A Woolly Mini

Because I haven't got enough wool for a mammoth.

For my last group swap of 2010 on Flickr, I was to make my partner a mini quilt with a theme of houses. Participants had the option of a holiday house, or a regular house. My partner and I chose regular houses. Even though I've had 2 months to get this together, like a lot of other swappers, I prefer to let my ideas percolate for a good long time. My plans changed radically over the course of the 2 months and I must say, I couldn't be happier.

My partner is very fond of birds. She includes them in most of her swap quilts and blocks. It was a given that I'd find a way to incorporate this into her house mini. Since she hasn't yet received the quilt, I don't want to spoil her surprise with a full reveal, but I'll show you my inspiration.

These are photos I took in August while on vacation at my parent's cottage. Apparently the local realtor's wife is a bird lover and has been installing birdhouses along their country farm fence for many years.

I noticed in my partner's Flickr favorites that she has chosen a lot of felt projects. I thought this small 8" x 10" quilt was perfect for a sweet wool felt picture. I do have a pretty great selection of hand dyed wool thanks to Paulette and Uschi. Turns out, it was all perfect for this project! It reminds me of children's books that are illustrated with fibre pictures, or those felt boards pre-school teachers use to tell stories.

Here is a couple of sneaky peeks of tiny portions of the quilt. I made Queen Anne's Lace with french knots - I think they are my favourite bit. Most of the quilt is machine stitched, but I did a little bit of hand work, too.

I can't wait to get this off to Nannette! You'll get the full frontal after she receives it.