Don't let the difficulties of the present moments overshadow the reality of God's promises. God's promises still stand. And God's promises are stronger than our failures.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

It's For The Birds!


I wish I had the talent that we see on Madame Samm's blog - she has such beautiful photos of birds that I just sit in awe.  But since I don't I'll just tell you that here on the lake where I live we see lots of beautiful ones.  There are all the ordinary everyday ones like robins, blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, hummingbirds, wrens, blackbirds, etc.  But we have a few that you might not see as often - we have a type of heron that visits regularly as well as seagulls, owls and on rare occasions, an eagle has visited us.  We have lots of ducks and geese and a couple of wood ducks who raise babies here every spring.

My mother was the bird lover in our family.  She must have kept a dozen bird feeders at her house and even in her last days when she was very ill she reminded us to keep food in the bird feeders.  Sometimes a bird will land on my window and I always think of mother!


For my first project I embroidered "Mother's Favorites" and the  names of some of her favorite birds on a Kona cotton and then alternated them with birds cut from one of the panels from this fabric line.  I just couldn't let this fabric go by without acknowledging her love for birds.  The first border is a simple black, and the second is also part of this fabric line.  I made the binding from one of the tree panels.


 My yard certainly didn't look very spring like when I took these a couple of weeks ago!


But things are beginning to get a little greener, all those leaves have been blown away, the crocus and hyacinths are up and the azaleas in the background have the promise of buds on them!


For my second project I fussy cut my favorite birdhouses from a second panel, bordered them in black, and did some simple free motion quilting around them.



The sun kept going in and out of the clouds the day I was taking this photo, making for some interesting shadows.



The day I was taking these photos that little bit of green was all the green I had in my yard!

When I finished these two projects I still had a bit of fabric left so I made a market style bag to put them in - I plan to gift these to a special someone for her birthday.  The market bag makes a wonderful gift bag!


I used this adorable print for the outside and left it simple because I didn't want to cover up any of the birdhouses.


I used a tree panel for the lining, and added a ring for keys as well as....


two fussy cut birdhouses for the pockets.


Don't you love this one with his little tail feathers sticking out the door!  :)

This was great fabric and I loved working with it.  But greater than the fabric was working with Lana from It Seams To Be Sew!  Lana was so organized and always timely with reminders and lists - exactly what I needed.  So thanks to her and to Madame Samm for always encouraging us to do more, be more than we thought we could.

Be sure and visit the other bloggers today and for the next two days!

Thursday, March 19

Friday, March 20

Monday, March 23

58 comments:

Lana said...

SPEECHLESS.
Your quilt with the embroidery, the bag, the runner...all those DETAILS...
This is absolutely STUNNING. EVERYTHING. STUNNING. So glad you joined the group...you INSPIRE me GREATLY!!!!

Carla said...

Oh, Marlene, you are always so clever with your projects and these are no exception.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous! Love all the birdie projects!

Sparky said...

you really created tweet projects, each one as pretty as the next. love the runner.

Judy B said...

Super projects! The market bag is my favorite. Thank you for sharing.

Anita said...

Great looking projects! I especially like the market bag. Thanks for sharing.

Teatime Creations said...

What a wonderful quilt you have created with special memories of your mother.The runner with black bordering the bird houses is so elegant. Lovely stitching.

Carolina said...

WOW! It's wonderful!Carolina

Baa. xxx said...

Beautiful quilt and love the runner with the black trim. The fussy cutting on the market bag is great.

Brigitte said...

Absolutely gorgeous, your quilt, the tabel runner and the market bag. All these beautiful bird fabrics are such a delight to look at.

Vickie said...

Marlene, your work is wonderful, I love the idea of embroidering the names of the birds on the quilt. My post was a tribute to my Mother too....hugs and smiles sweet lady!

Debby said...

All 3 projects are lovely. How nice to remember your mom with the embroidery of names of her favorite birds. We are beginning to see just a little bit of green here in the northeast and it's a delight! Thanks for sharing all your tweet birdy things today.

Elizabeth Coughlin said...

I love how you used all the panels on your projects, and the pieces all turned out so lovely!

Dorian said...

What beautiful projects Marlene. Both simple and elegant. You did a wonderful job on them all.

charlotte said...

Wonderful projects. That is really some pretty fabric and it really makes your projects special. Love the tote.

Irene said...

oh che lavori stupendi!

Jeanie said...

Awe...your Mom would have loved the birdie quilt. There really are no ordinary birds, are there? Your runner is lovely and there is a very lucky someone out there that it going to swoon over that market bag. Great projects!

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

what lovely work Marlene....Your quilt is done up so nicely, and I just adore the runner.....then the bag!!! great job!!!!

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Marlene all of your projects are wonderful especially that beautiful quilt! Thanks for sharing!

Kate said...

Beautiful projects, Marlene!

Robin in Virginia said...

What gorgeous projects you created! Maybe I missed it, but where can one get the lovely bird fabrics you used.

Thank you for sharing your creativeness with us!

Robin in Virginia

Vickie said...

What great projects! And to be reminded of your mom too. :)
Love that last picture.

SuperMomNoCape said...

All your projects are so lovely!

Carol Swift said...

Bordering the birds in black on the runner made your fussy cutting look amazing...love it! The addition of the type of birds in each block was a great idea and made that quilt even more beautiful. Your bag is perfect and so pretty in that fabric! You totally blow me away with all your creativity and quiltie talent.

