Curves and Birds

I came upon this quilt photo the other day. I made the quilt some 23 years ago using an adapted pattern from another designer (Elizabeth Carlson). The quilt is long gone and I'm tempted to remake it. I actually still have the freezer paper templates!

Curves and Birds: 15" x 15"

The reason I was thinking about it is that I'm making new samples for my Tight Knit Circles workshop. The curves are similar to my freeform ones in the pattern. Don't you just love the addition of those two birds in that green border? Ingenious, right?

I made a quilt that captures bird prints inside some curved photo corners. This pattern is almost 20 years old (2004); the quilt is a remake using some Benartex fabrics. First, what I call the "photo corners." They look like what we have in our framed photos!

Interfaced raw edge appliqué photo corners

This is how I captured the bird print using a freezer paper template:

Catching the bird inside the frame

Here is the mini quilt from 2015:

Photo Corners Birds

And one I made using Christmas fabrics 20 years ago:

Holiday Birds Quilt: 31" x 31"

Here is one of the digital images I created in 2004. I was capturing the Laurel Wreath birds inside the curves. What do you think?

Four of the 20 Laurel Wreath birds

OK. Back to that Tight Knit Circles workshop. The curves are tempting me to make this again, but this time, to stay true to the vintage inspiration: Roses of Picardy. Six circles, arranged in a hexagon assembly. But, this time, I want to keep the center as a hexagon (and not "tight knit circles" with no space between.)

Tight Knit Circles quilt: 17" x 17"

I love the curved, free-form cut borders. Right now, I'm completing the stitching of 24+ interfaced circles for another workshop sample! Very boring, but I have an idea that I want to explore and I need "stuff" to work with.

For now, I'll just enjoy the beauty of the early morning birds singing their lungs out because Spring has arrived!