INSPIRATION TO FINISHED PIECE

My friend Janice unknowingly provided me with an inspiration that I simply could not get out of my head.  Several weeks ago, she shared this true story:

She had been out shopping and just returned when her neighbor called suggesting she check on her chickens.   Apparently they had been making a lot of unusual noise.  Janice said she never gets complaints from her neighbors about her flock, so this phone call was unusual. Additionally, the call included worried comments that a red fox had been seen in the area.....

Now, also hearing the commotion, she heads out to check on them.  As she entered the chicken coop area.....she noticed something shining on the dirt......as she reached to pick it up....the chickens quieted.  

To her shock, what she found was her husband's wedding ring......which had been missing for nearly 5 years.  They had suspected he lost it while feeding the chickens.  They searched and searched at the time....but never found it.  She goes on to tell a cute story about how she flaunted the ring on her own fingers for her husband to notice when he came home from work......being a typical man......she finally nearly had to poke him in the eye with the discovery before he saw it.

I was charmed by this whole - almost Twilight Zone event.....and just had to make this little quilt for her.  Here's how it progressed:

I began with a hand-dyed whole cloth piece of fabric......to which I machine quilted Hobb's Thermore Batting to the wrong side.  Next I fused the legs, waddle and beak.....machine stitching them in place.

The body parts are from a pattern I created years ago and use in my workshop "Funky Rooster".  They are created by fusing two layers of fabric - right sides - together....and cutting them out following my templates.  The idea is to make sturdy fabric motifs that are then 'bead appliqued' in position.  I love this approach....I'm appliqueing and embellishing at the same time....perfect for a fun, fast project.

In this view you can see the machine stitching on the waddle & beak........and the thread basting that initially holds the body parts to the quilt top.

Like the waddle/beak.....I machine stitched the legs to the background since they were too small to bead applique.

The next step was to attach the motifs with various beading techniques.  I ALWAYS use a hand held PVC frame when I bead.  It eliminates puckering and makes it easier to keep the proper thread tension while beading.

TREASURE IN THE CHICKEN COOP

 Made for Janice and Bill Maddox, by Mary Stori

13" X 13"