Civil War Bride. I almost(!) have enough blocks to sew another row together!! And you know how excited I get when I can stitch another row together. So here we go…

First I prepped the branches and stitched them in place. I used a brown fabric with shocking pink little flowers on it just to give the block a bit of oomph! (Definition of oomph…An extra push. An ingredient or a factor that will make something better or perfect.)

Next, came the leaves and the nest. Do you recognize the nest? You may have seen it here.

So, keep this tip in mind if you are making this quilt. You can make a couple of nests, audition them both, and use both! Waste not, want not and all that jazz!

Then, I placed a bird in the branches.

I really like to use Ultra-Suede for the feet and the beaks. First, I cut 2 triangles for the beaks. You don’t have to include a seam allowance, except for the part that goes under the body.

I glued half of the beak in place then trimmed a tiny bit of the corner off.

Then I glued the other half of the beak in place. I trimmed a bit of the corner off, also, so that the triangles would not overlap. Ultra-Suede is rather thick! Finally, I put the bird fabric back in place and stitched it in place, stitching right through Ultra-Suede, and into the background.

On to the feet! I ironed the freezer paper templates onto the Ultra-Suede. I am not really sure if there is a wrong side or a right side. They both look good to me!

So I cut the feet out and placed them under the body. At this point, the entire body has not been stitched in place yet. When I stitch the Ultra-Suede in place I try to match the color of the thread as closely as I can. I take just a tiny “bite” of the Ultra Suede and (very important) I don’t pull the thread too tight. If I do, then the Ultra-Suede looks dimpled along the sewn edge.

Since I wanted this to be a male bird, I added a golden brown wing and tail. Very manly!

I wanted the second bird to be female, so I chose a pretty fabric for her body and a nice red feather and tail. I added the eggs to the nest and…Voila!

Til next time…

Kerry

3Apr2013

Think Happy Spring Thoughts!

Posted in Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Applique Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I looked out the window this morning and this is what I saw! Yikes!

So, I thought I better get busy and think some Happy Spring Thoughts! The next block from The Civil War Bride inspired me to think Spring!

First, I started with the branches and a few little leaves.

Then I added more leaves.

…and some more!

Next, I added the bird’s feet and the underbelly of the bird. (If you let your imagination run wild, it looks like a folk art kind of bird…but just wait…!) I used Ultra-Suede for these tiny pieces because they are really….tiny! When using Ultra-Suede, I just cut out the pieces without adding a seam allowance and stitch it in place. Easy peasy!