Shake Those Tail Feathers

 I have begun construction on the Barred Owl.  The furthest thing from the front is the tail, so that is where I begin.  Here it is finished.

 Using my tracing paper sketch as a guide I place it on the quilt behind the main branch the owl will be sitting on.    Now I will quilt the branch and the tail before adding the birds feet and then body.  That way once the feet are on the branch I do not have to stop and start as I weave my way through the talons as I quilt the branch.

 I thought I would show you the two fabrics I chose to make those tail feathers.  I bet this is not what you expected.  So many people look at the top & bottom ones for a landscape.  I could use it that way and it would be fine.  However, you have to look for the secret objects you can find in some of these fabrics that work perfectly for something else.  I saw the perfect color tan in the one above and it was right next to a streak of white.  Perfect for my tail feathers.

This one had the subtle changes in brown along with a built in black line for the quill in the darker under body feathers.  You may have to cut way into a piece of fabric to get just the right spot that you want but it is worth it in the end.