Saturday, December 06, 2008

Chirpy cheep cheep!

When I first saw these birds on Nellie's Needles I knew I'd have to make one. Nellie made the pattern available for anyone to use - with a request to send a picture or a link when a bird was made. This is my 'S'Mockeryfied' version of Nellie's bird.




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The fabric for the back is very fine space dyed silk, overprinted with matt gold metallic paint. I quilted it onto a piece of thin felted fabric. The wing is yellow sari silk with woven gold spots, treated in the same way. The wing was not stiff enough, so I applied it to a piece of synthetic felted dishcloth. The gussets are made of the same dishcloth fabric. I added a couple of rows of buttonhole stitch in perle cotton around each wing, and some decorative hand stitching on the breast and under the tail in stranded cotton. Buttons to attach the wings, and beads for the eyes and there it is! The legs are galvanised wire pushed through plastic electrical sleeving (it makes the wire easier to bend) covered in buttonhole stitch. Here's a close-up:


(Click on photo for bigger image)

and here's a view of the other side:


(Click on photo for bigger image)

I think I'll be making more of these, and I think I'll add a bit more 'bling' to this one and use it as a Christmas ornament!

To see all of Nellie's birds, and others made from her pattern, go to her blog and click on the 'bird' label in the sidebar.

7 comments:

Nellie's Needles said...

What FUN! That is a beautiful bird with all the stitchery and complex cloth ... and stitch wrapped legs. WOW!

Thank you for sharing it with me. I'll post about it on my blog and include it in the picasa album soon.

FARBTUPFER said...

So beautiful!
Regards
Waltraud

jenclair said...

Wonderful! A unique interpretation of Nellie's charming birds!

arlee said...

Definitely cute!!!!!!

Mandi said...

what a beautiful bird!!!

Guzzisue said...

aaahhh, so cute!

Conni said...

Love this!!!