Seeking ideas - lovely bird blocks
 

I won this collection of American birds on ebay.
They are approx 8X11, there are 24 in total, 3 sets of 8 birds.
They are of good quilting quality cotton.

Any ideas? The easiest is to do a sashing all over, any other ideas?
There is a lot of white in there. So the design must take into consideration that:)

They are too lovely to be left sitting there! Thanks!

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They are gorgeous!! Just to sash them would be pretty, but there are many ideas that could add lots to the quilt. I usually start looking at other quilts and collect ideas that I like and could incorporate with the block I have. These bird blocks are seriously lovely to me!! Let us see what you make!

Very lovely. An option would be to alternate the bird blocks with pieced blocks. I found a few:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/patterns...estPattern.pdf

http://quilterscache.com/B/BirdsInTheAirBlock.html

Good luck with whatever you choose and please be sure to post your finished project!

Jane

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/patterns/birdsintheair.pdf

I think they would be nice in an attic windows quilt.

Well, I was just in my sewing area trying to decide what to do with a bird panel.
I have had the panel for years and have been collecting ideas on how I would use it.

I was thinking that I'd do a Warm Wishes pattern, using strips of some of the colors in the bird blocks for the alternate blocks.

http://myquiltparade.blogspot.ca/201...uilt-2007.html

Here's a link to another quilt I like.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8fPpS39oWtM/TA..._ph%5B3%5D.jpg

I also like a quilt shown on this board, shown by Sylvia77.
I think it is gorgeous but looks a bit too difficult for me to try.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...er-t35278.html

All these patterns would be nice for my blocks because my panel has square blocks.
Your blocks are rectangular, so you may have to get creative with them.

To give you my opinion,....... if I had your beautiful blocks, I wouldn't do anything complicated...probably just sash them.

Thanks everyone, you guys are great!
Yes, I am gravitating towards something simple, as anything bold and complicated will distract from the fine details in the bird blocks. Perhaps a sashing, or attic windows, or an attic window variation with arch tops.

They are indeed and I'd be like you, wanting to make sure I did the "right" things with them. I see three projects, one for each set!!

Two ideas came to mind as soon as I saw those.

First was a sashing in a woodsy-branchy sort of green print to coordinate with the greens and browns in the blocks/ Each bird block framed either with a flange insert or a boxed outline in a coordinating colour to the bird.

The second, and the one I prefer ... is lots of white fabric to showcase some fancy quilting as a centre panel. And then the birds spaced around the outside, with atleast twice as much white between them as the size they each are. Maybe more white than that. Again lots of pretty quilting. And probably not all of them in one quilt .....

What a beautiful collection of birds. Have fun!

Another idea .... box each with some white fabric, as you need a little more distance from the bird, then a flange of colour, then a larger blox of white. And then join all together. It'll have a nice crisp and fresh look ... and just what the birds deserve! :)

That sounds like a nice idea. The blocks are super gorgeous. I am holding my breath to see your finished quilt.
Cleodaisy

I agree with Bonnie think attic windows would be perfect to show case the birds

I like your arched top idea since they are not square. have fun, good luck.

I vote Attic Windows
with fabric that looks like windows.

snowball design using the rectangle pictures instead of squares.

The blocks are lovely. I was thinking, a narrow,like 1 inch border of red marbled fabric around each block and then strip it together with a narrow black fabric. I would think the colors would make the birds pop from so much white.

sassy granny

Wild thought here...... If you make the bird squares into a snowmall, maybe you could alternate with the "54-40 or fight" block. That would sort of make it like a "Tennessee Waltz" quilt. Just an idea..... BTW, they sure are pretty birds!

I would alternate the blocks with some form of quilt block to help tone down the white.If you are brave you could tea dye the white to tone it down too.

I have purchased this panel twice, so I must really like it. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

Maybe a similar idea to this: http://www.justimaginedesigns.com/birdspg.html

Why not show us what you did with it?

Yes please! :o

I'm thinking a shadow quilt, with frames on all four sides--two in a constant color and the other two picking up a color from each bird. Kind of double attic windows that look like a shadow box. Maybe green sashing. My mom had a shadow box with birds, so that's probably why I thought of this.

Whatever you end up doing will be gorgeous.

I've had blocks that were pictures and have done courthouse steps, log cabin around them & made them into sawtooth or Ohio stars. I just picked colors from the picture blocks. I have also seen sashing that the corners become stars.

Sash them with a window box. I love the birds!!

I would sash with a sky blue rather than white, and do the 8 point stars in the corners of the sashing. My question would be in the quilting. They are gorgeous.

Beautiful, no help here with ideas but can't wait to see the finished quilt.....

That's a GREAT idea!!! That's exactly what I'd do with these beauties! Please post again after you decide what to do with these, OK?

I am all about frame quilt blocks. I would find a block that has an area large enough to fit these guys!

Here are a couple of blocks from blog hops I have done.

http://moosestashquilting.blogspot.c...p-is-here.html



http://moosestashquilting.blogspot.c...-blog-hop.html

Whatever you decide, it's going to be great!

I like taking squares and adding 2 rows of coordinating color triangles around the square to make the square come out on point. It is so easy to do and I like the variation. Don't know if I am explaining my self correctly. I know they will be lovely when you get done with the blocks.

They would make a pretty on point quilt.

Good for you they are lovely.

I have these same blocks - plus I have an all over print that matches them - but probably only enough for an outside border if I wanted to use it that way. I am really looking forward to see what you will do with yours.

Very beautiful blocks. I'm working on a bird panel quilt at this time,but yours are even nicer than what I found.

The birds are so pretty! Maybe you can make a simple pieced block in muted colors that wouldn't detract from the birds?

I would use them as centre pieces for large blocks.

I made a quilt with bird panels using Chick-n-Stars by Debbie Maddy. Mine were square panels and it turned out very nice. Good luck.

YES! This was my immediate reaction when I saw those lovely blocks. It would look like you're looking into an aviary!

I did birds in a churndash that picked up a color from each bird and it was wonderful. Someone else here on the board did the same thing. That or the attic windows; simple yet highly effective![ATTACH=CONFIG]352431[/ATTACH]
You would want to make your center section larger and perhaps downplay the churndash a bit more. It can also be rectangular, it doesn't have to be square.