For The Birds or the Fun!

Finding time to make projects from our bucket list isn't always easy!  My list is much like every other persons, long and always getting longer!  As much as I'd like to make every single project on that list, realistically it isn't possible.  In the end I tackle small projects that take hours instead of days to make.  

With a bit of time on hand I seized the moment and made a few Mini Mini quilts!  It satisfied my urge!  At least for the time being!

First up is this amazing Hummingbird Mini!

SUGAR BABY
8" X 8 1/2"

I love hummingbirds!  Nicole Young @lilllyella designs amazing paper pieced patterns!  When I saw this one I knew one day I was going to make it!  'Sugar Baby' is one of Nicole's free patterns available here: Sugar Baby!  

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is probably the first one we think of when talking hummers!  The iconic iridescent red throat and emerald green body is always a beautiful sight to see.  



The block was not terribly difficult to piece which made me happy!  It took a couple hours to piece the block together with not one single mistake until I was putting the sections together!  That was human error and not anything to do with the pattern!



The crowning moment for me was the wing!  I picked the gray fabric the night before, but knew I needed daylight to make sure the gradation was going to be perfect before I began making it.  I couldn't have been any more excited and happy at how it turned out!  It makes me want to drool!

I kept the quilting super simple by stitching around the bird and adding lines radiating out.  I wasn't going to take a chance ruining the bird with unnecessary quilting!

I made this mini for my Mom who loves hummingbirds!  She loves to watch hummers, and now she has one that isn't going south for the winter!

As promised in my previous post:  Rubber Ducky, I made a couple mini rubber duckies!  You knew I would! 

RUBBER DUCKY MINIS
5" x 5"

  I took the existing pattern and reduced it by 50%, so what was a 10" block became a 5" block.  The hardest most tedious part were the eyes!  Yikes!  Even on the large duck the eye was difficult!



The first one I made was this little black duck.  He kind of reminds me of a Loon from Minnesota!  I don't have a lot of prints that are black, so when I saw Sprinkles from 
Cotton + Steel I knew it would be perfect!

He's a blue eyed handsome little guy!  Simple quilting and finished with a binding of black!



Why make one when you can make two!  I choose a lime green print for the body and if you look super close at the wing you can see monkeys!  



When it came time to piece the eye I had a brilliant idea!  Why not use a dot from the 'Sprinkles' fabric for the eye?!  So, I did and he now has a glint in his eye!   If I ever make another one you can be sure it will get the same eye treatment!



From the back you can see how I quilted them.  Keeping it simple was the key!



And for now my fine feathered friends are hunkering down for the winter!

Do you have a bucket list?  Are you able to cross things off on your list?

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING ●  LINKY TUESDAY 
LETS BEE SOCIAL ● MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD  ● TGIFF 

BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIES ● FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY

Rubber Ducky :: You're The One! (or Two)

Rubber Ducky you're the one

You make bath time lots of fun

Rubber Ducky I'm awfully fond of you

(Sesame Street)

Rubber Ducky's are just plain adorable, that I think we can all agree on!  I first saw the paper pieced pattern on Instagram and then was lucky enough to win a copy from Zephyr Skies.  The pattern is available here on Craftsy: Rubber Ducky in case you are interested.

RUBBER DUCKY
17 1/2" x 12 1/2"

I couldn't wait to make the block, yet I had no idea when it would happen.  I'm kind of at that point where I just wanna play with quilting.  You know, make a few small things, try out new patterns or blocks, but I'm not ready to start something big.  So, I played.



I decided to make two ducks, one facing right and one facing left.  Picking the fabric was a mind chore!  There are so many possibilities, but I eventually settled on some lovely 
Cotton + Steel Basics and Moda Grunge.  



Adorable, right?!  The metallic in the Cotton + Steel fabric is what really tipped me over the edge.  A little bling is never a bad thing!



Toy Boat XOXO Metallic for Righty and...



Netorious Mixing Bowl Metallic for Lefty!

Both blocks went together seamlessly.  I did grab my seam ripper a few times, there is no doubt about it!  Working with solids it isn't a problem which side is right or wrong, but those darn prints...I gotta think harder!



After the ducks were finished and happily quacking away, I had to figure out the layout.  Call me crazy, but the idea of bubbles floating in the center was gnawing at me.  In the end I decided tiny hearts would be just as cute...cuter...unexpected?!  

I ended up making three paper pieced heart blocks: 1 1/2", 1" and 3/4", using three shades of pink. 

 

I offset each heart and centered them in the middle literally using every last piece of the background fabric!  Whew!  I was a bit worried towards the end!



Quilting time!  I made a 'duck sandwich' and began thinking of design possibilities.  



I quilted the wings and around each duck before I tackled the background.  I was having a horrible time free motion quilting!  The thread kept bunching up on the back.  I changed needles, reset the bobbin case and re-threaded over and over and over.  Eventually the problem was solved and I was able to finish it with a loop design.



The Rubber Ducky block is 10" and available here:  Rubber Ducky Pattern

It was such a fun project!  I'll most certainly will make more one day.  Call me crazy again... but I want to reduce the pattern and make a mini mini...you'll see...it's gonna happen! 

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING ●  LINKY TUESDAY 
LETS BEE SOCIAL ● MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD  ● TGIFF 

BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIES ● FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY