My Wee Bird Tutorial ~ Ready At Last!!

Hello my dear friends,

at last I have finished the tutorial for my wee bird! It has taken me so much longer than I thought it would but sometimes things just don't work out the way we would like them to.

You will need the following:

- Fabric

- Needle and Thread

- Cotton stuffing/fibre fill

- Black embroidery thread and needle (for the eye)

- Some old book pages

- Small piece of cardboard  for the wings and tail 

- A piece of wire about 10cms long

- Glue - instant grip glue

- Modge Podge and foambrush

- Acrylic paint and brush (I chose a darker brown for the beak)

- Scissors

- Pencil

- Cardboard to make the pattern templates

- Ink pad in a brownish color and little rag

Let us start!

Print out the pattern page and make yourself cardboard templates.

Place your body piece onto the wrong side of the double folded fabric and trace. (I sew almost everything I do by hand, so I do not cut out this piece just yet but wait until I have seen the first seam - if that makes sense?!) Trace the chest piece onto a single piece of fabric and cut it out.

Sew the top seam of your bird's body first using a 3mm/1/8" seam allowance inwards from the line that you have traced onto your fabric - this line is the cutting line.

Then attach your chest piece to the body pieces (this can be tricky some times) and sew almost all the way around leaving a small opening to stuff your wee bird.

Now carefully stuff your bird - not too firmly though and sew the opening closed.

The next step is to glue your book pages to your cardboard, trace the wing and tail pieces and cut them out. I like to trace my pattern on the plain side of the cardboard, that mean you don't mess your book page side up.

Using a small rag rub and age the edges of the wing and tail pieces and let dry.

Each wing and the tail have two pieces - glue the smaller piece of each part on top of the larger one. Then them dry and then slightly bend the wing and tail over a pencil or your finger so they become ever so little rounded. This will help them stick to the body better.

Now back to the body. To make the beak, pinch the front of your wee bird flat and using needle and thread sew a few stitches to keep the fabric in place. Knot the thread off and cut it.

Now you have to give your wee bird sight!

With your pencil mark where you would like the eyes to be and using the black embroidery thread, stitch from one side of the body, through the body and let the needle come out on the other side on your pencil mark. Then stitch through the head from one pencil mark to the other making a small stitch. Go back through the head again to the first side making a small stitch yet again. When doing this pull your thread slightly to make an little indentation on both sides of the head. Now make a french knot on either side of the head. When you are done go down through the body and cut the remaining bits of thread off.

To make the feet for the little fellow, take your piece of wire ( approx 10 cms long) and wrap it around a paintbrush handle or a knitting needle to form a small spring.

Sit your wee bird down with the spring slightly infront and partially under him and attach with a few stitches either side of the spring.

Using the above photo as reference glue your wings and tail to

your bird's body with instant grip glue and let dry. And now ...

... your wee bird is finished!!!!

All you have to do is find him a home (maybe a little nest made from a old sweater that has been felted?) and even a little friend!

And last but not least ...

...you could make the wings and tail from fabric if you like for a different look. I will make a wee bird this way soon and show you it in a future post.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial of mine. I work very hard to make sure I try and explain everything as good as I can so everybody will succeed with their creation.

Have a peaceful and creative day,

Karen B.