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Thursday, March 12, 2015

A Bird in a Blog Hop is Worth Two in the Bush! (+Giveaway!)


When Madame Samm came out with the announcement for this blog hop, I knew I had to join. I immediately started searching my stash for fabrics with bird print. It turned out I had quite a few, so I decided to use whatever I had.


The first fabric I found was an old piece from Ikea, home décor weight, with flowers and branches, and a few birds! This was perfect for a boxy pouch.

As you can see, the spring has not come very far where I live. The snow just melted off my lawn a couple of days ago. But now, the sun gives good warmth and the birds are singing!


It turned out that the pouch was big enough to contain all my un-opened thread “jewels”; aren’t they lovely?


I decided I had to make a tote with an owl fabric from my stash.  I used a tutorial from   Adrianne over at On the Windy Side, but modified the design a little bit to incorporate a recessed zipper closure. Simple quilting on this one, straight criss-crossing lines.

The last few years I have re-discovered my passion for cross stitching.  I thought that it would be perfect to incorporate cross stitched birds in my projects. I didn’t have time to stich big pieces for the hop, so I found a free pattern of a little robin that was perfect for my purpose.



The first project was a French Press Cozy. I had bought one on a Christmas market several years ago, and used that one to make my own pattern.  The cross stitched robin was put in the center, surrounded by a bird fabric from BasicGrey. 


My most time consuming project for this blog hop was the table runner. It is my original design.  


Two cross stitched robins are incorporated in Economy Blocks. The yellow/orange batik is a perfect match with the center of the Oxeye Daisies. Also in this project I used the BasicGrey fabric with “zillions” of little birds. The runner is quilted with the walking foot in a quite dense grid. 

My last project was started two days before my day in the hop. Close to where I live there is a colony of rooks, and when I am out walking I am fascinated by these birds. They are so “well dressed”, wearing a tuxedo every day; they are really beautiful!


This is my meager attempt of portraying a rook in a mini quilt, my original design. I used batiks for the background, where the yellow represent s the grain fields which the rooks often feed from.  The tuxedo is represented with a feather-like shiny black fabric from my stash. I quilted the piece with “organic wavy lines” in grey and brown.


The final picture shows all my projects together. I stumbled upon this sheer burnout fabric with birds all over, added a green solid on the back, and voila (!), I had a wonderful background for my display.  Adding a beautiful orchid and my antique gold rimmed mocca cups, the display couldn’t be any better.

Who wants to join me for a cup of coffee?

Please visit the other bloggers presenting their projects today:

Friday, March 13
Quilt in a not - Shell  <---YOU ARE HERE


Here is the Full Schedule for the Blog Hop.


Thanks to Lana and Madame Samm for organizing this wonderful  blog hop.


NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!   The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations Brandy!

If you have come this far, you are probably wondering where the giveaway is?! Well, you have come to the right place, it is here!


What’s up for grabs today is a zippered pouch with a couple of owls on the front. I made the pouch  using Noodlehead’s  Open Wide tutorial.

For the giveaway, answer the following question in the comment section: What is your favorite bird, and why?  If you would like to become a follower of my blog, too, I wouldn’t mind. 

I will let Mr. Random.org pick a winner on the last day of the blog hop, March 23. The winner will be announced as an edit to this blog post on March 24, as well as contacted via e-mail. Make sure you have a valid e-mail address.



I will ship the prize anywhere in the world!



PS! Look who almost photo bombed me: A magpie on the neighbor's roof!


It soon got company of another one, so who knows; maybe we will get magpie babies in our neighborhood this year?


Until next time: Happy quilting, and make sure to enjoy the spring!


84 comments:

  1. You are definitely the early bird for our blog...my own post won't launch for another 4 hrs. Your rook is great..much prefer free hand creations over published patterns. In my back yard, I would have to say I love the eagles the most.

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  2. ohhh such tweet projects. well done ...you will have us all in flight..

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  3. You were really busy, waoh! Love your runner & the way you quilted it, looks great! And incorporating x-stitch into it is lovely!

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  4. What a fantastic group of projects! Each and every one is unique. I love my Hummingbirds. Thank you for sharing.

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  5. Enjoyed seeing how you used some of you hoard of bird fabric!! My favorite yard birds are the blue jays -- they provide lots of entertainment when they visit the feeders!

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  6. You have been busy! What great projects you made. All of them are lovely.

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  7. very nice , Anita....great use of your stash. thanks for th giveaway...I love a red Cardinal because of their bright colour and gracefulness...

