Oh My Sweet Tweets!!

Well my fine feathered hunting friends ...
 

Your sneak peeks have lead you here to this moment in time, where is now time for my turn to open the curtains on my own creations.  Let me start by saying “Thank You” to Madam Samm for bring us to another wonderful blog hop and Lana for taking the reins to keep us all track & shaking her pom-pom’s to cheer us on!! Well done Ladies. Well done indeed!!
 
Now you might wonder how I became part of this blog hop.  Well allow me to tell you a  tale of the journey of how my little flock came to be.
 
I had seen the announcement around in blog land I read past it without much of a mind.  For you see I had made a much bigger commitment this year to work on my own projects and would not get carried away by overextending myself that MY projects & UFO's would take precedent. Then a friend or two asked me if I was going to play.  "No" I replied, shaking my head "maybe later in the year."

 
I told myself "Self - you really don't have time to commit to a blog hop right now.  You have WAYYYYY too much to do right now and you don't have any of the featured fabrics so this should be a no brainer!  RIGHT??" 
 
To which I immediately went into my "But everyone else is playing in it" mode like a mental temper tantrum of a two year old.  
 
And of course my self started in with the whole "If your friends & bridges" spill. I mentally rolled my eyes, hang my head, crossed my arms, stomped my foot and said "Fine!! I hate you & you're not fun any more!" 
 
By now I know that you are laughing at me for arguing with myself and the visual picture that it brings to mind ...you know the one I'm talking about. The one where that cranky little red-headed two year old that you probably seen out in public at some point in your life having a very public melt down.  

Not that I ever did that in real life ... us kids had the "fear of Mother" instilled in us at a very young age. 
 
But I've digressed ...
 
Having received my birdie bounty via Ms. Donna, I'm at home banishing the bag to the bedroom where it waits.  I dash off a note to Madam Samm all the while hoping I would hear... 
 
"I'm sorry dear but you missed the sign-up deadline" but of course Fate steps in and I was on the list & should contact Lana post haste.  My mental toddler sticks out her tongue & "nanner nanner" rolls off her pert little tongue. 
 
I ask by a chance is there a way that I might be added to the end of date list as I have to quickly come up with a plan fast since all the others are weeks ahead of me.  Oh our gracious cheerleader - Lana understood and would try.
 
Now remember the bag that was banished? Well every time I would go in the room it would whisper to me.  
 
"Come play with us" they would tweet.
 
"No - I've no ideas on what and how to use you yet. You must wait." I harshly replied.
 
They continued to coo and tweet.  But then I was starting to hear a ticking sound any time I was near the room.  It was getting louder and louder like something out of an Edgar Poe story.  The cats would stare and paw at the door.  Yowling and howling all the more, while the ticking got louder and louder.
  
"Enough!!" I exclaimed as I grabbed up the bag.  I pull them all out. The ones from the store and some from the unit they was stored.  I resigned to my Fate and on to the table the contents went.  With my hands on my ample hips, I squint, I poke and prod, I chew my lips making the most dreadful of faces.  The mind was so ... blank!!  

The orphans have been set free to the light of day ...
"Hurray" they claimed and then no sound to be heard from them.
 
"Well now - you wanted out with all that racket you was making!  Now what have you to say for yourselves??" I gave with a peevish retort. "Speak up!!"
 
Nothing! Nada! Nilch!! I drop my head and throw up my hands.  "Fine then back in the bag with you."
 
One of my orphans tentatively says. "I was almost done but then you decided this wasn't the block you wanted for the swap. Maybe if you change the flowers, I'll be much better." 
 
"Hummm ... You might be right." I say as I cocked my head to the side.  

And with that and a seam ripper in hand, we proceed.  Two evenings I stitched by hand these new little flowers. The next morning we sit at the machine. By night's end it is complete.
 

