Birmingham Special quilted and bound

Hello quilting friends! I hope you all are well and finding time to get carried away quilting! I’ve been busy binding some projects that came back from the quilter, and I have one to share with you today . . . my finished Birmingham Special quilt for Christmas!

I’ve shared my progress with this quilt in two previous blog posts: Birmingham Special in Christmas prints (February 19, 2025) and Birmingham Special top is complete (March 12, 2025). If you’ve read those posts, you’ll know that this quilt will hold a special place in my heart because I began working on it during a weekend quilt-in with two dear friends. When I look at this quilt, my memory is flooded with our lively conversations, laughter and story telling. Between that and all of the snacking, I’m amazed that we got anything accomplished.

The Birmingham Special pattern was designed by Anna Dineen of Moda. I saw the quilt on Moda’s social media accounts last year, and I fell in love with the classic design. While I enjoy the modern and contemporary patterns that abound today, there is something so good about timeless flying geese and rail fence blocks!

Anna’s Birmingham Special sample featured cheerful 1930s prints, while I opted for a red, white and green version for the holidays. (Read this blog post if you want to know more about my fabric choices.) If you are interested in making your own Birmingham Special quilt, the pattern is available at Fat Quarter Shop.  They also have a kit available which features 1930s prints.

In keeping with the classic design of the quilt, I also chose a classic panto for the machine quilting: Bountiful Feathers!  I think my friend Katy of Woods Edge Quilting was shocked when I shared my choice. But we both agreed, it was just right for this quilt, and it certainly filled the borders and corners in a lovely fashion!

I want to share the name of another quilting friend with you . . . Jodi Nelson of Pleasant Home. Jodi and I have been Instagram friends and supporters for many years. Jodi has a lively social media presence and a newsletter called NEEDLE little INSPIRATION, where she shares quilting ideas, patterns and even recipes. This month, Jodi gave a shout out to my pattern shop. Anyone who signs up for her newsletter will receive an exclusive discount to use at my Etsy shop. You must subscribe to her newsletter to get the code, and the discount is only good for the month of October 2025. Visit this link to subscribe.  (Once you subscribe, you will receive an email from Jodi to confirm your subscription. Be sure to check your junk or spam folder if you don’t see that email. You must confirm your subscription.) If you have any questions, please visit Jodi on Instagram.

Thanks for stopping by, quilting friends! Take care!

~Taunja