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Tuesday Tutorial-The Birdhouse

September 24, 2013

Birdhouse, Free Motion Quilt Tutorial

Today is Tuesday.  Time to get our doodle pads and our quilt sandwiches ready for a tutorial.  Today we are quilting birdhouses.

Birdhouse, Free Motion Quilt Tutorial

I love when an applique quilt has free motion quilting that echoes the theme of a quilt.  For example, a flower quilt would look lovely with butterfly or bees free motion quilted around it.   These birdhouses would look charming nestled in a quilt with birds, flowers, or houses.   Or, just stitch a row of them to create a small quilt.

One of our readers, Raewyn of Love to Stitch  – (one of our many New Zealand followers)  is teaching a class with applique birdhouses and has added The Picket Fence to the design.  I thought a few birdhouses with the picket fence might be even better.

For this pattern, I drew several lines, one inch apart.  Each bird house will be stitched a long a drawn line. By drawing evenly spaced lines, we know that everything will be kept tidy…

Begin by stitching up several stitches to create the “pole” of the bird house.  Then stitch a little zig-zag: left, right, left.  Stitch up a few more stitches and stop.

Birdhouse, Free Motion Quilt TutorialNow stitch a spiral (see tutorial HERE), ending on the top of your spiral.  Stitch up a few stitches and stitch the right half of a triangle.

Birdhouse, Free Motion Quilt TutorialNext, stitch the left half of the triangle, stitch down one stitch and echo back around the triangle.

Birdhouse, Free Motion Quilt TutorialStitch around the triangle, then down next to the spiral.  This creates the right side of the bird house.

Birdhouse, Free Motion Quilt TutorialNext, stitch across the pole–stitch from right to left, then up the left side of the bird house and back down again.

Birdhouse, Free Motion Quilt Tutorial

If you’d like to create a “triple” bird house, simply stitch three spirals before you begin the triangle roof.

Birdhouse, Free Motion Quilt Tutorial

The essence of a bird house is a base, an opening, and a roof–rectangle, circle, triangle.  When you are stitching, just vary those three elements, add a perch or two, and create your own birdhouses!

Birdhouse, Free Motion Quilt Tutorial

In no time at all, the birds will be flocking to your yard!

Winging it here in Minnesota,

Lori

Lots more quilts and fun this week.  Please join Open Line Friday--where you can ASK and ANSWER questions…Our opening topic will be “How and where do YOU doodle?”—One of my favorite topics!

Also, give us a look on Facebook–I’ll be adding a few of my bird house doodles later today.

Scissors3.web

 

As always, thanks for Pinning!  Please remember all images and tutorials found here are the property of Lori Kennedy and are for personal use only.

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Categories

All Animals/Bugs Illustrations Machine Quilting Motifs

Tagged

Aurifil thread Bernina Birdhouses free motion quilting illustration Illustrations Long Arm Quilting quilting Tutorial

10 responses to “Tuesday Tutorial-The Birdhouse”

  1. Queenie says:
    September 24, 2013 at 11:36 am

    These birdhouses are soooo cute!
    Have a great day.
    Always, Queenie

  2. Raewyn says:
    September 24, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    Love them!! Thank you Lori!!!

  3. pamelajeannestudio says:
    September 24, 2013 at 12:20 pm

    You are so clever! Another beautiful design.

  4. adaisygarden says:
    September 24, 2013 at 12:47 pm

    Very cute birdhouses.

  5. quiddityrox says:
    September 24, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    I’m loving these birdhouses!! You are so generous to share your genius with the Facebook family.

  6. Lucie the Happy Quilter says:
    September 24, 2013 at 1:28 pm

    I love the birdhouses. I think it’s time you wrote a book.

  7. Nora says:
    September 24, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    It amazes me you can do that on fabric, with a sewing machine!

    I second Lucie’s comment– WRITE A BOOK!

  8. Alberta says:
    September 24, 2013 at 2:54 pm

    Brilliant!
    Thanks for another amazing tutorial.

  9. Judy @ GrandparentsPlus2 says:
    September 25, 2013 at 8:25 am

    So beautiful and you make it look so easy. If only… 🙂

  10. Barb E says:
    September 25, 2013 at 1:57 pm

    You are just so creative, thanks for another great lesson.

Comments are closed.
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    Lori Kennedy

    Hi! I’m Lori Kennedy, machine quilter, & author from Minnesota. Check out my monthly newsletter & my articles. Machine quilting is my passion. From doodling to quilting, I’m here in my Minnesota studio to help you get quilting.

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