Here's a pix of a little quilt I have made today - a little gift to take along on our US trip shortly.
I took the quilt out on to our deck to show my quilting buddy/ neighbour, and who should fly in for a close inspection but a kookaburra! Couldn't have orchestrated it better. At least I think the quilt is a fair rendition of the subject and he seemed to agree.
Den 22-09-2011 14:40, Bronnie skrev:
That is just wonderful and perfect timing. He looks to be thinking "what are you doing, buddy???".
Hanne in DK
Perfect timing and lovely quilt!
Kim in NJ
Unbelievable photo - with the real and the fabric! They are both lovely, but the quilt is unique - great fabric choices: we can actually compare what you used with the real bird. Amazing. Another great piece of work. . In message , Bronnie writes
Bronnie, how do you get a wild bird to come so close to you? Do you feed it or is it accustomed to you?
Sunny
it or is it accustomed to you?
Thank you, all of you, for your kind comments! It was such a great day - making a little quilt, beautiful sunshine, and asking the neighbours in for a glass of champagne (just because we can :) ) and a cheese plate at 5pm. The scene therefore, was a large table, and five of us sitting around, glass in hand, enjoying cheese, stuffed eggs and spicy whipped feta. In flew Mr Kookaburra. We had just been admiring the quilt. I dashed upstairs to get my camera telling everyone to keep Mr K on the rail. I sidled close to him and there's the pix! Mr K then called in reinforcements, and we had another two on the railings and a couple more in the trees. In answer to questions on how tame they are -- well, some folk feed them (raw chopped ground meat), but really I don't approve, they have a natural food source all year (insects, small snakes, skinks, little wild rodents). These ones are definitely used to us, and they were looking at the table and hoping to cadge something but there was no meat around. One of them hopped onto the back of the chair and Margaret got quite startled. They have a very strong beak but I've not known them to attack a person. Once, DH and I were enjoying a bbq roast pork dish out on the deck, and suddenly there were feathers and bird going everywhere, the kooka had hopped from the rail to
*under* DH's arm as he was eating and grabbed a bit of meat off his plate! Goodness, that did give us a fright. The pieced block pattern is from a book titlted "Quilt a Koala" - Australian Animals and Birds in Patchwork by Margaret Rolfe, published 2000. Rolfe is a well known Australian quilter/author. It has about 20 designs, all charming. I used the block pattern and designed the setting and wording. How I came to do this, is, I was just thinking last week I should make a couple of little gifts to take to the US next week. DH goes out to the doctor, calls into our library's second hand bookshop and comes home with this! Exactly a pattern I was thinking of - how amazing is that, that man is so intuitive. Me, I'm not so keen on applique, so foundation piecing was perfect. I'll make one more, either the koala or the bird called a 'galah' which is pink and grey.Oh, one more thing -- that fabric for the kooka's wings - I was rootling around in my black and brown fabric drawer and out jumped a
8x10in scrap of that fabric with feathers. I tell you, that fabric has been there for 15 years! I remember making something with it years ago. Meant to be, as they say.Sorry this reply is a bit long winded.
Hugs Bronnie
Ohmygosh that is just toooooo sweet - both the picture and the quilt!
-Irene
Now that was an education. I only knew Kookaburra as a silly song the little folks sang. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh. Didn't know it was a bird. How just simply gloriously wonderful that one stooped to pose with your grand quilt. WoooooHooo. Polly
ohmygoodness! that is the best picture of a quilt, it's maker and its inspiration!!!!!! i never knew kooka burra's were so large!
Betsey
ps://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/obIYuwbuImqsimsclFJQMQ?feat=3Ddir...
I think the planets aligned yesterday Betsey! Today I am making the koala quilt, but the story won't match yesterdays I'm afraid. Altho we did have a koala in a tree last month, but we could only get a good look at him thru our binoculars. Yes, they are quite a solid bird and their feathers on the chest and head tend to fluff out. Bronnie
Thanks Polly. What fun! The kookaburra actually laughs. I wonder if I can find a sample on you-tube and post the link.
Bronnie
or is it accustomed to you?
How delightful! The quilt is stunning and the bird is too cute!
Claudia
Bronnie, Thank you for the story and picture! Great little quilt! In grade school "Kookaburra" was one of the songs we learned. Oh and "Waltzing Matilda".
Mary Helen > >> Bronnie, how do you get a wild bird to come so close to you? Do you feed it
or is it accustomed to you?
ed it or is it accustomed to you?
I'm really surprised those songs were taught in the USA all those years ago...who would have thought?
Bronnie
I'd say the whole thing was 'meant to be' from idea, to how the pattern came home, to how the bird came at just the right time - and stayed! Top notch all the way around!
Karen, Queen of Squishies
Howdy!
Funny how the kookaburra wears that bandit's mask, just like a raccoon, always waiting for the opportunity to steal a bit of something. ;->
R/Sandy
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