I made a chicken

Look at these delightful chickens from the Special Spring 2013 edition of Quiltmania Hen Party designed by Buttons and Bows. I cannot find a link to the designer. Quiltmania is defunct, old copies of the issue are avaiable online.
My block finishes 12 by 14 inches. Future blocks may have different proportions.

In a re-shuffling of stuff of our mother with my sisters this Christmas I ended up with some chicken feedsacks. I used some prevously as a backing of a chicken quilt for Janna several years ago and now it is time to make another chicken quilt for Beth so I can use more feedsacks on the back.
We were in charge of chickens as little girls. Feeding, gathering eggs, putting in the coop at night. A good job. Also a bit of a terrifying one when the chickens are nearly your own height.

Egg-beater crock of my Great-Grandma Meerdink
that my Grandma Dykstra used to hold her salt box
and I use to hold sewing supplies and knitting needles and pencils.

I love the original design but wanted to simplify it.
I am not including all details as it is not my original pattern. Here are my changes.
-I decided to use one fabric so the chicken is in silhouette
-Doug Leko's Mini Essential Triangle tool was used for flipped triangles
-I moved the beak down the face
-I changed the comb from applique to pieced with 1 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch backgrounds and 1 1/2 inch squares for flipped triangle
-I made the tail a bit smaller, cut 2 1/4 inch square for flipped triangle
-I used an insertion technique for the feet (explanation below)

all parts

background parts

chicken parts

flipped triangles are completed.

Chicken leg section directions:

Note red for feet is over-cut by width to 3 inches and length to 11 inches for leg section, along with a piece 3 by 5-6 inches of the feet fabric

Layer the red and the chicken fabric, making one cut through both where you want the front leg.

Reposition the chicken fabric and cut one inch from the newly angled side. 

Place chicken fabric again on the red and make a cut where the second leg will go.

Reposition the chicken fabric again and cut at one inch for the second leg.

Sew the center red part to the two legs

Add the background to both sides
Trim to finish width (2 1/2 inches)
Trim to finished length to fit the chicken

 
My adaptations--use at your pleasure.

Grandma and Grandpa Dykstra plucking chickens with us

Grandma Scholten and her chickens

Janna's chicken quilt, 2015