Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Waving My Flag!


"Life is a Song ... Love is the Music"

This is my flag.

A bluebird for happiness.


 A song in my heart.
This little glass bluebird is one my mother gave to each of my children when they were young,

 
For this photo this little glass bird is sitting in the snow in front of my forsythia bush.
This is a silk garland added for color as there are no blossoms here anywhere, yet,
not even crocus or hardy pansies.  It is still too cold.
I took these photos standing in an icy mud puddle when the sun was shining a few days ago.
Today we are getting more snow ... oh, no!
 
 
No bluebirds in my bush, either, but I do have plenty of sparrows in my bush.


This is my message.


These are my fabrics.

The two large music prints are from
"All That Jazz" by Sheri Small for Windham Fabrics

Actually these are my daughter's fabrics as she purchased then a few years ago
when we were on a quilty adventure together.
My beautiful daughter is my inspiration for this project.

This will be a Mother's Day Gift for my Mommy-To-Be daughter,
whose due date is Mother's Day.
My daughter plans to be a stay-at-home-mom for her Sprout.
 This as a gift to her to take with her to plant in her garden
to remind her of her gift.
My daughter is a gifted musician and teacher and conductor.
My wish is that she may continue to share her gift with others always.

As my longtime followers know, last August
 I blogged about may daughter's wedding at 


The Cathedral of the Pines,
Rindge, NH


On my Daughter's Wedding Day,


 ... music played ...
(These lovely ladies are two of her very best flutist friends.)


... as she glided down the long  aisle from the top of the hill ...


... she would have passed this stone bench nestled in the gardens ...


So I programed my Janome ...


... and let her stitch!
I stitched these in a variegated rainbow thread
and also a shaded dark turquoise blue thread.

 
I have decided that the darker thread reads and photographs easier.
This is King Tut "De Nile" by Superior Thread.


 The blue thread is the same colors as the three blue Kona Solids 
that I used making this paper pieced
 "Blue Bird of Happiness."


The paper pieced pattern I used may be found in this book,
"For the Birds" by Jaynette Huff.

I also made three paper pieced music notes.
Here is the green one in progress.
This music note is from Right Patterns
and my be purchased Here
  
Here is the rough layout of my Flag-In-Progress.
I decided to add a pretty cream background fat quarter I had in my stash of
 "Sweet Serenade" by Basic Grey
to lighten the background of my flag.


I did some improv piecing again for this project using some of the scraps and pieces.


Katniss helped.


I fussy cut the fat quarter and the large print music fabric to include certain parts of the design.


 Butterfly helped.


"Birdievision" outside my sewing room window has been 
keeping my quilty kitties very busy in the daytime.


So Butterfly was very sleepy when she stayed up late a few nights while I worked on the layout,
 patiently waiting for me to all it a quilty night.


My flag on a stick measures 13" by 19" including the top hanging sleeve.

I enjoyed making this flag and am looking forward to giving to my daughter
for her first Mother's Day.

Please visit all my friends who are waving their flags today ...

March 26th


Thank You, 


and 

for this wonderful blog hop!


Giveaway Time!

To say thanks for reading and following I am giving away ~~~>

 
These two Fat Quarters of
Sweet Serenade by Basic Grey
and one of my the embroidered strips
I made and did not use in my flag

To be eligible to win his giveaway:
please leave one lovely comment!
 
I will mail anywhere in the world.
You do not need to be a follower to win.
You do need to leave an email address where I can contact you to let you know if you are the lucky winner and to get your mailing address.
 
My blog does not allow anonymous comments to keep away the robots.
If you do not have an ID to leave a comment, you may email me
at the address under "Contact Me" at the top of my blog 
and I will enter your comment for you.
 
As a extra thank you to my followers, you may leave a second comment 
telling me how you follow my quilty adventures.
 
This giveaway closes on April 3rd at Midnight DST
 
I will use a random number generator to choose the winning comment.

I will announce a winner on April 4th.


Thank you for visiting!

My quilty kitties and I hope you will visit our quilty corner again soon!

:)

103 comments:

Judy B said...

What a wonderful gift for your daughter and future sprout! Love the PPed blocks, my favorite way to piece. Thank you for sharing.

Createology said...

