Chickadees & Berries in action

Yesterday we shared Jackie Robinson's wintry Chickadees & Berries collection, as well as a few quilts she's made using it. Today we're back with three more projects featuring these bird-friendly prints. 

First, Carol Hansen used the panel and a few coordinates to create this seasonal wall hanging featured in McCall's Quick Quilts December/January 2016 issue. The quilt uses fussy-cut panel pieces plus pinwheel blocks and two simple borders for a result that's simply stunning. Then, because she's a "user upper," Carol designed a mini quilt that uses up the remaining fabric (and the pattern for this mini quilt is available for free from the McCall's website). Keep reading to learn more about Carol's projects.

"Chickadees" by Carol Hansen;
featured in McCall's Quick Quilts December/January 2016

What do you like best about the Chickadees fabric?

I like that it looks Christmas-y but it’s not just for Christmas. It’s wintry. It’s not one of those things that you feel like you have to take down the day after Christmas. And I love chickadees. Sometimes in the NW corner of Montana, chickadees are the only bird we see all winter. I’m a photographer and I like to take pictures of them. They’re sweet and cute. 

How did you decide on the patchwork border for the center panel piece?

I wanted to use the small pieces that came with the panel and I incorporated as many as I could because I like using things up. I added some pinwheels in because they can be made any size—so I could make them to fit the size of the little squares. 

How did you machine quilt this piece?

My best free motion quilting tends to be a swirly, design, which worked out really well here. I also outline quilted the birds, just enough to give some dimension. 

What do you like best about the wall hanging?

I love it because it’s got a lot of green in it. My kitchen cupboards are a soft green, so it’s going to fit in really well color-wise. I like things that are woodsy, and it gives me that look, and since it’s wintry, it can stay up longer.

Tell us about the mini quilt.

I made this because of my compulsion to use up the extra fabric—I’m a user upper. It’s a cute little wall hanging or table topper. I love log cabin blocks, so that’s why I chose to use them around the fussy-cut panel pieces. I actually just hung it on the wall next to my Christmas tree. Click here to download the free mini quilt pattern.

Coordinating mini quilt; free pattern available here .

Click here to find the kit for this wall quilt.
Click here to find the December/January 2016 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts magazine.

Next up, Diane Tomlinson used Chickadee & Berries coordinates to create this gorgeous tree skirt. We love the fabric combinations--so different from the other Chickadee quilts we've featured so far--it shows how versatile this collection is! The quilt features a LeMoyne Star design and Deb Tucker's Rapid Fire LeMoyne Star tool. Put this tree skirt on your to-do list for 2016--you'll be glad you did when December rolls around and you have a beautiful new tree skirt ready to use! 

"Under the Tree" by Diane Tomlinson;
featured in Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting November/December 2015

Click here to purchase and download this pattern.
Click here to find the kit for this tree skirt.
Click here to find the November/December 2015 Love of Quilting magazine.

Click here to see the entire Chickadees & Berries collection by Jackie Robinson.
Click here to read Jackie's interview about this fabric line and see additional quilts featuring it.

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