Friday, April 4, 2014

Blue Bird Quilt Challenge!!

 Here is the quilt that I designed for Em's Bluebird challenge.  I just loved making this quilt, from beginning to end!  First of all, a big thanks to Em, at Em's Scrap Bag.  Please see her blog here...and see what everyone else has been up to, making special projects from their own flour sack.  Em was generous enough to give each participant their own flour sack from her personal collection, and we were off to the races!!  I draped mine across the roll top desk and thought about it for a few days...and then I began.
 I wanted the center of the quilt to be a Mariner's compass star, with the pretty blue bird part of the flour sack in the center.  I worked and worked to try and piece it...disaster, peeps...really, not pretty at all.  So......
 I designed the block again and appliqued the star points into place!!  Now that I could do, LOL!!  It was great fun after that...
 Another view of the star center.  I just love those blues in our flour sack...thank you, Em!!  I hand appliqued and hand quilted the entire quilt.  I quilted around the bird and main parts of the background...
 then added the little circles in the border, blanket stitching them into place.
 I hand quilted the whole thing, in a one inch grid.  That was so much fun!!  I marked the quilt with the blue marking pen...and it almost all came out, LOL!!  I will have to think about that before using it again.
More on the hand quilting, so you can see the detail.  I used a very thin batting, so I could take tiny stitches.  I loved, loved, loved making this quilt!!  It truly was so much fun, and I have the quilt hanging in the foyer now.  Hubby likes it too!  so win, win!!!  This quilt means a lot to me, for I was born very close to where the Bluebird flour company is in Colorado.



Thank you again, Em, for this fun challenge!


Julie

32 comments:

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

I love the very thin battings ... helps with stitch sizes and it gives what I think is a more old-timey look to the quilt, which I like. And which I think is so appropriate for your flour sack quilt. ;-) Which is, by the way, GORGEOUS!!!! Well done!

Cathy said...

Julie your challenge quilt is beautiful. Mine pales in comparison. Hugs

Michele Bilyeu said...

I have an elderly friend, a woman who lost her son, and her daughter, and her granddaughter...dear, dear people all of them in my life, who adores bluebirds. I look at this quilt and I think I see why. You caught his/her? essence. Little radiant beings that they are! For some reason, they have not visited our abundant feeders. Maybe this year!

hetty said...

Beautiful challenge quilt, Julie! Love everything about it, the pattern, the applique and the quilting! Well done!

regan said...

It's lovely! And your handwork is beautiful!

Nancy said...

Excellent job!

Kathleen said...

If you sprayed your quilt with a water bottle to get out the blue, try a soak. I find that a true immersion soak is the only way to get out all the blue... but it always works for me. Good luck.It's really lovely

Janet O. said...

Stunning, Julie!! The whole quilt glows! You did an amazing job!
Before I started using the blue pens I had read that you should be prepared to soak the quilt, not just spray it, to get out all the blue. I find it works pretty well to just spray it until it is soaked! : ) If some faint blue remains after drying I just give it a good spraying again in those areas. It does all come out.

Sandy said...

Or... have you ever tried using a hera? Its a plastic tool that puts a dent in the fabric, rather than a superficial mark such as pencil or your blue marker. It works best on solids.

Kim said...

Sweet! You are a very talented quilter Julie!

Happy Sewing and I love the scrappy melons in a full sized quilt....what don't you like?

Kim said...

Sweet! You are a very talented quilter Julie!

Happy Sewing and I love the scrappy melons in a full sized quilt....what don't you like?

em's scrapbag said...

Love what you did. You should encourage your viewers to come vote. Good luck!

Donna Keating said...

Such a beautiful representation of spring. Love wild birds!

Lois Arnold said...

What a sweet quilt! Love it!

Ruth said...

Your quilt is wonderful! You did a great job designing it and stitching it.

Michelle said...

Beautiful...what a treasure you have there!

Needled Mom said...

It came out beautifully. The colors are wonderful.

Leanne said...

It's lovely you gotta love a quilt with a bird on it. It is so bright and cheery no wonder you love it.

Karendianne said...

Oh friend, this is really well done. Just love seeing the variety of your skills at work and on display. You're such a fun quilter!!!

Chantal said...

I love what you did! Soooo beautiful and the colors are just perfect. How big is it? You did a wonderful job (as always, I might add) and I love all your stitches. Also, I am SO glad you were able to rescue your GOOOOORRRRRGEOUS pink applique quilt. What a disaster that would have been after all the time spent putting it together. I am so happy for you.
Thanks for sharing. ;^)

Leeanne said...

L*O*V*E!!! Very clever lass!

Karen said...

Well done points. The colors are oh so good.

audrey said...

Your Blue Bird quilt looks wonderful! LOVE The border.:)

Lesley said...

This is gorgeous! You did a wonderful job!

Chookyblue...... said...

Wow.... That looks great.....

Diane said...

Yours is my favorite! The border is really special, great job.

Millie said...

Julie your challenge quilt is beautiful. I love your colors, perfect for spring.

Helen in the UK said...

Great job! Your design really compliments the Blue Bird motif :)

Linda O said...

Wow, Julie, what a beauty!! Well done!

Unknown said...

How do you get the dye to set? After a few washings it fades.

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