Friday 22 December 2017

Yellow Birds done and dusted

Piecing is not going my way still - my hsts have acquired an unruly curve (I don't mind a bit of wonk but somehow I've gone way past that) and after a couple of hours arguing with them I have decided to acknowledge defeat, for now.  When time is short, stressful sewing doesn't seem like the best way to go, so I shall come back to it after Christmas.

On the bright side though, I have finished my Yellow Birds.




This is the first quilt where I started with a bundle of shirts and pulled fabrics from stash to go with them.  As a reminder, here's the original pile of shirts.


Added in were the yellow bird fabric, which I'm pretty sure was Joel Dewberry, some grunge, and other bits and pieces from stash. The back, which for the first time ever is just one big piece of fabric, is a sheet.


The wadding is Sew Simple Supersoft Eco Blend, which is 70/30 recycled cotton and recycled polyester and it was quilted using perle 8, in a variety of shades - none bought specifically for this project; I just used what I had already.

I started piecing on 31st August 2016 and finished on 24th February 2017.  Quilting started on 20th October, finished 21st December 2017.  The last couple of years I've been trying to finish a quilt in December but not quite made it; this year I'm home with room to spare.

A reminder that AHIQ will run next week, despite the fact that it goes live on Boxing Day - maybe some of us will need a little quilty pause in the midst of the mayhem (or is the mayhem just us?) If, like me, you don't have much actual sewing to show for the last few weeks, do feel free to link up any review of the year/plans for 2018 posts.

20 comments:

patty a. said...

Congratulations on another finish! The quilt is so pretty and happy! Don't worry about your HSTs going their own way. Maybe a dart here and there will straighten them out. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Julierose said...

Those yellow birds are just lovely--what a super finish...congratulations on a beautiful quilt hugs, Julierose

Cheryl said...

Love the yellow birds! And the entire concept of reuse and using what you have makes for an interesting challenge. Because of you I have been hoarding some of the hubby's old shirts for use. Happy holidays!

Monica said...

This is really lovely, Kaja. I keep studying it to try to absorb how it all works... Ack, more ideas! Ok, well seriously, it's a great finish, and have a great holiday too!

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

This one is bright and cheerful; just the ticket for working on or being under in the winter. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and that those HSTs work out to making more sense after the holiday for you.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this brilliant finish, just what was needed at solstice, to warm the winter woods with sunshine. The general mayhem of the season has combined with the ongoing busy-ness of this past year, and I have not been productive in the studio lately, and have neglected the blog for about six months now. I am looking forward to Boxing Day and Beyond, to resume my quilting and communicating. Christmas Joy and Peace to all.

Ann said...

What a lovely finish for the winter solstice. A great reminder of spring to come. You perfectly combined fussy cutting with piecing. I'd forgotten you pulled old shirts to start this quilt and then combined them with stash. Exactly what I did with Chinese Coins V. I was channeling you. Thanks.

Janie said...

Beautiful finish Kaja.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!

Quilter Kathy said...

What a fun blog post! It was so interesting to see the original shirts that inspired the start of the quilt.
Such a fun, vibrant, high energy quilt!
Congrats on a terrific finish!

France Nadeau ❅ inspiration imagination creation said...

So gorgeous! I love the birds and the sun rays.
Merry Christmas!

Kathleen said...

Beautiful! Something to consider - I hold my rotary cutter in such a way (and can't seem to correct it) where I end up wearing out the edge of my rulers right in the middle of the length of them, causing my cuts to become slightly curved. Could that be your issue? You might be lining up the slight curve in the seam when you sew the pieces together.

KrisR said...

Another gorgeous piece of art! I simply love your style.

LA Paylor said...

oh my gosh it's stunning. Love the yellow!!!

Mystic Quilter said...

Beautiful finish and so interesting to look back at the bundle of fabrics you started with.

Mary Marcotte said...

You probably know how much I love this quilt. It's got so much energy and movement. And those sweet little birds! I didn't know about your December dreams for a finished quilt, but you made it and it's fabulous! (That's a pretty good gift to give yourself.)
Have a wonderful Christmas!

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

This is one of my all time favorite quilts!

Lynette said...

Kaja! I ****love**** your Yellow Birds!!!! Birds are a hit to start with for me, but this is so cheery, dynamic, and heart-real.Merry Christmas to you. (Boxing Day is a bustling time? I'm a clueless American with not reference for your comments. It sounds like we've been missing out on something neat.)

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Congratulations on a beautiful finish! Don't know how I missed this post. Good for you got getting it done by the end of the year. Love the photo with the folded up quilt.

Soma @ inkTorrents.com said...

Fabulous, Kaja! I love this quilt and the grey binding is beautiful and perfect.

-Soma

Sandy Panagos said...

What a great finish. It's so fun to see how this quilt came together and how you so effectively turned the old shirts into something beautiful.