I loved your music themed flag the instant I saw it. Then when I read your story I love how you have created it for your daughter mommy-to-be and her love of music. Brilliant and Loving! Thank you sew very much for Hopping and Flag Waving...

Amy said...

Your daughter is just going to love it! I have been working up a couple music themed projects myself. It must be the music of spring in the air! Beautiful work on all that paper piecing.

Amy said...

You know I follow you! ;)

Deonn said...

Oh, I love it! I have that saying on a plaque on my piano. Wonderful!

Sewgirl said...

Really cute flag…thanks for sharing your process, and your beautiful daughter's wedding photos!

Sewgirl said...

I am a follower!

Melody said...

A brilliant flag - love that little bluebird

Anita said...

A truly lovely flag; you are verry artistic! Your daughter will love it!

Anita said...

I am a follower.

Suze said...

Pat, Your daughter is going to be thrilled with her flag. It is quite the gift for a musician. I love your paper piecing. You are generous with the beautiful Basic Grey fabric and the embroidered strip. I enjoy seeing your thought process and how you incorporated the quote from the bench at the venue into the flag. This will make Mother's Day even sweeter for her this year. Maybe the baby will come on Mother's Day. My first child (son) was born April 23. Back then that was the weekend the time changed. It's funny what you remember! There was a pool at work as to what time of day he would be born. That Friday the participants had a discussion as to how to determine the winner, if he was born during that hour we lose when we set the clocks ahead. It didn't matter - he was born about 9:30 PM Saturday night. I love seeing the quilty kitties helping you. Thanks for participating in the hop and the beautiful flag with great inspiration and meaning.

Shari said...

Fabulous flag...congrats to you and your daughter, Grandma!

Shari said...

Already following on Blog lovin!

Gill said...

Great flag!
I love the bluebirds - fabric and glass!

Kay said...

I really love the story behind your quilt. Thanks for sharing. xx

Brenda said...

What a lovely flag and a lovely story to go along with it. I really enjoyed following along, pausing to listen to the background music from time to time. I know that your daughter will truly enjoy and value it and the sentiments behind it. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Brenda said...

Oh, and I do follow your blog also, through Bloglovin'.

Heidi [Banks of Frog Creek] said...

It is beautiful!!! Such a thoughtful gift - it will be treasured, I am sure!

Heidi [Banks of Frog Creek] said...

I follow via Bloglovin :)

Josie McRazie said...

Love the flag LOVE the fabric! (I too play flute, and sing, I am a MUSIC tattoo! LOL that's how everyone remembers me! )

Thearica said...

Your flag is so unique and really awesome! Your daughter is going to love it! And a mommy on Mother's Day! No better gift than that! I was carrying my first child on Mother's Day. She came a couple of weeks after... just in time to make her daddy proud to be a father on Father's Day.

Great job on your contribution for the hop! I love the fabrics and the embroidered piece for your giveaway! Too cool!

Lisa England said...

Beautiful flag, beautiful story. Thanks for sharing!

Jeanie said...

I love the asymmetry of this flag and the beautiful story behind it! It will be treasured, for sure!

Jeanie said...

I'm a happy follower through GF and Bloglovin. Thanks so much for the giveaway!

Elizabeth Coughlin said...

Your flag is so original, creative and lovely! I follow you with Bloglovin.

Leanne Parsons said...

What a beautiful flag! It will be a fabulous gift for your daughter.

Tinliz said...

Your flag is adorable. I love birds and music.

Dorian said...

That is just a perfect flag for your dd Ms Pat. You did a beautiful job, as usual :)

Sparky said...

a blue bird paper pieced and musical notes...wellll that should certainly melt any snow around your flag...it is so lovely and your glass blue bird is perfectly suited as your muse.....

CeLynn said...

Love your bluebird song flag,and the little glass bird is the perfect prop! Your dd is sure. To think of you everytime she see's her special flag.

Marnie said...

Music and birds.... what better way to welcome spring!
Great flag

Linda said...

What a wonderful, meaningful banner! Your daughter will be so touched and I'm sure will love it!!

Linda said...

I follow via GFC!

Doris Rice, The Quilting Queen said...

Life IS so much better with music! Your flag is very creative! I love it.

