hello birdie

I really felt like I needed a finish.  Desperately!  So I've decided to make something quick.  A birdie!

Looks simple enough, right?

A bit of applique.  My technique is a bit different.  I ironed freezer paper templates on to charm squares, then basted a quarter-inch seam allowance down, then appliqued the shape on to the background fabric, but just before I finished applique-ing each shape down, I loosened the freezer paper and pulled it out.  Then I finished the applique using the needleturn technique.

Looking good so far, right?

Wrong!  Then disaster struck!

As I was cutting the shape of the bird out, I accidentally cut into the bird!  I was just absent-mindedly following the outline of the applique, and found myself chopping into her hind quarter!

So I did this...(by hand)

And it actually doesn't look too bad on the front.

This is a picture of the front, un-ironed.

Since then, I've added a decorative blanket stitch to the border of each "feather" on her wing with Perle cotton no. 8.  And I've decided to make a quilt (tiny) instead of a cushion.  And I'm hand quilting it.  And it's going to be quite heavily quilting.

More pics to follow soon.

So much for a quick finish!!!!