.Quiltscapes.: It's A Hen Party!!

Hi, my name is Deonn , and I think I have QUILT FEVER! I was going to say "I am a QUILTAHOLIC" but that would involve

some kind of 12-step program...

The best cure, of course, is quilting with friends! I am excited (thrilled) to share some quilty/crafty love on my very first guest post today for Madame Samm at SewWeQuilt.com.

I have a thing for chickens.

I ♥ chickens. They make me smile.

It began with some "Easter Egg" chickens (Bantams) I had when I was a kid. They were my pets, and laid little blue and green eggs (oh, so cute!)

I collect chicken pitchers = kitchen chickens (say that fast three times) haha...! (WARNING: Use for thin liquids like cream or syrup. Or decoration. Do NOT pour lumpy gravy from a small chicken pitcher... eeeewww. Ask me how I know this.)

And a few years back, my Grandpa referred to a family girl gathering as a "Hen Party", so my seven sisters and I adopted the name for our annual get-together. We all look forward to leaving husbands/kids at home to go off and cackle together for a few days each year.

I also ♥ chickens in quilts.

One of my first quilts stemmed from a chicken block exchange,

where I was to supply "country red" chickens in the trade.

I showed up with all BRIGHT RED chickens - OOPS! So I kept those, made my own bright red chicken quilt (see above ↑) and remade more for the exchange. Hey! it was great! I got two quilts out of it! But, I didn't really love applique' (yet).

So... I tried a bunch of pieced patterns for chickens... didn't love those either.

Then I learned a simple stitch & flip technique:

(small square, right sides together on the corner of a larger square/rectangle; stitch from point to point; trim the seam, press toward the corner to make a beak or a comb or feet.)

It made me smile. Maybe they'll give you a smile, too!

My goal was to make a quilt for each of my sisters...

But... there are a lot of them (seven)! Instead, I made quilted bags with one little Hen Party Chick. Lame, I know.

Now my goal is to teach the younger ones to sew, (← fun times)

then they can make their own!

Lately I noticed that owls were becoming popular, (I know, it took me awhile...) so I made a few adaptations and came up with a "Hoo-ville Chick" .... Hmmm.

(Made a pink one and called it a "Hooter" - then donated it for a

Susan G. Komen breast cancer research fundraiser. I ♥ that one)

And, coming up on Hallowe'en around these parts, wonder what a bat would look like... Hmmm. Yeah, probably not.

Each of my triplet daughters made a baby chick

in her favorite color.

I really love those little chicks. OK, I love the quilt too.

What should we call it? Twerps? Tweets? Chirps? Cheeps? Peeps? ...Triplet Chicklets? (Ha - another fun tongue twister!)

Back to the point. I ♥ chickens.

And, I think you really need a basketful of them
in your sewing room! So, let's have a Hen Party!!

Supply List:

* Two 3-1/2” to 5” squares fabric for chick body (cotton, upholstery fabric, pre-quilted fabric, pieced squares, etc.)

* Two or Three 3" squares for tail (same or coordinating fabric)

* Two or Three red 1-1/4” squares for comb

* One yellow/gold 1-1/4” square for beak

* About 1/2 cup rice, ground walnut shells, silica sand, or use polyester fiberfill for stuffing (your choice)

Instructions:

PREPARE comb, beak and tail pieces.

FOLD each square in half to form a triangle. PRESS.

FOLD in half again and PRESS again.

LAY OUT one of the chick body squares right side up, and ARRANGE beak and comb pieces as ↓ diagrammed.

Place folded sides of the comb toward the corner, nestle/overlap the comb pieces. Pin, Stitch or GLUE-baste to secure beak and comb in place. (I ♥ Jillily's Appli-glue)

PLACE the other square right sides together over

the comb and beak.