Doris Rice, The Quilting Queen said...

I'm following you now

Agnes B. Bullock said...

Breathtaking!!!! Superb!!!! Words fail me- your daughter is blessed!

Agnes B. Bullock said...

Follow via email and GFC

Purl Buttons said...

Absolutely lovely. I enjoyed seeing your daughter's wedding pictures. Her first Mother's Day will be so special. I am sure she will treasure this flag. I think it would look cute hanging in a nursery.

Carol Swift said...

What a beautiful gift for your daughter and a wonderful flag to hang in her garden! Your bird and notes are perfect...love them!

Tiffany said...

What a sweet gift for your daughter!

Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio said...

Pat what a lovely flag/quilt! So perfect with the great fabrics and what a great gift to your daughter with the fabrics she chose and the sentiment you embroidered from that bench. You really put a lot of thought into this. And you get to be a grandmas too! Congratulations!

Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio said...

I follow you with GFC.

Needled Mom said...

That is really lovely and will be such a wonderful gift for the new mommy. It is perfect for her!

Needled Mom said...

I am one of your followers.

Vickie said...

Oh Pat, I think your flag is a MOST special gift ! Seeing those words on the bench......so special....congratulations on the new baby to you and your daughter. I really do think your fabric choices were perfect....wonderful flag.

Vickie said...

Yes I do follow you, GFC and bloglovin and just because !

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

Your flag is lovely and such a wonderful gift!

Brandy said...

Your flag came out beautifully! What a nice mom you are :) Thank you for sharing the wedding memories with us, I always enjoy seeing happy days such as that!
~Brandy

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Pat...you did a wonderful job on your flag!! cheerful and colorful

Calicojoan said...

Wow, what a spectacular flag with a beautiful story behind it. Loved seeing it come to life!

Britt-Inger said...

Your flag is so wonderful and thanks for sharing the story behind it.

Susie said...

Love the flag and the pictures of the wedding, it looked a wonderful day. Music is a big part of our family life and I cannot imagine not having music around. Thank you for the chance of your Giveaway. Susie x

StitchinByTheLake said...

I know your daughter is going to treasure this! I used to have a bluebird like that but somehow in one of our many moves it got lost. I hope it's gracing someone's mantel or bedside table somewhere. :) blessings, marlene

Gmama Jane said...

Your flag is filled with such meaning, creativity, and Love!! I enjoyed the back story to the making of this quilt. Our daughter's weddings bring many happy memories, don't they? Lovely job...
Your new Blog Banner seems to have a touch of the Madame...wink wink...She has a unique style that I recognize...am I right???
Blessings
Gmama Jane

Mary Pat Callihan said...

Your quilt is so joyful and joy-filled! I loved the story and that is what makes it so special. Welll, your fabric choices were pretty great too ;)

Sheri said...

What a lovely post! You amazingly created an endearing gift all sewn up with sweet memories, talent, and love!!

Jane's Quilting said...

Beautiful!! I enjoyed reading your blog. I liked your paper piecing. I am only learning.

Unknown said...

Not only is this a beautiful flag, and one I would love to semi-copy, It is one of the most beautiful stories of a families endearing love for each other that can continue through many generations. Bless you and I know your daughter will be blessed by such a lovingly made treasure. Thanks for sharing this story and the give away. I am now following via email. Jacki

Unknown said...

I follow via email and I am so glad I found your blog. Thanks for the give away. Jackie

Celtic Thistle said...

What a beautiful gift and a beautiful memory for you and your daughter!

Marcy said...

You and your flag are amazing! You do it all: traditional, contemporary and artsy. The flag is just amazing. The colors, placement and creativity say it all. That is one incredible quilt--incredible! I couldn't wait to see what you would come up with.

ytsmom said...

What a thoughtful gift! I love the music fat quarters.

LittleHouseontheDairy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
LittleHouseontheDairy said...

Lovely flag and beautiful wedding pictures. ( I follow on feedly)

Anonymous said...

Love it, it is beautiful. Your daughter is going to be so proud. I hope you can find another glass blue bird for her future child. Thanks for sharing. I hope I win the fabric, I would make it into a pillow for a friend that has been a music teacher for over 30 years.

LJ said...

