Blackbird Sunset
Pre Covid I taught this pattern (18.5 x 29") at Intown Quilters in Decatur, GA. It's based on a traditional Chinese Coin pattern with branches inserted along the tree trunks. This sweet little quilt shop has now closed. I have several hardcopies of the pattern and will mail to you. The pattern should be downloadable (soon) as I get the kinks out of this blog. Be in touch debrasteinmann@gmail.com for more information.
http://debrasteinmann.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/blackbird-sunset-pattern.pdf
Fabric, etc.: ¼ yd dark for Tree trunks. Printed bird. FQ or scraps for sky, circles, squares, leaves and tree tops. Threads. Paper for foundation pieced sky. Backing, batting and binding fabrics to finish.
Sky: Cut five paper strips 21×3.5”. Fold in thirds to help gauge color value change, red to orange to yellow. Sew various sized fabric strips to paper, starting at bottom with red then flip each color up for foundation piecing. Trim to size before removing paper.
Trees: Cut four dark trunks 21X1.5”. Sew sky and tree trunks together (18.5”Wx21”L), adding 1×1.5” raw edge limbs inside seams at angle from trunks. Embellish trunks with threads, etc. Add small raw edge green tree boughs at limbs.
Tree tops: Four green fabrics, cut raw edged. Tree top pattern downloadable with rounded edges at bottom, tree top overlaps sky plus three inches to square up Tree-Sky section to 18.5”Wx24”L.
Leaves: Two greens, right sides together, sew all the way around leaf. Trim then slit back, turn and iron flat. Stitch randomly on Trees and Sky.
Circles on Squares: For top and bottom borders cut 16 dark squares at 2.75”. Corresponding circles finish to 1.5” using raw edge, yo-yo method (pictured) or make a freezer paper template. Attach circles to each square using appliqué.
Top and Bottom Borders: Sew row of eight Circle on Square units 2.75x 18.5” at top and bottom of Tree-Sky section. Final border is strip of 1.5” squares or 1.5” striped fabric across top and bottom.
Blackbird: Appliqué pre-printed bird at base of trees.
Finishing: Sandwich top, batting and backing. Quilt as desired, using tree texture and sky as guide. Perle cotton threads to quilt will add more texture. Square entire quilt then add bias binding to finish.