I was delighted when my dear friend and "Dinner At Eight" partner-in-crime told me she was designing a fabric line with a "bird" theme. I looked forward to see it and I am not disappointed! I am a life-long "bird geek". I grew up in a house where there were feeders outside each window & binoculars placed in strategic locations in the house for optimum viewing of birds.
I still have this habit. Few things give me as much joy as observing birds and cultivating a habitat for them in my garden.
Jamie's new line of fabric from Hoffman is a delight for the senses. The deep, rich colors suggest a bit of fall might be in the air, but it is not simply a fall-themed palette. I love the addition of a few stripes, a bird journal, the bird houses, and her fun bunting in the mix.
For my project I decided to be quite free-wheeling: I cut pieces of fabric "freehand" with my rotary cutter. In other words, no measuring and straight edges from a ruler. Why? Just because! I love the look of the more organic appearance that comes as a result of this method of cutting.
First, I cut squares from many of the fabrics, and then some strips. The strips were pieced around the square(ish) shapes.
Using Mistyfuse I fused some small pieces, then cut bird and leaf shapes with my Sizzix dies. I like how they add some additional depth and movement to the blocks!
cutting the "squares"
Pre-fused fabric is run through the Sizzix Big Shot die-cutter.
the results: two bird forms and several sizes of leaves.
The "branches" were free-cut with scissors
Since it is close to Valentine's Day I thought adding a heart was in order...
But I wanted it to look a bit like an apple...
I love the wonderful shapes and colors in the fabric.
I like that I can see the shapes of Jamie's sketch-doodles in the fabric!
It is such fun to free-motion quilt using the shapes as a guide.
I used the dual-feed feature on my Bernina 750 QE to do some of the straight quilting.
I like the wonky feel of these free-cut blocks!
I am using a double-layer of wool-blend felt from National Nonwovens as my batting.
It is great for wall-hangings because it holds a nice flat shape.
To finish the (somewhat uneven) edges I opted for a border of black and white ribbon trim.
It looks a bit like film negative edge, which seems perfect for this study in birds!
Thanks so much for stopping by, and please leave a comment here to become eligible for prizes. We are going to do a give away for a bundle of the 'Autumn is for Birds' fabric. Hoffman Fabrics has been very generous in providing the prize! Don't forget to check out the other stops on this multi-day hop.
The giveaway is for a bundle of the 'Autumn is for Birds' fabric. Hoffman Fabrics has been very generous in providing the fabrics!
Feb 22 - Jamie Fingal
