Studio Bird Mini Quilt

Leftover blocks, English paper piecing scraps, and bits of wool felt come together in this hand stitched mini quilt. Four specialty threads add texture, shine, and detail from the piecing stage through the final binding. This project turns a box of studio odds and ends into a wall-worthy finished piece.

materials

fabric and fibers

• English paper pieced hexagon pieces
• wool felt bits
• scrap of ric rack
• strips of neutral fabrics, about 2½” [6.4cm] wide
• low loft cotton quilt batting
• quilter’s muslin
• scrap of binding fabric
• small piece of fabric and fusible adhesive, for the label

threads

• a fine wool-blend thread for hand applique and embroidery
• a fine cotton thread for hand appliqué
• a fine machine-weight thread for nearly invisible stitching
• a metallic rayon-blend thread for embroidered accents
• a decorative thread for the label
• contrasting basting thread

notions

• quilting basting spray
• applique pins and safety pins
• hand quilting and applique needles
• small beads
• freezer paper or template plastic
• 10” embroidery hoop
• craft glue and fray-stopping solution
• small hanger with a label tag

Piece a scrappy background

Start with a neutral background pieced from leftover fabric strips. Cut strips about 2½” wide and join them vertically with a standard ¼” seam. Don’t worry about a perfect finished size at this stage. Simply piece until the background measures roughly 7½” x 10”. Applique and embroidery will shrink it slightly no matter how careful the tension stays.

Press every seam flat, angling seams so lighter fabrics press against darker ones underneath. A light pressing spray smooths out any bumps on both sides of the work.

Cut a piece of low loft batting and quilter’s muslin to match the pieced background. Layer the three pieces together, then mist them lightly with basting spray. Hand baste from corner to corner in both directions, plus through the center along all four sides. This keeps the sandwich smooth and stable through every stitch that follows.

Applique the flower pot and flowers

With the background ready, move on to applique. Download and print the flower pot and bird pattern pieces, then trace them onto freezer paper or template plastic. Layer three sheets of freezer paper together, shiny sides down. Iron them on the cotton setting to create a sturdy, reusable template.

Cut the flower pot pieces from wool felt. Laying a sheet of self-gripping food wrap over the felt while tracing gives a clean line to cut along. It won’t mark or damage the felt underneath.

Stitch the pot’s rim to the body of the pot using a length of wool-blend thread. A simple running stitch works well here. This thread sinks into the felt for a subtle dimensional effect, without any fuzz.

Pin the flower pot to the background and baste it in place with contrasting thread. Placing the work in a 10” embroidery hoop, snug but not stretched, keeps the fabric smooth while stitching. Applique the pot using half cross stitches in one direction. Complete each cross on the second pass for a slightly raised, textured look.

Arrange English paper pieced hexagon petals into a flower shape. Applique them into place with a fine cotton thread, using small stitches from a short quilting needle. Tiny stitches matter here, since they stay both invisible from the front and durable over time. Tuck the flower stem under the rim of the pot. Pin and applique the flower to the top of the stem the same way.

Add the bird and embroidered details

Decide where the little bird will perch, then pin it in place. Applique the bird with a wool-blend thread using a traditional blanket stitch. Marking two small pen dots on the side of a thumb, about ¼” apart, gives a quick spacing guide for the stitches.

Draw a line from the bird’s beak downward for about 2½”. Embroider it in a chain stitch using a metallic accent thread. Applique a small wool felt heart over the end of that line to cover the stitching. Add a running stitch and a few French knots to the heart. Then outline the shape with the same metallic thread for extra sparkle.

Tie a small bow from the metallic thread. Dab the knot with a bit of craft glue to secure it, and let it dry clear. Tack the bow to the top of the heart with a fine cotton thread. Add a touch of fray-stopping solution to the ends. Finish with a small bead for the bird’s eye. Attach it with the same fine cotton thread so the stitches all but disappear.

Finish with binding and a label

Once every embellishment is in place, press the quilt gently. Lay a fluffy towel on the ironing board, and place the quilt right side down against it. Press on the wool setting to protect the raised stitches. Trim the quilt to its final size.

Make a label by ironing a scrap of fusible adhesive to a small piece of fabric. Add a stitched heart using a decorative thread. Switch the machine to free motion stitching to trace any remaining pencil details in a contrasting thread. Leaving the paper backing on the fusible adhesive while stitching helps stabilize the fabric. Peel it off once the stitching is done, then iron the finished label onto the back of the quilt.

Attach binding using a walking foot for smooth, even feeding. Slip stitch it to the back by hand with a fine cotton thread for nearly invisible stitches. Press the binding well on both sides once it’s sewn down. Finish with a small hanger and label tag, and the mini quilt is ready to hang.

Original series by Nancy Devine on QUILTsocial.com. Photos by Nancy Devine