What a lovely flag and a super post, too. Love all the 'history' to your flag - your daughter will cherish it. All the pp pieced blocks were wonderful and I loved the improv look of the flag. Great work!!

LJ said...

I am a follower with Feedly and GFC.

Carla said...

Oh, Pat, what a beautiful gift. Your daughter was a beautiful bride. She will love this.

Carla said...

I'm here all the time and thought I followed, but now I am absolutely positive I do. I love your posts.

sandra said...

Pat what a creative person you are you did a beautiful job on the flag and I know your daughter will be thrilled with it. Blessings Sandra

Anonymous said...

I love your flag. As a fellow musician it speaks to me.

Anonymous said...

I follow you via email.

Linda C said...

Your flag is amazing, Pat and I can't think of a better reason to make this for your daughter. What an exciting time for you all! I remember your preparations for the wedding some time back.

Farm Gate Creations Incorporating Hummingbird Quilting said...

Such a beautiful quote and your flag is very creative, just perfect.

Kathy H said...

Wonderful flag. Love the saying and those fabrics.

ShirleyC said...

What a lovely, relaxing post! I love your flag, and the scene in the snow with the glass bird is just beautiful!

Rhonda said...

What a great back story and tutorial. I love your flag and the little blue glass bird!!

Sally said...

Love the Flag (nice work!) and I know Marissa will love it too. so sprout is due Mother's Day Too cool!

Sally said...

Oops, forgot, of course I'm a follower!

Janarama said...

Your daughter is going to love the flag ... it's beautiful! Love how you always add pictures of your little furbaby helpers.

Janarama said...

I follow you via GFC.

jan said...

Love your flag. I know your daughter will love it too. Your paper piecing is great. Thanks for sharing!
xo jan

evelyn said...

Love your flag and the saying too. Great job on paper piecing.

In stitches and seams said...

i see a little snow for you too.... I do love the music of the birds in the spring.... sew happy
in stitches

OhioLori said...

Oh my goodness!!! What a Gorgeous lil' quilt...too Awesome to be a flag lol Your daughter will Love it!! Congratulations on soon to be new Grandma too! :)

Love the fabrics & embroidery you did too...and the paper-pieced notes & bird. Wow!!

Soma @ inkTorrents.com said...

Love the music notes with the bluebird. What a beautiful flag!! It's perfect :)

-Soma

Michelle said...

Very musical flag, love it!

Marla's Crafts said...

Very pretty and your daughter is beautiful. Thanks for sharing and having the lovely give away.

Ruth said...

Very awesome! I love the quote! The fat quarters would be perfect to add to the quilt I'm making for my musical grandson's high school graduation!

Lana said...

This is one of my favorites...and the giveaway is awesome too! I am one of those people that has a constant song running through my mind at any given moment...so the saying is just perfect!

MoeWest said...

This flag is wonderful! I love the quote you used and I'm sure your daughter will treasure it.

MoeWest said...

I'm a follower ;-)
Thanks for the giveaway.

Scrapatches said...

LaurieD says by email, 'I am writing to be entered in the giveaway. Music is a big part of my life and I love all your work. Thank you for sharing your world with us."
... Thanks, Laurie! :)

Julie S said...

Thank you for sharing the music! Lovely flag with sentimental meaning!

Sallie said...

Great job! I love music!

Marian said...

Absolutely LOVE IT!!! I'm a flutist myself, even majored in music in college, so I can totally appreciate this beautiful "flag" Congrats on the grandbaby to .. :)

nicolesender said...

Great flag! My son and his wife are both musicians and this fabric would be perfect for them!

nicolesender said...

Bloglovin follower: Nicole Sender!

Mara said...

Congratulations to your daughter, I wish her the best in her new adventure as a mum.

Mara said...

I am a follower, beautiful work as usual! You never disappoint!

Wendy said...

Wonderful flag :) I love your bluebird especially and how neat to have the song in the heart wrapped into the flag!! Congratulations to the beautiful newly married couple!

Robin said...

Oh my goodness, I LOVE your flag! It is absolutely gorgeous! The wedding looked beautiful and congrats on your upcoming Grandma status!!

Quilt Doodle Designs said...

Beautiful flag and newly married couple. Congratulations on both!