How to Quilt a Silly Bird Tutorial

April 24, 2018

Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori KennedyGood Morning, Quilters!

What a difference a week makes!  Last weekend, we endured a blizzard that dropped 16 inches of snow and yesterday it was 70 and sunny!

The birds are chirping–heck, I’m chirping!!  Woo hoo!  Tweet-tweet!

Let’s quilt a Silly Bird to celebrate Spring!

DOODLE FIRST

Follow along with a pen and notebook. Doodle each step shown here,  then add your own variations to create YOUR Silly Bird.

THE SILLY BIRD MACHINE QUILTING TUTORIAL

Start by stitching the foot, and then add a straight line leg.

Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori Kennedy

Add a large oval.

Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori Kennedy

Stitch three semi-circles.

Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori Kennedy

Add a triangle-ish shape to create the tail feathers.

Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori Kennedy

Closely echo stitch to the top of the oval.  Use slow stitching technique to create a curved line with small eyelashes.  For a simpler eye, add a spiral.

Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori Kennedy

 

Add a few head feathers for embellishment.

Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori Kennedy

Closely echo stitch the from of the oval then add a small triangle beak.

Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori Kennedy

 

Add decorative elements to the body.

Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori Kennedy

Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori KennedyEmbellish the tail and then complete the bird by adding another leg.Silly Bird, Machine Quilting, Lori Kennedy

How silly is that?

This is a great bird formula (I was going to say “recipe“–but that seemed disrespectful?!)

Use it to create variations by changing the length of the legs, the shape of the body and the embellishments to create YOUR own Silly Bird!

Tweet-tweet!

Be sure to check out Jennifer Thomas of Curlicue Creations on the Spring Clean Blog Hop today!

 

Signed,

Skylark Lori (or perhaps, more fitting-Lori the Loon!?)

PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only.  Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt.  For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com.  Thanks!

More Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3

 

 

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19 comments

  • HollyAnnW

    It’s been a long, cold spring here, too. Rain followed by snow a few nights ago. But being in a drought here in NW SD, any moisture we get this time of year is welcome. A banner of birds at the top of your blog page would surely be a most welcome harbinger of spring.

  • Gypsybaker

    I love your sense of humor…and, after all, the loon is the MN state bird. Although
    when I lived in MN, we called the mosquito the state bird. Your blog is so logically
    written, it makes me believe I can do this!

  • Thank you Lori! Your clear, step-by-step directions make this so simple to do. I am only doodling at this point. I am between my winter abode and my home base. The sewing machine is packed up till fall, but i will take this birdee back home with me and stitch her out on my Bernina when i get there! I will also be receiving my copies of your two books when I collect my held mail. Looking forward to that for sure!

  • Janet Licari

    Your bird is so adorable! I also had to laugh at your comments…Lori the Loon? I like Skylark and formula is better 😉 Thanks for the inspiration and hope your snow is melting!

  • Teri Coha

    Can’t wait to try making some birds. I as a picture of birds doing yoga that I might try to quilt.

  • Thank you for the mention! Love your Silly Bird tutorial ~ it’s adorable. Have a fabulous day!

  • Joy Loesch

    I love your silly bird design. It looks like one could have a lot of fun with that!

  • I love your birds the best! Especially cute, silly ones like this little guy. Thanks, Lori.

  • Becky Shaffer

    What a cute silly bird. I love how you break down all of the steps for us. I can’t wait to use it. We had a lovely weekend, now rain. Ugh! Our trees are just starting to bloom. I hope the rain doesn’t knock all of the blossoms off.

  • Dottie K

    Silly bird is adorable! Just love it. TIA

  • Pat Knight

    love this loony Bird. plan to use it on a baby quilt. thanks

  • Marta

    A real cutie pie !

  • Patty Adams

    As much as I love your tutorials and the oftentimes whimsical objects, I love your keen sense of humor more! Your signature today “or perhaps, more fitting-Lori the Loon” made me laugh out loud. I always check out your subject-appropriate signature line. Thanks for the humor along with the wonderful stitching!

    • WordPress.com Support

      Thank you! When I hit the “publish” button—all I hear is silence. Never sure how ones sense of humor translates in writing!

  • L84quilting

    Tweedly dee Lori, That studio tour, yesterday, was awesome and sorry I didn’t put my comment to it then, as I was so busy, that I didn’t even get to check a single email! As for your weather, I just hope you don’t get the 6″ os snow we got here in Montana, yesterday, as our weather usually heads east to you…! LOL! (We had that 70+ degree weather on Sunday!)… As for your bird, SUPER, DUPER ADORABLE! I too am always amazed at how your creative mind ALWAYS can come up with such awesome designs! I love, love your books and as I have said to you in the past, I wish you would design embroidery motifs! THANK YOU so much for such awesomeness! T

  • Lorraine Doyno Evans

    Cute!

  • Pam Peterson

    I’m ever amazed at what you can do with thread. An adorable bird to welcome spring, for sure!! Thanks again for sharing your creative talents.

  • Cheri

    Love your birds, baby bird, too. I can almost hear them chirping!

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