Needled Mom said...

I LOVE what you did with the bird panel, Marlene. The embroidery looks so nice in the blocks and the quilt came out perfectly. I also love the runner. I may have to give that a try. ;-)

You will be the talk of the shop with your great market bag. That's a great idea.

Calicojoan said...

Beautiful quilt that is quite a tribute to your mom's love of the birds! I know she has to be smiling down on you. I love the white table runner. Nothing is more spring like, than a nice crisp white fabric, and WOW does it make those birdhouses pop! Great job!

Linda said...

Your quilt is beautiful and I love the idea of embroidering the bird names on the white blocks!
Your quilted panel is lovely! What pretty quilting you did!
Your bag is wonderful! What great uses for the fabric!

ChitterChatterDesigns said...

Marlene, Your projects are just beautiful. The extra embroidered touch to the bird quilt is my favorite one in this hop, very pretty. What a nice reminder of your mother. This fabric is so colorful and fun, I am thrilled to see all the pretty things you made, the bag is just a beauty. So nice to have visited you today. Hugs, ~Cori

Terri Ann @ ChildlikeFascination.com said...

My my how ambitious you were. You made so many lovely items from this fabric line and all so different and wonderful! I really like that quilt with the bird and words on it, makes me smile!

Corrie said...

They are all so lovely. Well done!

Little Penpen said...

I love your projects. The sweet quilt to remind you of your mom is just perfect, and the table runner is adorable, and then a bag to put it all together?? what a sweet gift for someone special. I am drinking coffee and enjoying my morning, by hopping around your blog and all its links!

Quiltsmiles said...

Your projects are beautiful, well thought out and really very nice. Kudos to you and Thanks for sharing. I also like that St. Patrick's counted cross stitch you finished with the 2 bluebirds on it. Sweet!

Marian said...

Wow, I'm amazed you got so much done. I'm lucky to get a project every few months even close to completion... Congrats, I love them all.

Quilt Doodle Designs said...

Love all of your projects, beautifully done!

Michaele said...

I am always in awe of your work. I would love to carry that shopping bag! You have some awesome visitors to your window for inspiration.

Mary Ann said...

Lovely projects. I think I like the market bag best. Because you just let the fabric do the work. It's gorgeous. Thank you for sharing.

Lovelli Quilts said...

Beautiful quilt and photos!! You really made a wonderful tribute to your mom.

Createology said...

Such a lovely tribute to your mom and her love of birds. The black borders really make the birds and houses stand out and look amazing. Thank you sew very much for Tree Bird Hopping and participating. Creative Bird Bliss...

Patty said...

what wonderful projects!

Jane's Quilting said...

Beautiful projcts! I especially like the birdhouses and what you did with them..

Renee said...

Your quilt is just GORGEOUS! And it is so incredibly sweet. The table runner is lovely. And your market bag is fabulous - what a great gift. I absolutely love all 3 of your projects. Beautiful work!

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

Marlene your projects are gorgeous as always.

tink's mom said...

Love the runner. The black and white are great frame. Also love the quilt. Market bag is a great idea. Might need to go and rethink my left over fabric.

Janarama said...

Wonderful projects. What a great tribute to your mom.

Thearica said...

The quilt with embroidery is adorable.. and the table runner is really pretty!

Barbi said...

I love everything about this post! The fabric, the projects, everything. I think of my dad when a bird lands on my patio. :)

Kathy said...

WOW! These are truly awesome projects! Great work. ☺

Mary said...

Marlene, You have dona a wonderful job on your "bird" projects. I love them. The table runner is super. Thank you for sharing.

Amy said...

Marlene,
You have just beautiful birdie projects. I love the quilt with all the names on it. Sew cute. Always enjoy seeing what you create.

Lesley said...

What a beautiful tribute to your mom and her love of birds. Love how you added the embroidery to share her favorites. Your runner and that great market bag really show off those great fabrics. Well done!

BarbCarol said...

Another emergency with Ma...moving her into a senior apartment...has put me way behind here. Thank goodness my blog was on the first day.
All your projects are great, of course. Wish I were as confident
and competent with my free motion quilting.

LJ said...

Thanks for sharing that last picture; I had not noticed that birdie hanging out!! The quilt is such a nice tribute to your mom and I love that you added the embroidered names, too. The table runner and the bag is lovely, too; you have been busy!

♥Duff said...

how nice that you don't have to wait for a bird to land anymore--you will think of Mom whenever you see your projects! Heartwarming and beautiful!!

Ella and Nesta said...

Your projects are beautiful! The market bag is great. I am in love with those pockets!

Leah said...

Beautiful work. Love the tote and all the details. Fantastic projects all of them.

sandra said...

Hi Marlene as usual all of your projects are so beautiful and creative I love all of them. Blessings Sandra

Tricia said...

Marlene OMG!!! Not only are your birdie items to die for (as they should)They will be a great gift for your friend. It is nice to find another quilter who love to combine quilting and stitchery! Thank you show us all your lovely pictures too!!

Tricia

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

Oh wow! I love them all. The bag is wonderful. I think I'm a secret bag lady. hee,hee,hee. Sorry for my delay on getting here. Life/work is cutting into my play time! Poo!
Hugs to you dear friend.
xx