My quilting arts group of 10 ladies had a challenge project to do a quilt “portrait.” Hardly anyone did a portrait of a person, but instead, animals. A couple of them were an iguana, a baby goat, etc.

For about 20 years, Frank and I went to Texas during Christmas, so my Mom would not have to spend Christmas by herself. She loved Christmas, being with family. We always took as many of the family as possible with us and we’d use one of our condo times on South Padre Island.

In 2004, while sitting in the car with Mom at a Walmart store near South Padre Island, and while my husband was buying something we needed, I took photos of a grackle preening on a pipe with his feathers glistening in the sun. It was a sight that I’ve never forgotten. I said to myself some day I'd like to design a quilt to share that beauty and moment with others. When my group voted on this project, I immediately thought of the photo and the time I shared with Mom who is no longer with us. I’d have a quilt of something that reminded me of my some of my most memorable times with Mom.

I didn’t want to do a quilt with the bird sitting on a pipe, so I did a lot of research of Texan trees, since the bird was taken during our Texan vacation. I ended up sketching a setting of the Chalk Maple, Whitebark Maple tree. It is the dominant maple in the Sabine National Forest. It has a characteristic whitish to light gray bark, and has orange and yellow leaves in the fall. I chose to sketch the maple tree setting so I could use orange, which is a complementary color of blue to help make the bird pop. So I researched the bark and leaves of the tree to give me a basis to sketch my setting for the bird.

I started by using posterize in Photoshop to find the change in values that I wanted, and then using the Block Poster website to enlarge my photo of the grackle that I had manipulated. I then printed the image into a six page poster. I drew lines on the poster to indicate where I wanted to change colors, in other words, making a pattern to use. I then traced the pattern I made for the bird onto tracing paper, placing him where I thought I wanted him, so I could sketch the branch and leaves around him in the proportional size to the bird.

One of my greatest joys in making a quilt is in choosing the fabrics and colors for the quilt. I went through my stash of blacks and purples for the bird and eventually ended up with the fabrics I thought might work. This process takes a considerable time and consideration, choosing the correct hues, values, and patterns for the piece. Of course, I had to make the same decisions for the fabric for the leaves. I was asked by one of the national quilt shows how much time the quilt took to finish. I answered: “Who knows how much time a quilt takes? I started Feb. 18. 2023, and finished the quilt April 23, 2023. I dedicated that time to the quilt and spent anywhere from 5 - 10 hours per day.”

It was tedious but FUN work. I started with the head and edges of the bird, before I proceeded to the body. I build my appliqué pieces on Pellon 830 as I usually do. That way I can move it around on the quilt. It’s backed by Wonder Under, so it can be ironed in place for appliquéing when its completed.

I finished with the bird and then felt that the lightest blue was too light. So I used my colored fabric pencils to shade those pieces so that they wouldn’t be as obvious. I felt I had finally done justice to the lighting and beauty of the grackle that I had photographed.

Next, I played with and auditioned orange and yellow fabric for the leaves I had sketched, trying to alternate the colors so that they flowed visually throughout the quilt.

Once that was completed, I had to audition backgrounds. My initial thought was to use diamonds, but I felt it would conflict with the leaves and the quilting I wanted to do. I decided on a solid background and auditioned those. Once I made that decision, I worked on the placement of the appliqué pieces, then ironed them down. Next was determining what threads to use in what areas to get the effects I wanted.

I like using 12 wt. thread to emphasize motifs in the quilting. When thread sketching the leaves with 12 wt threads, around the appliquéd leaves, and then going on with 40 wt. threads to free-motion down the background, I realized I had a problem that I’d never encountered before. Thread-sketching is drawing an outline, shape, or design with stitching, often minimalistic. In this case, it was the leaves. The thread sketched leaves “disappeared” among the quilting. They were not visible or did not stand out. I deliberated on solutions and ended up adding additional thread sketching in different 12 wt. colors, first light yellow to draw attention, then outlined those with a dark orange to make the leaves more obvious.

Once the quilting was done, I trimmed it up and attached a backing, which was sewn with right sides together, then turned and hand-stitched to the back.

It was time to name the quilt and put on a label for entry into some international shows. Preening is described as a maintenance behavior found in birds that involves the use of the beak to position feathers, interlock feather barbules that have become separated, clean plumage, and keep ectoparasites in check. I decided on “Preening On A Beautiful Day.”

I was lucky to see the quilt in three of the international quilt shows that it was juried into. One was Houston Texas, Branson Missouri, and Paducah Kentucky. Paducah was the first international quilt show that my husband had ever been to. He was amazed at how many other countries were represented and what an honor it is just to be selected.

One of my friends emailed me and told me congratulations for being selected as a feature quilt on the “Quilt Show”, which is a website with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, who judges shows. She sent me a web address and I called it up.

Then there was the description which read:

“We don’t actually think this is a raven, which we all know Ricky loves, but we love how many colors Jackie Berry used to create her beautiful “black” bird in Preening on a Beautiful Day. The quilt was exhibited at AQS QuiltWeek Paducah 2024 as part of the Small Wall Quilts – Pictorial (Sponsored by Pfaff) category. Based on a photograph by Jackie, it features wonderful fused, raw edge and machine appliquéd utilized to beautiful effect to create the textured feathered look of the centerpiece bird.

Techniques: Fused Appliqué, Raw Edge Appliqué, Machine Appliqué; Crayons; Free-Motion Quilting; Shadowing; Thread Sketching.”

It was cool to see that they had picked my bird, since the competition is SO great, from all over the world, and it’s hard to get recognition with a ribbon.

Shows

" Preening On a Beautiful Day,” selected for Special Exhibition "Quilts as Art," Moberly Area Community College, Moberly, MO March 1 – April 4, 2026

" Preening On a Beautiful Day," Special Exhibition "Call to Nature's Art," Mid-Missouri Art News/Runge Conservation-Nature Center, Jefferson City, MO Nov. 3 – Dec.6, 2025

“Preening On a Beautiful Day” juried into Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza, Oaks, PA, Sept.11-14, 2025

“Preening On a Beautiful Day”  selected for the Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival, Kansas City, MO, June 17-20, 2025

“Preening On a Beautiful Day” juried into Mancuso Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, Hampton, VA, Feb.27-March 2, 2025.

“Preening On a Beautiful Day” juried into AQS, Lancaster, PN, Sept. 11-14, 2024.

“Preening On a Beautiful Day” juried into AQS, Grand Rapids, MI. Aug. 21-24, 2024.

“Preening On a Beautiful Day” juried into AQS, Paducah, KY, Apr. 24-27, 2024.

“Preening On a Beautiful Day” juried into AQS, Branson, MO, March 13-16, 2024.

“Preening On a Beautiful Day” juried into AQS, Daytona Beach, FL, Feb. 21-24, 2024.

“Preening On a Beautiful Day” juried into IQA, Houston, TX, Nov.2-5, 2023