The Bird Has Landed!

Cactus Wren

This piece started out as part of the Art Quilters Around the World  March challenge - theme: In the Garden.   But I decided I could kill two birds at once!  I've posted on the AQAW blog and I'll also be mailing the quilt to Chris, member of our fiber group in Michigan, to include in her booth at the Spring Needlework Seminar at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in May.  I'm going to put four of my other bird/butterfly pieces in the exhibit as well.  Each of our fiber group are going to have some of our art work shown and for sale at the seminar.  This is a great opportunity to show how quilts are pieces of art and can be hung on the wall.  Chris has kindly offered to do all the work for us (packing, hanging, dismantling, etc. - as well as her hubby is helping!).   

This is a closeup of the piece.  I painted the background with Liquitex Inks , quilted the background, then using the Wash Away sheet again, painted the cactus, fused to my background, hand stitched the cactus, beaded the birds legs, attached the bird and added the pickers!  That's all there was to it!!

Back to the original theme - In the Garden.... I figure the desert is also a garden of sorts and I found this cactus wren on one of the free coloring pages on Google.  

I printed the coloring page of the bird onto a Wash-Away Applique sheet.  I like using this product since it's precut to fit in the printer and has fusible on the back, which I iron onto batting/fabric.  You can see that process on my blog here.  

It's always fun to 'paint with beads' and to see a piece actually finish..even with some unsewing!!  Someone suggested I bead a hummingbird...hmmmmmm  Might be a good idea...I do have a few other projects to start before another beaded piece...but you never know.  I do like having several projects started at once!  Type A, you know!