Winter Reds Handmade Quilt

Winter Reds Handmade Quilt was shared at the fall Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild show in Rolla.

Winter Reds Handmade Quilt

If there is one bird that should be the Christmas bird I nominate Missouri's red native cardinal. I have a couple of pairs that live in my garden, visiting the bird feeders at dusk to enjoy a dinner of sunflower seeds. In winter, the bright red of the male cardinals stand out against snow, their color even brighter by contrast.

This handmade quilt called "Winter Reds" reminded me of bird-watching from my living room window during winter. The small quilt was among a number of entries in the Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild's fall 2017 show in Rolla, Missouri.

The quilter, Joyce Darr, has done a nice job of melding several different kinds of printed cotton fabrics with cardinals on them in the overall design. The darker panels contrast against the ones with a snowy white background.

Closer look at the beauty of the printed cotton panels in this charming handmade quilt.

Beautiful machine quilting adds a snowy feeling to the white fabric surrounding the center quilt block. Sometimes the quilting can compete with the quilt design but in this case, it adds to the overall feel of the design, as if snow has fallen around the red birds.

Every quilt has a story and this is the story that was posted with Winter Reds Handmade Quilt.

There is snow in our weekend forecast, a promise that we may have a white Christmas, or at least Christmas Eve, this year. I will look forward to watching my bird feeders to see if any of these lovely red birds make an appearance.

There is a charming Ozark legend that red birds appearing are visitations from a loved one. Native American Indians attributed many special attributes to Cardinals and a quick search on Red Cardinals shows that these lovely birds have held a colorful history in many cultures.

I just like them simply in this handmade quilt, a reminder of the beauty of red against white.

Merry Christmas!

Charlotte

Birds in Flowers Handmade Quilt

Birds in Flowers handmade quilt has two of my all-time favorite garden elements.

Birds in Flowers Handmade Quilt

People fall in love with handmade quilts for a lot of reasons. I have always been particularly fond of applique ones, especially floral ones. When I came across this handmade quilt with both flowers and birds in applique, it was a winning combination.

When looking at possible handmade quilts, I can often find handmade quilts with applique flowers or applique birds but infrequently the two of them together.

This brand new, imported Birds in Flowers Handmade Quilt has a sweet combination of applique and embroidery that suggests a summer day in my garden.

This Birds in Flowers Handmade Quilt block reminds me of chickadees on morning glories.

In between blocks with applique birds, there are blocks with applique flowers with the same detailed handiwork.

I also like the pop of color with the multi-colored cotton fabrics in applique flower designs.

A pop of yellow brightens Birds in Flowers Handmade Quilt in between blocks with birds.

The green ribbons that separate the handmade quilt blocks also help frame each of the quilt blocks without making it too rigid.

Red trumpet vines welcome a bluebird in this Birds in Flowers Handmade Quilt block.

Birds in Flowers Handmade quilt has polyfill so this has a nice summer weight to it. Such a pretty way to bring a garden into any bedroom!

Charlotte

Midnight Blooms Quilted Wall Hanging

Midnight Blooms Quilted Wall Hanging at Piece and Plenty's 2005 Quilt Festival in Rolla, Mo.

Midnight Blooms Quilted Wall Hanging

I get a lot of inspiration from my garden. I also enjoy visiting quilt shows to see what other artists are making. The bi-annual Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild show in my hometown is a delight and one that lets me see what friends do with their fabric stashes.

This was one of my favorite small wall hangings, Midnight Blooms Quilted Wall Hanging. Quilts make wonderful wall art and this little gem would be a focal point in any room.

The color, red, is a personal favorite. Some quilters tell me they are afraid of that bold color but I love it, it not only easily adds an accent to a quilt but becomes a beautiful stage for detailed applique work.

Love the descriptions with each of the quilts at the Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild 2015 show.

Picking the right fabric tones is an art form all on its own. I have seen too many beautifully-made quilts with poor fabric choices but this is not one of them. The red fabrics are just the right combination of reds, complimentary to each other without competing.

The marbled border fabric has some yellow, which is nicely reflected in the other red fabrics used in the center block.

In addition to the color, the applique birds and branches remind me of the trees surrounding my house. Also busy with feathered visitors, this handmade quilted wall hanging nicely captures the summer joy I hear in my garden.

The other major factor in this quilt is the quilting, beautiful details, you can see it in the cream white background close to the birds and branches.

Midnight Blooms Quilted Wall Hanging received special recognition for the beautiful work.

Others apparently thought this was a special work, too, it won 3rd Place in the Special Exhibit category.

Aren't those ribbons special? They were made out of felt and what a charming idea to make the top into a dahlia-looking flower. 

Nice job, Alyce and Lee!

Charlotte