Thursday, July 2, 2020

July Color Challenge


It's Color Challenge Time again!

This month's color is Rust,

and the bird is the American Robin

head on over to 


American Robins are songbirds that typically have large, round bodies, long legs, and a fairly long tail. They are easily recognizable by their rusty belly and the flicker of white under their tails that can be seen when they are in flight. 

Robins are quite populous throughout North America and can commonly be found in gardens, parks, yards, golf course, fields, pastures, pine forests, deciduous woodlands, shrublands, and even tundra. 

Many people mistakenly believe that all Robins migrate south for the winter. While some do, many remain in their northern locations year-round. The reason for this confusion is that many birds, including the Robin, will stay up north as long as they can find a food source, be it natural or man-provided. During the winter, Robins form nomadic-type flocks consisting of hundred, and even thousands of birds. Typically the flocks will find food on trees and shrubs like crabapples, hawthorns, holly, and juniper, or that which is provided by people filling bird feeders. 

When the weather changes and Spring comes along, the flocks split up and the Robins begin their individual and never-ending journey of finding worms in our yards. (Remember the saying that the early bird gets the worm? That dates all the way back to the 17th century and is attributed to John Ray's collection of English proverbs.) 

Whether or not they leave the area for the cold month or stay here, to me, seeing a Robin is always a welcome sign that warm weather and green grass will soon be an every day thing. I find it comforting and peaceful to hear the easily recognizable sound of a Robin when I'm sitting on the patio early in the morning, enjoying a cup of coffee. It is another sign to me that we are headed away from short, cold, and dreary days of Winter, and that Spring is on it's way. 
Click HERE to listen to the sounds of the American Robbin

While searching for quilt pictures, I realize that I don't use a lot of rust in my quilts. There is definitely more brown than rust, and I'm not sure why that is. I think I'm going to work on changing that. 

While it doesn't have much rust or brown in it, it has some. This was made using the Bundle Buster pattern by Quilting Jetgirl 


This table runner has some beautiful rust fabrics in it. This is from Doug Leko's Once Upon a Memory book.



I used a variety of browns and rust batiks for this Breezy quilt that I made while pattern testing for Rachel Rossi


 

Most recently, I made this Prism quilt (a Tammy Silvers pattern), and I just love how the rust fabric works in it. 

 


I found this awesome rust fabric at Once Upon a Quilt in Ft. Lauderdale and knew right away that I wanted to use it for this block. I love the multiple "layers" of color here and it immediately made me think of a Robin's breast. I think it looks great with both the black and white background fabrics I chose.


Here are all the pieces, cut and ready to sew.


And here are the blocks! 


Check out the bloggers who are being featured this month. 
I think I'll grab a cup of coffee, go to the patio, and enjoy these posts. 
Hopefully I'll hear some Robins. 🐦☕😊

Kathleen - Kathleen McMusing
Stephanie - Quilt'n Party

Don't forget about the prize opportunity. 
Here are the 3rd Quarter Sponsors

Sponsors July thru September

Quilters Chic - PDF Pattern
For The Love of Geese - PDF Pattern
Carole Lyle Shaw - Pattern and Grunge bundle
Quilters Dream Batting - Dream 80/20 - 60" x 60"
The Fat Quarter Shop - Fabric Bundle
Warm Company - Warm 80/20 - 55" x 60"
Warm Company - 1 yard Insul-Bright
Make Modern Magazine - 6 month subscription
Patterns By JenSuperior Thread S-Fine 50
Patterns By Jen - Magic Wand

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