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  8. Your display is awesome, as are all your projects! I love watching the hawks that frequent our neighborhood; they're so majestic.

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  9. Wonderful projects. Such creative ways to use your lovely bird fabrics. I particularly love your table runner.

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  10. Wow Anita - you really gave us some darling things to see today! I love that table runner - the quilting is just perfect for it! And the cross stitched robins, well of course who wouldn't love those? I think your owl tote might be my favorite though - those little faces! :) I think my favorite bird might be the cardinal but that's probably because my mother loved them so. The only feeders we have at our house are for the hummingbirds...my husband loves those. blessings, marlene

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  11. Love your robins. Great table runner and I love the rook. My favorite birds are the love birds. I find their cooing to be so peaceful.

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  12. Great projects, My favorite bird is the Cardinal because we see them all year and the males bright color is so pretty. But some of the females show up pretty also.

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  13. Great projects, My favorite bird is the Cardinal because we see them all year and the males bright color is so pretty. But some of the females show up pretty also.

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  14. Lovely projects and I absolutely LOVE the owl fabric! My favourite bird is the chickadee - it's with us year around, has the most soothing calls, is friendly, and entertains us at the bird feeder.

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  15. Cardinal- I just love their red color. They look especially pretty when it snows.

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  16. What great bird projects!! Great job!
    My favorite bird ? It's a toss-up between the hummingbird and the cardinal!

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  17. Cardinal- I just love their red color. They look especially pretty when it snows.

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  18. Beautiful project and your rook is perfect!

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  19. I have to give you a "WOW" for all of these great projects! I'm seeing so many clever, yet beautiful projects that are making me want to go bird watching! Thanks for sharing and thanks for the giveaway! I love a crow...smart and sassy!

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  20. Great projects - thanks for sharing. My favorite bird is the chickadee. They stay year round here in northern Wisconsin & they make me smile. I've never seen a crabby chickadee - they are always so chirpy & cheerful!

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  21. Favorite bird? Around here it would have to be the Blue Jay because my favourite colour is blue BUT if you want to know what my all-time favourite bird is, it would have to be the flamingo. My parents had a friend who visited Florida and sent a postcard with flamingoes on it. My mom framed the card and I always loved that postcard.

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  22. All of your projects are fantastic! Many details and all are serviceable and very easy on the eye. Congratulations. My favorite birds are cardinals. Each day at our feeder we are blessed with an all you can eat buffet bringing in all the tree birds in heats, one breed after another with visits from rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks too. Sometimes even deer, turkeys, acouple dozen morning doves, it's a blessing to watch and be.

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  23. You really created some amazing bird projects...love the all! Sweet looking table runner, bags, and cozy!

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  24. Your projects are all darling! I LOVE the tote and mini quilt. Wonderful!

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  25. Really sweet creations! That zippered bag is chocked full of thread! :)

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  26. Wow, what a bunch of great projects. So inspiring. Love the cute owls on the tote. Look at those faces! My favorite bird is the Cardinal. I can always spot them and it always cheers me up. Thanks for sharing.

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  27. Well looks like you are ready for spring! Just look at all of those cute projects...and the little cross stitched bird....oh sew cute!!! ~Cori

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  28. Beautiful work! You had quite a stash of birdie fabric! My favorite bird is the cardinal. I love the red plumage...he looks regal!

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  29. So many fabulous projects! I have started to do a little cross stitch again lately and the little robin is so cute. I love to see the hummingbirds come back to my yard in the summer, but it is so hard to choose a favorite bird. The little chickadees in our back yard make me smile too.

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  30. I love what you made but since I love cross stitch I prefer the ones you incorporated the stitched birds in!The giveaway pouch is lovely too as the owls tote too. I love stitching birds especially robins!AriadnefromGreece!

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  31. I love what you made but since I love cross stitch I prefer the ones you incorporated the stitched birds in!The giveaway pouch is lovely too as the owls tote too. I love stitching birds especially robins!AriadnefromGreece!

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  32. My favorite bird is the cardinal, Illinois's state bird. I love the beautiful red color, especially in the snow.

