PQ 15.1 Saving Bird Houses

Birdhouse ... nest ... tree ... forest fire ... smokey the bear ... saves trees ... saves bird nests ... saves bird houses

I bring to you my Project Quilting Season 15 challenge 1 'quilt' project.  It contains applique and it contains quilt blocks in the form of yoyos! 

This shirt has meaning for me on several levels.  I was a huge fan of Smokey the Bear as a kid and I still have my stuffed doll and ranger badge.  I also still have my turquoise Tonka jeep.  In fact I use it on my table as a napkin/salt/pepper holder.  All through high school and college I drove a 1953 CJ3B F-head Willys Jeep.  It was beige.  I worked as a research assistant on a project studying high altitude forest fire recovery.  Even though I have since learned the preventing all forest fires was a tragic ecological and environmental mistake, I still do like my smokey the bear. 

Back of the shirt with applique and yoyos.  The yoyos came from an antique store.  I kept looking at the bag thinking I should sew them into a pillow top but I never found the patience to do it.  When I pulled the bag out of my stash while looking for the lace trim, I decided this was a much better way to use them. 

 

An upcycled flanned shirt.  Front with machine embroidery.  Yoyo trim and hem.

 

Back applique.  Image printed on fabric.  Framed in embroidered sisal.

 

Collar trimmed with cotton lace... tiny pompoms on lace mimic yoyos on hem.

Pocket machine embroidered with modified club logo.  Trimmed with more antique yoyos.

Side panels have map fabric inserted into them.

Antique yoyos stitched to hem.  I learned it was easier to do this with a zipper foot.

Close up of yoyos on side panel.