March Morning Chorus ATCs

The mornings are gradually getting nicer and the birds singing more happily as the light grows and the weather turns for the better. From our bedroom window we can usually hear a Blackbird or two, lots of Sparrows cheeping and Jackdaws clacking, the odd Seagull and maybe a distant Robin during our morning chorus (if we're awake to hear it!). Having moved next to a fairly busy road, with a carpark out of the back I do miss the quiet mornings where you can lie in bed and just hear the birds but sadly we don't usually even have the windows open because of all of the black grit that comes up from the road below. On the other side of the house I can have my kitchen and sitting room windows open though, which is probably the better way round for the situation, and we've got a couple of bird feeders out there on our balcony/fire escape, which I am still trying to turn into an urban paradise with bug friendly herbs and other colourful plants to make the carpark view less grey. 

Anyway, I digress, thinking about the theme. These are the beautiful Morning Chorus cards that have been sent in by the wonderful Stitchscape Swappers. I wonder what they were all thinking as they made these cards, and what their inspiration was - especially the more unusual designs like the one from Veronica which features the first few bars of the Welsh National Anthem. 

There are lots of birds featured, Robin, Blackbird, Seagull (love the idea of a prettily chirping gull), Norwich Canary, bird silhouettes, stylised birds... I'm sure they'd all sound lovely if they formed a band together - they certainly look very attractive together as a collection. 

I'm sure I say this every month, so apologies for repeating myself, but I'm always amazed at the variety of styles we get through. The only requirements of these cards are size, relatable to theme, must contain fabric and stitching and be postable as a normal letter (no thicker than 0.5cm) - but that's it so there's a lot of scope there for experimentation with machine stitching, different styles of embroidery, cross stitch, fabric collage, painting, felting.... or fabulous combinations of them all! I'm never disappointed in a card that comes through the letterbox, and will often learn something new. It is honestly such a highlight of the month to be able to see them all together and, after an initial peek when they arrive, I try not to look at them until they are all in so that I can appreciate them all over again.

I really hope that those who take part are also enjoying both the creative process, and receiving a different card a month through their own door. Sometimes they might find the themes a challenge and others might speak to them more but that's part of the fun!

There's so much texture in these cards, I've photographed little sections of them right up close so that you can have a look too so do keep scrolling!! Click on the images to bring them up larger and zoom in if you need to. 

As always, these have been popped on to the dedicated ATC page on my website under their own little collection so you can see each one individually. Previous months are available on there, the themes and inspiration for upcoming months, and all of the cards that were made last year are also on that page. If you would like to join in, you can jump in at any time! Just pop me an email at sales@dottytextiles.com