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  33. First of all, I've never heard of a Rook bird?! And I've heard of a magpie but would not know what it looked like until your post. You really made some nice projects!! I loved the cup cozy and the way you quilted with the striaght lines. The grey was a perfect color. That zippered pouch is cute as it can be. I've just recntly made my first bag and now I'm hoping to attempt a zippered pouch. These blog hops and all of you challenge me to get out of my comfort zone and try new skills. BTW, I'm a new follower!! Hope you'll visit me at Grandmama's Stories even though I've been a little slow in posting for 2015. Life has been one drama after the other here on the Farm.
    Blessings
    Gmama Jane

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  34. What sweet bird projects. I truly like your little storage bag. My favorite bird. That is hard. I think it would be the Neon Tidbit. He is little, but yet show his colors and looks so pretty beside the Cardinals and Gold Finch in the Summer.

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  35. I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who used fabric from stash. I love all your projects especially the owls. Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win.

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  36. You have some lovely creations. My favorite birds are the bluebirds at my grandma's house in Montana, their so small and so brilliantly blue! And I have fun memories with my grandma. Oh, and hummingbirds, love them as well.
    ~Brandy
    brandizzle7133 at gmail dot com

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  37. I adore chickadees. When I was small, we would spend a lot of time at our cabin in the Sierra Nevada mountains and my brother and I would hear the chickadees. My parents told us they were saying hi to us personally and we believed them! Love your bird projects - perfectly timed for spring's arrival!!

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  38. I love redbirds. When I lived in Missouri and the world was white with snow and ice, the redbirds were the most intense pop of color in the trees and on the ground. They were beautiful! :)
    craftyccain@gmail.com

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  39. These are ALL so PERFECT! Preciously made...and how adorable are your designs! Man! I wish I knew how to make one of those pouches! You have definitely INSPIRED me to go find one to make!!! Oh, and how lucky all the entrants are to possibly WIN your birdie...SO FANTASTIC! GREAT GREAT JOB!!!!!

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  40. These are ALL so PERFECT! Preciously made...and how adorable are your designs! Man! I wish I knew how to make one of those pouches! You have definitely INSPIRED me to go find one to make!!! Oh, and how lucky all the entrants are to possibly WIN your birdie...SO FANTASTIC! GREAT GREAT JOB!!!!!

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  41. Lovely projects! The cross stitch robin cozy and table runner are wonderful. Great designs. I love all of these lovely winged warblers that bring beauty and sound to our world. If I have to pick a favorite ... my eye is on the sparrow. Thank you for sharing ... :) Pat

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  42. What a nice presentation! My favorite is the State Bird of Ohio, the cardinal. Red and cheery, you can see them in the depths of winter,

    Julie

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  43. Wow so far everyone on this hop has made so many great projects! The cozy you made with the robins is so pretty!!!!

    My favorite bird is either conure or cockatiel, because we have one of each and they are amazing and smart birds!!!

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  44. So many beautiful things you've made here. My favorite bird is a white crow visiting us every day to get food. I really love crows, and the white one is so special that I've even given it a name. Thank you for the giveaway.

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  45. To pick one bird is impossible for me. They all have something about them it appeal to one sense or another. So I'm not even going to try. LOL. Thank You for sharing all your wonderful collection of birdies with us. The little owl bag is super cute and makes for the prefect give-away prize for this hop.

    Toodles,
    Tricia

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  46. What a lot of pretty projects you stitched up. Your table runner is gorgerous. I think my favorite bird is the crow because they are so resourceful. I saw one pick a bread crust from garbage, fly it across the yard to a snow pile under a nearby tree and cover it with snow so it would be there when it returned later for lunch.

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  47. Your projects are lovely, Such a cute tote.

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  48. Fun! I love all these projects. My favorite bird is the Kookaburra bird which is in Australia. I've never seen one in person, but I think they are so cute! My dream is to visit Australia one day and see one of these delightful creatures.

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  49. You really put a lot of time and effort into this Tree Bird hop and I Thank You sew very much for participating and sharing your beautiful projects. I adore every fun bit you created including your vignette.

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  50. Love all your projects! the owls are too cute! My favorite bird is a cardinal. I love all their red feathers!

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  51. Robins are my absolute favorite bird! Ever since I lived in England. When I manage to spot one here in Italy you'll find me jumping with joy. Just ask my daughters if you don't believe me! So your cross stitched robins inside economy blocks and on the coffee pot cosy are my favourite projects. You have come up with so many good ideas!

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  52. lovely projects. My favorite bird is blue jay

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  53. Beautiful projects and very frugal to find fabric in your stash.

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  54. I love birds...cardinals, goldfinch, turtle doves...they are all wonderful. Your bird projects are lovely, too. You outdid yourself with all of them. The table runner is my favorite with your cs'd robins - perfect for spring.

