Watching the birds around our home or on walks through the neighborhood has fascinated me since I was a child.  My mom, as a parent who called her children’s attention to the birds around the yard of our farmhouse and the meadows where the cows grazed, encouraged my interest in watching these feathered friends.
I’ve tried to pass this interest along to my daughter and grandchildren. I’ve sketched and painted birds, researched them, written poems and stories about them, and watched them build nests around our yard.  For the past couple of years, my grandchildren have enjoyed watching a pair of nuthatches …read more

Today is National Bird Day!
It’s a time to appreciate your birds (if you have birds for pets) and those in the out-of-doors.  Perhaps you’ll even get inspiration for your quilt and fabric art designs.  I haven’t done a great deal with birds in my quilting.  But at one stage in my life, I did oil and watercolor paintings of birds for clients.
Some activities involving birds are mentioned below.  You may want to involve your children in them, or use them as quilting inspiration.

Do you have a bird feeder you keep well stocked in winter?
Do you read and learn about birds?
Can …read more

What does bird watching have to do with quilting? you wonder. 
*You can find relaxation as you watch birds at a feeder from your window, in your garden, or during walks. 
*The birds around you may inspire your quilting designs.  The pioneer quiltmakers often named designs from the birds and animals in their lives.
*This is an enjoyable family activity that can create memories, as it has done for my family.
As I began to look at quilt designs and books, I discovered that many quilters have been inspired by watching the birds in the world around them.