Bird's Nest Soup

 My summer applique project is now in full swing. Most people call this style of applique “tile”, but here in New England (or at least in Maine) we call it “stonewall”. I prefer that name anyway since they are among my favorite things. You will never get lost in the woods if you simply follow a stonewall. 

 There will be a bird in the center of each 9” block surrounded by random bits of delicious fabrics. I have tried to stay with reproductions from before 1850 to give it an early feel. I am also trying not to use the same fabric twice so I may have to break my pre1850 rule. I am having a ball grabbing fabrics and simply chopping them into weird shapes and stitching them down. So satisfying!

 This one just begged for me to use the potholder method. When I went to layer my first block for quilting, I discovered that I had mismeasured. Yup – the very first block measures 9” x 9 ½”!

I could have remedied that by simply taking off the corner circles on that one side. However, I am cutting the backs out and placing a tiny bit of batting behind each one (just the corner circles, not the other applique shapes) to make them “pop” a bit more. 

Of course I had already cut out the back out of these so... into the “orphan block” box it goes!

 The next block was perfectly square! I’m using toiles for the back of each block. This is one of my favorites from my friend Judy Roche (and Corinne Kramer). I just adore it. 

 I’m going to call it “Bird’s Nest Soup”, which fits my method of using some reference to cooking when naming my potholder quilts.

 Hope you are getting lots of fun sewing in too.