Visuals for beginning the Amazing Birds Project

Step by Step directions for making the bird vignettes.
Beginning Amazing Birds Project:

Choose the pattern that you wish to use for your first bird vignette. Print it off the blog (How to in archives May 10, 2010.)
If you don't have a light box, you need to get one. It is the greatest gadget to use for appliqué. They carry them at most fabric stores or you can order them from one of the quilting catalogs available online. I use the small light box as I have no need of the larger one.
As you can see, I have chosen to make the Cardinal in the palm fronds for my first vignette. The Cardinal in the pine tree is also very pretty and should be done the very same way as described here. My fabric is cut 13" X 12" to allow a little extra to cut off when finished quilting.
1. Place the pattern on the light box with the sky blue fabric on top.
2. Trace the pattern with a #2 pencil or a pen that disappears with water.
3. Iron a removable fusible onto wrong side of red fabric. Trace cardinal with white marking pen or disappearing mark pen. Be sure to trace the whole tail, as you will do thread painting over it for the limb that it is sitting on.
4. Cut out cardinal and fuse to sky fabric.

Threadpainting is such fun! Use the directions from archives for May 10, 2010 for learning how to "Print from the blog" to print off the pattern for the CARDINAL IN A PINE TREE!Also, in the archives, find "How to do Freezer Paper Applique" Jan. 25, 2010. This is large enough to make a nice small wall hanging. Follow directions given in the newspaper,if you have them, but eventually I'll put them on the blog, too. This is a great learning activity! The picture of the cardinal in the palm fronds is used for my drawing of the "Cardinal in the Pine Tree." More later.

Primitive Hearts Quilt

This has to be one of my favorite quilts. I love Valentine's Day and hearts are always pretty on quilts, so jump in and make one of these quicki-to-make quilts. The pictured quilt is a baby quilt made by my friend Sissy who lives in Willamsburg, VA.

The Primitive Pieced Hearts quilt is made from 2 1/2" strips that are simply pieced into 4 patch blocks. Using a diagonal set and background fabric for one of the block corners creates the pattern of hearts. You may use one fabric or many different fabrics for this quilt.

Here are the directions for a lap size quilt with borders 47" X 58". You'll need 52 heart blocks and 35 background blocks. Fabric: 2 1/2" strips--18. Hearts 52. Background fabric: 2 1/2" strips-4: 4 1/2" strips-4; 4 1/2" strips(one 22" strip of fabric will make 3 hearts: 8 1/2" squares for edge triangles -6: 4 1/2" squares for corners 2. Borders may be made at your own discretion.

PIECING: Cut 8" from each of the strips of heart fabric. Save the remainder for later. With Right sides together, sew the 8" pieces of heart fabric one after the other to each of the 2 1/2" background strips. Press seams toward the darker fabric.
Cut each group apart at 2 1/2" intervals. You should have 3 rows from each heart fabric.Sew each row to the reserved strip of matching heart fabric and trim it even with the two patch segment. Press toward the darkm fabric. Arrange the heart and background blocks; use the edge and corner triangles to fill in the edges and corners. Trim corners and edges of quilt as described. Attach borders as you wish.