I Wish You Bluebirds in Spring -NE Ohio

This original design, created by Betsy Bauman especially for A Quilters Destination 2025, celebrates the beauty of spring. The full four-piece Series depicts wreaths for each season surrounding four different birds native to Ohio. There will be simple piecing for inserting the circle into the background, but the majority of the project is raw-edge fusible machine applique. In our 3-hour class we aim to sew the background together and get the applique pieces cut and ironed onto the background. Students will be taught how to set up the machines for the invisible applique and given instructions to finish the project.

Look through your scraps and novelty prints or purchase a kit!

Kit Fee:

Pattern alone (required):

$10.00 Pattern includes full-size diagram of finished design and all pieces, step-by-step instructions, and a colored picture of the finished sample quilt.

Kit (optional):

$45.00 Kit includes the pattern, a sheet of wonder-under fusible web, fabrics for the bird, the wreath, the background circle, the square background and the binding. Pieces are not pre-cut. Backing is not included.

Sewing machines will be generously provided by BERNINA/ Chestnut Ridge Sewing

Shared cutting mats, rotary cutters and irons will be provided. 

Students purchasing a Kit should bring:

Invisible thread (I prefer “Monopoly” in “smoke”)

Thin bobbin thread (I like “Bottom Line” by Superior. In a neutral gray.)

Regular piecing thread for seaming the quarter circles and inserting the circle into the square.

straight pins, any kind

Nonstick pressing sheet

sharp pencil

small, sharp scissors—(to cut fabric WITH the paper on it)

Other scissors to cut the fabric backgrounds

If students already have one, a portable “light box” is most helpful. The instructor will bring one to share.

Tweezers (I like the 6” bent serger/machine style)

Students who do not purchase a Kit should bring:

All the supplies listed above plus your fabrics:

½ yd. wonder-under fusible web

For the large, square background: ¾ yd. (If using ombre fabric to “fussy-cut” the corners, then 1 yd.)

For the circle behind the bird 5/8 yd.

Scraps for the bluebird—2-3 different blues, orange for the breast, white for the “belly”

Scraps for the feet, beak, and eye

Scrap for the branch

Scraps for leaves and flowers

Some novelty fabrics that feature motifs of birds and/or flowers reminiscent of spring