     

This orphan came about in a lottery block using a chosen focus fabric of a basket print.  I had originally used a pale yellow floss that didn’t stand up to the darkly tea-dyed muslin that I made for the background. Which is why it ended up in the orphan box.  I change the color to white and this is how it ended.  The stitchery patterns came out of a book called "Quilting Patterns From Native American Designs” by Dr. Joyce Mori.  It is said that the bird is to be a Southwest pottery design and the flower is also from a Southwest area.
 
Okay now I have one finished project and still some bits that I could turn it into some sort of bird themed components.  What else could I whip together?  I looked down to my cross-stitch table next to my chair and I eyeball my little ornament that I just finished.  It has a pair of baby cardinals on that.  SWEET!! 

Another finished bird item. Two down – out of ?  They are just too cute not to add them. This is my first cross-stitch finish for the year.
 


Now we’re getting some place.  Now for the owls.  This was the fabric from Jo-Ann's.  They took the longest to come up with a plan.  Since I decided to take part in this hop, I thought I might as well try out some new techniques.  

I start scrap digging pulling out a handful of strips. They are different widths & lengths.  Okay I haven’t made anything wonky or log cabin-ish.  The owl is fussy cut into a rectangle and I start adding and building what was to just be a little mug rug.  What happened? This …
 

Cool another to add to the completed pile!! Yeah…let’s do the Happy Dance.  When I was with Ms. D we picked up a cool product that is just prefect for this hop. It’s Becky Goldsmith & Linda Jenkins “Backyard Birds: 12 quilt block to Appliqué from Piece O’ Cake designs.  It was on sale for 40% off with coupons.
 

I looked thru it had the Mister pick out one of designs that he liked.   He picked out the nuthatcher since we have them in the yard all the time.  So I had traced him out the week before I started the mad panic.  Cut it all out, made a few fabric changes along the and decided to try my hand at thread painting.  It is the first time trying this out, so mark another technique attempted.  This is what I ended up with…
 

    

I just finished this at 11:30pm right before sitting down to right this blog posting.  Nothing like going to the last possible minute with things.  LOL.

So what’s another technique to try?  Thinking hard, I’m thinking…as I ponder I’m looking at my sewing machine.  It has some different stitching that it does.  What if I try out some of those. 

Okay here we go.  I bought a orphan block from the Mt. Pleasant Sewing Center & Quilt shop for 50 cents.  It’s a dove like bird in a light blue-gray color on a swirly WoC that I believe the owner did.  I have the name some place that is eluding me @ this very second.  I’ll will look for later and give you the info that I have. Along with the “before” I have a picture some where. 

Anyhow I lifted the bird off the background and added a tie-dyed peace sign. From there I try to make it appear to be fly through the symbol.  I used one button to machine appliqué the pieces back down to the background.  When I quilted it, I used the meander stitch over and over heavily inside the sign.  On the outside I again used the meandering but leaving as is.  I made the binding from the same fabric as the peace sign and attached it with the same meandering to finish the project off.

     

Now I did received the birds in the tree from my oh so generous friend Pat from Lifeinthescrapatch, and I’m starting to put that special design that I will be sharing that with you as I go long. So “Thank You Ms. Pat!! <3

Well that you got through all that, I’m doing a give-away as a reward.  What will it be?  What dears is a surprise. By answering this questions:
Where do you go to bird watch?  What is the most unexpected bird did you see?
 
Easy-peasy right?
 
Once you leave a comment be sure to stop by the other ladies that are sharing their bird creations with everyone today.  I will have a random drawing on Tuesday the 28th.  Please be sure I can contact you if you win. It's open to everyone and really who doesn't love surprises!
 

Friday, March 20

Freemotion By The River

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Tea Time Creations

Baa's Amazing Adventures!

Selina Quilts

Ramblings of a Quilter  (Here I am!!)

Busy Bee Quilts

Quilted Delights

Grandmama’s Stories

Well now it’s time for this birdie to go visit her nest for the night. So thanks for stopping by, good luck in the drawing and until next time.
 

Toodles,
Tricia