Abecedarius for the Birds

Created for Project Quilting 10.5 Abecedarius challenge.

I really wanted another small Dresden Neighborhood quilt, but when I saw this challenge, I didn't see any way I could make one small enough to fit this challenge. Then I came across this box of alphabet beads and I decided to modify the original pattern by Kim Lapacek to accommodate 26 houses, one for each letter of the alphabet. Those alphabet beads could become house numbers. I would hang it in a different place than I had originally intended. 

So I got out a piece of freezer paper and divided it into 26 wedges, not worrying about whether they were equal in size or not. I laid some of those beads on the paper pattern and I saw birdhouses! The numbers would be the holes.

 

And they could be really small! So I changed to a smaller center circle and drew on random rooflines for small houses. I labeled everything so I could make them all fit back together.

My houses were a little asymmetrical, but I could live with that.  I love asymmetrical!

So my Abecedarius is for the birds!

Now for the true confessions. I went to play cards last night with this not yet finished.  I had a chance to hang out with my grandson for a couple of days last week and there are priorities, after all. I got up this morning and madly sewed on the birdhouse holes.  Time was running short, so I pinned the binding on the back and took pictures. I added the picture here and said I'd add the story later.We left for our youngest granddaughter's gymnastics meet. (There are priorities, after all.) It was a long drive and I did finish the hand sewing on the binding before noon, so, technically, I'm still legal.  I kept the picture that I took before the hand sewing on the binding was done, although I did take it and rotate it once I realized it was not quite right.

One last confession. I had 26 houses, one for each letter of the alphabet.  I had the beads all lined up in order. I decided to use them randomly since some houses were really small and I had a very limited selection of smaller alphabet beads. I sewed them on and for some reason had one letter left over. No time to look for the error. So my village of birdhouses has the same letter on 2 different houses. One letter is not represented at all.  It is what it is.  I thought about changing it, but I had no time before the deadline and now it's part of the story.  It will be interesting to see if anyone notices it when they see the quilt in my house.  I'm guessing they won't.

Created by Diane Lapacek in rural Poynette, WI.

11" x 11"