Category Archives: birds

Like a Singing Bird!

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Every time I create a bird quilt I think of how wonderful and peculiar and entertaining birds are. They sing, they dance, they perform aerial stunts. They should appear on Broadway!

And every time I make a bird quilt I think of the poet Christina Rossetti who said, “My heart is like a singing bird.” It’s true, birds are uplifting (get it?) creatures that give us joy.

So why not add a bird quilt to your collection or give one as a gift to someone who gives you joy?

Take, for example, Chicken Little. Here he is strutting his stuff and waiting for the sky to fall.

Not to worry. He’s wearing goggles for eye protection.

You can see my current collection of bird quilts for sale here.

The Gift of Birds for You

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I’m a bird lover. They are delightful to watch and so cheerful to have in my garden with their colorful feathers and busy lives. And I want you to enjoy them as much as I do!

So from now until the end of December I’m giving away these jolly fellows. Receive a free bird ornament like these on orders of $20 or more when purchasing from the Artfabrik store.

Or, you could make your own bird ornament. I call them New Birds from Old Favorites and your can see the directions on how to make your bird here. In any case, enjoy your bird!

Dyeing Silk Fabrics

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I’ll Fly Away #4 (detail) by Laura Wasilowski

Lately, I’ve been dyeing silk fabrics for my bird series, I’ll Fly Away. The designs are made with free-cut shapes that are fused into place using Misty Fuse and then ironed to wool batting. I love the ease of stitching through silk and the fact that it is tightly woven so the edges don’t fray. But mostly I love the glow of silk fabric. It has a special warmth.

Silk yardage is hard to come so I search out silk scarves and skirts and dresses at resale shops. My favorite finds are large skirt fabrics with few seams and some patterning. Overdyeing the fabrics in a variety of colors gives me more colors from which to choose. These fabrics are my latest find. And I can’t wait to start another I’ll Fly Away quilt with them.