The Nest, Part 3

Construction of the nest for this challenge quilt was the most fun part! Again, some thought went into it beforehand: not only how I was going to shape it and construct it, but also "how on earth was I going to attach it to the quilt?" was my biggest "worry". Not knowing how heavy it would be, I didn't want it to "pull" on the quilt. I eventually came up with a plan which I thought would work.
I "copied" an idea from the Leaf Bowls we made for Quilt Ontario, using Timtex and darts for shaping. I fused a layer of "nest brown" fabric (suppose that's really a color?) on each side of my fusible stiffener - I used Flexi-Firm rather than Timtex, and used a cereal bowl (really high tech eh?) to cut out a half circle. I added two "flaps" of blue background fabric, backed with a fusible, to "anchor" the nest, once constructed, to the quilt (you can see one of these flaps sticking out on the left). I cut three v-shaped darts out of the semi-circle and stitched them up, giving the nest it's bowl-type shape.
Next I laid very narrow strips of matching brown fabric lengthwise over the nest, both on the inside and outside and stitched them at the edges to secure them, then wove a second set of strips loosely through this "base" at right angles. Then I collected a variety of threads and perle cottons in browns, greys, beige-golds, greens, etc., as well as some wool roving, some dryer lint and some textured yarns in similar colors. As I wove these through the "base" I imagined what Mama Robin would go through to gather her nest-building materials; my job was so much easier... I darkened the white Flexi-Firm which showed on the very edge of the nest with a brown marker, then covered it too with yarns and threads. I built up enough "nest" to entirely cover my fabric base but stopped before it was too thick or heavy.
I placed the nest where I wanted it on the branch, then using a Clover Mini-iron (you know the type that looks similar to a small spade on the end of a curling iron) I fused the two flaps to the background. This seemed to be enough to support the weight of the nest, but I then put a few stitches through the quilt and into the nest edge at both ends and in the middle at the bottom, just to be sure. After all, we wouldn't want the nest to fall out of the tree, now would we? I added a small bunch of Spanish moss (to "hide" the flaps) and nestled in my three little blue eggs.
Almost done... All that was left now was to add my backing, square it up and bind it. Ah yes.. how to square it up? Because of all the three dimensional additions, I couldn't lay my ruler on the quilt, so I used the markings on my cutting mat and did the best I could, shaving off a few narrow bits to bring the sides to equal dimensions. It measures 17"wide x 13.75" high. The binding was easy and it was finished a whole three and a half hours before it was "due" at our April Guild meeting!! Whewww!

Piece,
Linda

What Robin Told

How do robins build their nests?
Robin Redbreast told me-
First a wisp of yellow hay
In a pretty round they lay;
Then some shreds of downy floss,
Feathers too, and bits of moss,
Woven with a sweet sweet song,
This way, that way, and across,
That's what Robin told me.

Where do robins hide their nests?
Robin Redbreast told me-
Up among the leaves so deep,
Where the sunbeams rarely creep,
Long before the winds are cold,
Long before the leaves are gold,
Bright-eyed stars will peep and see
Baby robins - one, two, three;
That's what Robin told me.

~ George Cooper