When I was at retreat, my main project was to complete the design and assemble the quilt using the small bird panels. When I packed this up a couple of months ago, I had the jelly roll picked out and the main design idea. Here’s where I left off in April.
Before retreat, I decided to make this a mixed technique quilt and add some embroidery. So I got out my rayon threads, found some bird designs and stitched out three.
I changed the colors a bit, making the birds more true to life. Here, I made this one into more of a bluebird with a rosy chest.
At retreat, after finishing my warm up projects, I got out the bird quilt elements and began putting them on the design wall. I needed to play with the placement of the birds and the strips for color. Originally, I figured on three strips per bird.
But, putting them on the design wall, the birds are getting lost in the busy prints. They need a frame. I thought yellow would go well with all the panels.
But this yellow isn’t it. I tried several, including one from a friend, and nothing really seemed right. So, off to the quilt shop with the group for a yard of a better yellow.
The added frame meant I would need four strips per bird now.
But I had more than enough strips to do that in the jelly roll. I decided on an arrangement and began to sew strips together into sets of four.
This yellow is a better color as it has a very subtle pattern to it, with some light and darker areas giving it a bit of interest.
I cut frames for all the birds and began sewing those.
Starting with the sides, then moving to the top and bottom on every bird. I cut the panels down just a bit, so they all were 8-1/2-inches square and would exactly fit on a four-strip set.
Here’s the embroidered cardinal. I started with these a bit larger and squared them up to 8-1/2 inches to be sure I got the motif centered.
All squared up, I auditioned placement on the design wall.
I kept moving them around, looking more at how to make them appear random rather than in diagonal rows.
This was not easy. Every time I stepped back, it seems like the birds were too much in rows.
Eventually I just went with what I had last. To assemble the top, I picked up a framed bird and its strip set, then cut the jelly roll strips crosswise to insert the bird.
Then the completed strips were sewn together. When I was done with that stage, I realized the bird frames would be on the edge on the top and bottom. I needed one more row of strips on both edges. However, now my strips are not long enough due to the 8-inches added to each one, so I need two of the same print. I had two of the green fern below.
But nothing matched the rest of the strips I had left. I piddled with these for a while, trying to see if I could fudge two that were close in print, but alas, none worked.
I was completely floored when one of my friends just happened to have some yardage in the exact same fabric line. What a surprise!! She graciously allowed me to cut two strips from her fabric, and I gave her the rest of my jelly roll strips in return. The added bonus was we could both check off “swap fabrics with someone else” from our Bingo cards.
Now complete, I stepped back to look at the work. I realized the thing I was trying to avoid happened anyway. All the embroidered blocks are together on one side. Well, crap on a cracker. It is too much trouble to take this apart and rework, so it will just have to stay as it is.
After leaving it up on the design wall for a bit, I’ve decided not to put any borders on it. The consensus of opinion of the other ladies at retreat agreed, although there were varying opinions on what color the binding should be. I’ll figure that out later. I have a plan for the quilting, and it is going to take a while. It is loaded on the frame now, and I’ll bring you more of that next week.
What do you think?
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From My Carolina Home 
I love the bird quilt! I think you should use the yellow to border, maybe a narrow strip of white first. Lovely job!
Can you believe somebody had a piece of the exact fabric you were using? It was meant to be. I can’t tell you how many times things get lost in translation from the design wall to the sewing machine and back together on the wall. Sometimes they’re changed back to what they were supposed be, sometimes it just doesn’t matter. I have the same bird panel, I really like how you added the embroidered birds to the mix.
It will be lovely when done. You are so right — those birds needed to be “matted” to stand out and they are much improved with the yellow.
This turned out really pretty. I love all of the fabric strips.
These sort of projects always create some sort of puzzlements
I think the yellow looks great, kind of like a bit of sunshine
I probably would have chosen safe, dull and boring and gone with one of the flowered strips and made borders…. to make them sort of “flowers with birds among the flowers”
The flowered fabrics are delightful
What a nice way to incorporate machine embroidery into your quilt design. I have to agree, the addition of the yellow makes the birds really pop. I think I would use a light purple for the binding after looking over all the various colors in your strips. How lovely someone had just the right fabric for you to take a couple of strips from.
Fabulous job making this beauty and making it all work. Agreed, no border is needed and I might go with a green binding, but whatever you pick will be lovely. Sometimes, I think the blocks put themselves in the wrong place when we are not looking because that is where they want to be. That is my theory and I am sticking with it!
I enjoyed reading this post and seeing the process you go through in designing a quilt. It will be very helpful as I have fabric bundles I would like to use and try my hand at designing. Love the direction this quilt is taking. Thanks.
Good thing you recognized those birds need boundaries before it was to late. Very pretty and feminine with all those pretty prints.
Your quilt is pretty, with or without borders. I actually love it without borders.
I love the strips behind the bird blocks. I would have never thought to lay it out like that. It turned out lovely. I think I would either use a print that blends with the strips so it will disappear, or the yellow for binding. Depends if you want an edge or not on the outside.
Framing the birds was the trick! Lovely. Always a puzzle when what we’re trying to avoid happens anyway…another time it would be way more work and figuring…but maybe moving the framed block into the bottom row of the block above it would take out some of the diagonal look? Does that make sense?
Looks nice Carole! I believe that quilts develop a personality of their own and will do what they want despite our plans for them! That’s the joy!
love the little birds ❤️
Very cool idea. I have some preprinted “kid’s books” that will look great done that way! Thanks!
I love your layout for this quilt. I have several of the bird block panels and have been trying to decide what to do with them! As far as the blocks arrangement. How many of us have had the same thing happen? Sometimes we just don’t see the repititions on the design wall! It has happened to me…I’ll try really hard not to have like fabrics touching, or to group reds together in one area. And no matter how many times I rearrange, something always winds up in the wrong place. Of course, I don’t notice it until the top is done! I don’t usually undo and redo either! Re: binding…I like dark bindings that frame the quilt, but that’s just me! Whatever you choose will be great! Thanks for sharing!
All in all I think the yellow Dimples fabric works well….you’ll figure everything out right down to the binding, I’m sure. Blessings from kathy in WV….
That turned out really pretty! I enjoyed reading along as you figured it all out. What a great way to use up panel pieces and the jelly roll strips! And serendipity that someone had the exact fabric that would work for the final top and bottom strips, too. I’ll be curious to see what you choose for the binding. I’d be tempted to use that pretty yellow that you framed the birds with.
I like your Bird Quilt. The birds may have shuffled all to one side but it looks nice. I think you’ll figure out the binding once you have done the quilting. After the quilting is done it will look so very different and you will know and probably have the exact piece of fabric for the binding.
Mary :))
Well, that construction was a bit frustrating for you, but you got there in the end. I think your decision to frame the blocks was a great idea. This is a very pretty quilt top.
I really love that jelly roll. Such beautiful colors and they certainly complement the bird panels and Embroidery. Can’t wait to see how you quilt it.
Carole, do you remember the name of the fabric line you used? I love the floral of the yardage your friend gifted you. Thanks!
The fabrics are from Moda’s Create Joy Project line called Chickadee, designed by Laura Muir.
Ah, I thought it looked familiar, I love the Create Joy designs!
Hi from central NC, I just opened this bird quilt post again. It helped me remember that I have some hand embroidery pieces that I could incorporate into a quilt. Thanks for sharing with us. Charlie