Bird-Brained Blocks

This is the latest group quilt made by my friends in Beyond the Borders (BTB), a local Art Quilt group affiliated with the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston (QGGH). 

Bird Brained Blocks

Our original challenge was to create a small 8" x 10" quilt (no larger and no smaller) with a whimsical bird theme.  Additional parameters were to use "Honeysuckle" (declared the 'color' of the year - as of last spring) and to use silk (preferably raw or dupioni).  Five quilts were gathered to create our finished quilt "Bird-Brained Blocks".  The five bird quilts were made by Elaine Connelly (our current BTB leader), Jo Sweet (the longest participating member of BTB), Janice McKeehan (who made two quilts for this challenge) and myself.  We were quite tickled and honored to win a 2nd place ribbon in the Art Quilt category at our guild's 2011 Quilt Show, "A Quilt's Odyssey".

I confess, I was surprised to find myself making another variation of my oft-repeated Big Foot theme.  My piece is the flamigo curiously peering at the egg that is cracking open to reveal a new member of the family.  Click here to see a few of my earlier Big Foot pieces.

Two other bird-brained quilts were in the Quilt Odyssey show as solo entries.  Liz Broussard  named her quilt "I'm Ready for My Closeup, Mr. deMille".  She used snow-dyed silk as a backdrop for a henna inspired design.  Inktense pencils, crayons and acrylic paint were also used.

I'm Ready for My Closeup, Mr. deMille

Barbara Jensen made "Tripped by the Tulle, a Ballerina's Fall".  Her original piece was inspired by the movie "The Black Swan".  She had fun adding detail elements to her prima donna ballerina -- such as her false eyelashes, her fancy tulle and her glamorous hot-fix crystals.

Tripped by the Tulle - A Ballerina's Fall

Barbara won a 2nd place ribbon in the miniature quilt category for her birdie quilt!  Go Barbara!