Winter is for the Birds

February is National Bird Feeding Month
Established by Congress in 1994 to bring attention to the plight of wild birds, National Bird Feeding Month is celebrated each February, typically one of the harshest months of the year. It’s estimated that one in three American households feeds wild birds in their yard. It’s a great way to maintain a connection with nature and reap the benefits of stress-relief and enjoyment from something as simple as putting out food for birds.

A surprise package was certainly a pick-me-up from this LONG winter. Someone remembered I was trying to get this book and every time I placed an order - it was out of stock. Thank you Kris (The Quilting Garden). I just want to make every one of these quilts! I'm doing the happy dance - well, something similar.

Someone asked me to post a photo of my version of the Alpine Quilt Group BOM quilt I had done. I really changed my tastes thru this one from the pastel florals in the center to the bolder colors on white. It really needs something to bring it all together - probably why it sits. I changed it up quiet a bit and stopped half way thru - keeping it more balanced (her's was too long and very narrow). I have saved the other steps as they would make another great quilt.

SQUARED UP

I was surprised when the next block for the 'BlockaPalooza' quilt along was the same as what I had made the tutorial for. ESP, fate, coincidence? Although they had all their little squares a mix of fabrics - I chose to keep it simple so the large squares of mocha/peach print fabric would stand out.

Melissa over at Happy Quilting (see button on side) is having a quilt along using charms. Has nicely made charting for several sizes and has a great tutorial with lots of photos to help the beginner with this project. There is still time to join in the fun. As you can see, the scrappy side of me came out and I am using charms I cut from my green scrap bin which is overflowing - just calling "use me".

This quilt is on it's way to a new home, needed a photo before it is gone. Just to show another way to use those precious little squares. I made a similar one of these (someone who had purchased a kit and had trouble getting the sashing to line up) and then started saving scrap oriental fabrics for my own project. Seeing this, I think I need to check my oriental bin - maybe a small project as I don't have a lot of these fabrics.



As I work on several projects, hand quilt, and stitch away on that cross stitch - I am saving all my threads, snippets, and noodles. Not for the 'throw out' catcher, but I saw on another blog (sorry forgot to write it down to give credit) where she puts these out for the birds as nesting material. I love to bird watch with my grandson - he has his own little binoculars. This will be fun to put out the 'quilty' nesting materials with him and then later look for any color snippets/noodles that the birds have tucked in their little homes. So why winter has been for the birds, I look forward to adding to their joy in feeding them and providing them with some colorful home making materials.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon