~ For the Birds ~

Sometime in September, when stores were just beginning to put out their Christmas merchandise, I found these mercury glass bird ornaments and was instantly smitten.

I found them at Tuesday Mornings.

I bought them and then started thinking about all of the bird ornaments I had collected or made over the years. I decided that my main tree would definitely have a bird theme to it. In fact you could say that for the last couple of months I have definitely been "bird brained."

Four or five years ago I made a variety of stuffed, fabric birds for a class I was teaching, so I was good to go with them.

 

Sometime in 1981, I sewed a ton of different ornaments for our tree from a Vogue pattern.  They included these white doves that have some lovely embroidery detail on them.  I knew they would be perfect also.

 

And then one day I was at JoAnn's and spotted these wooden birds ... for a song.

My intention was to paint them ... probably white ... but I came home and promptly forgot about them until I got them out to decorate the tree.

At that point I was SO glad that I hadn't painted them.  I absolutely love their rough, natural state, which gives a somewhat natural look to my decidedly fake tree. 

Did I mention ...

I just love Christmas!

~ Bluebirds of Gratitude ~

Here is the quilt I have hanging on the guest room wall. I designed it and began the applique process in 2008 and finished it in 2009. I call it Bluebirds of Gratitude. I am grateful that the birds are flying home.

The birds themselves are hand-appliqued. The rest was pieced/quilted by my trusty machine.

The colors, of course, are part of the charm. I can NOT have enough green and blue in my life.

The only fabric I went out and purchased was for the borders. Every other blue, green ... and brown was just sitting around on my shelves begging to be part of this quilt.

Believe me ... fabric is loud.

I loved making this quilt.

I love birds.

And you?

Linking to
Sew Happy Geek
 Creative ME
Made by you Mondays
 Tuesday's Treasures
Coastal Charm
White Wednesdays

~ Ornamental ~

Just as I have had a lot of years to collect Santas, I have also collected ornaments. For many, many years I have had two trees, one large and one small. (There was a year I had three ... but let me assure you ... it was not worth it.) The ornament you see above is the very first one I made as a newlywed at a church craft event. It still goes on the tree every year. For the record, the mix of the ornaments on the big/small trees is different from year to year. There are so many categories of ornaments now that they must sometimes take turns. I try not to hear them weeping if they didn't make the cut that year.

Handmade. A "bird" phase.

Handmade. Everyone gets an embroidered stuffed ornament.

More birds.

Gift ornament. From my sister. Love these beauties.

More of the gift.

A gift from El Salvador from my daughter, Mrs. Dub.

Old (from the seventies) and very sentimental.

New (um ... two years ago) and becoming sentimental.

Let it snow ...

... let it snow.

What's a tree without a bird in it? (Note: not from my actual "bird" phase.)

From my continual Santa phase.

All surrounded by a blanket of snow on the ground.

Now excuse me while I listen to some carols at the spinet.

Linking to Home Sweet Home
Linking to Feathered Nest Friday
Linking to Common Ground