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  55. Well done Anita. I love all your little projects and the variety of fabrics. Your quilted table runner is my favorite.

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  56. My favorite bird is the hawk, because I love the way the bird looks as it is swooping down after it's prey.

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  57. You have been a busy little bird...love all of your oh so tweet fabs!!!

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  58. I love the chickadee. I used to sing with it for hours when I was very young. Thanks for sharing your cute projects.

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  59. You were one busy girl! Lots of fun projects. I think a fun bird to watch is the robin. We have large bushes with berries on them The robins all got together one day and flew at the bushes in order to knock off the berries so they could eat them. They can't actually get the whole berry in their beak at once and so it was funny to watch them try to eat the berries they had knocked off. The only bad part was my 9 year old son had just swept the patio that afternoon before the birds had their wild berry party so he had to do it again later because they made such a mess! It was fun to watch. K-

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  60. So many lovely projects. You have been very busy making wonderful things. Love them all, especially the tote bag with the owls. One of my favourite birds is the KIWI - it's nocturnal , our national bird and interesting face it has its nose on the end of its long beak.

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  61. I love all your beautiful craft projects, but I especially love your gorgeous rook mini quilt & your owl pouch is too cute. The rainbow lorikeet would have to be one of my favourite birds because of its brilliant colours & they also travel in pairs. Many Thanks for your giveaway.
    zamba@iprimus.com.au

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  62. I'd pick the Cardinal because I love bright reds and it's our state bird here in VA. Love the owl pouch.

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  63. Although not a tree bird, my favourite bird is the loon. When we had a cabin on a lake I used to go outside early in the morning and I could hear the loons calling - just loved listening to them.

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  64. A lot of birds are my favorite--cardinal (love the red), loons and trumpeter swans, but the most impressive is the Pileated woodpecker. When I lived in NY, I heard this loud banging outside our apartment window and when I looked out I saw this huge woodpecker hammering with his beak at a tree next to our balcony.

    senstrings(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  65. Everything is so TWEET! And I'm so glad you used other fabrics to help us see other things we can do. That sheer panel with the green birds is a real keeper! Thanks for sharing all your wonderful projects. I loved seeing it all!

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  66. Thanks for the giveaway. My favorite bird is either the cardinal or the goldfinch, love the bright colors and the songs.

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  67. Thanks for the giveaway. My favorite bird is either the cardinal or the goldfinch, love the bright colors and the songs.

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  68. All your projects today are just wonderful. Great job!!

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  69. I love many birds - owls, eagles, swans, ducks, chickadees, hummingbirds and on and on. My favourite, if I have to pick one, is the raven, because he has so much personality.

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  70. Anita ~ What great projects. They are fun. I like that you used fabric that you had on hand. Your projects are amazing. I like the table runner of your original design. I cannot pick a favorite - except that I applaud your talent in design - keep at it! Thanks for joining the hop and inspiring me.

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  71. I love cardinals. They are so cheery in themail cold winter months.

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  72. I enjoy all birds from chickadees, hummingbirds, feral love birds (Yes, they are here in the Phoenix area!!), and even pigeons. They are all beautiful creatures in their right. I feel sorry for pigeons... they are so misunderstood. If you ever take the time to look at one, notice the beautiful colors in the feathers.. gorgeous!! Thanks for the giveaway!
    Dawn
    array-dawn at cox dot net

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  73. Now if you didn't "tweet" us to an array of fabulous little birdy projects today! I love, love love them all! ;-)

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  74. What a whole bunch of cute projects. You did a great job on all of them!

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  75. Cute projects! Wow you got a lot done, they and are all wonderful, you did such a nice job on them all. Thank you for sharing and for the chance to win your giveaway.

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  76. Super sweet projects. Everyone a little tweeter than the last. I'm not much of a bird watcher, but I really love birds in quilts and can't ever look away from birds on fabric. My favorite would be cardinals because of the bright color of red.

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  77. I love all of your bird projects. I love birds so it is hard to pick my favorite. It would probably be the Scarlet Tanager or the Indigo Bunting or the Tufted Titmouse.

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  78. My favorite bird is the chickadee. The chickadee is so cheery and is a great bird feeder visitor!
    nikilsend(at)outlook(dot)com

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  79. All your work is great and using what you have on hand makes them even tweeter ! hehe

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  80. I swear it, spring can't come fast enough! Your travel bag looks like it holds quite a bit-adorable!

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  81. Great projects. You did wonderful work.

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