Owlbert

I had started off with a completely different pattern and idea in mind but my sewing skills are such that my first attempt didn't look even remotely like an owl.  So I made this much simpler owl instead and even though he's a little off kilter at least he's very sturdy, looks like an owl and stands about 13 cm high.

Owl Done

 Managed to get the 2 wings fairly even and I can now do woven picots with confidence.  I outlined the wings with a running chain stitch, the head was done in 7 rows of stem stitch, 2 whipped spider wheels for the eyes, a few straight stitches for the beak and for the border I worked the scroll stitch.  I had no design or plan when I began to stitch this and am quite pleased with how it turned out :)

One Wing

 At first I was only going to work a couple of rounds of stem stitch for the head but it looked too bare. Looked much better by row number 7.  My woven picots for the wing feathers started off rather clumsily but certainly improved by the 20th one.  Hope I can get the other wing to look similar.  I also did a running chain stitch to set the wing off.  I'm definitely enjoying making it up as I go along!

My view out the window this morning of the ice still on the lake but at least water is sitting on top now. 

Stitched Owl Eyes

 I really like the look of the Whipped Spider Wheel stitch and think it works well for owl eyes.  I did a running stitch around the wheels in dark brown and the beak is a few straight stitches.  The centres are a couple of wooden beads that I painted black. 

 My finished blue bird with yellow legs!  I was delighted that I was able to get her to stand without too much difficulty.  I used 16 gauge copper wire and wrapped them both tightly with yellow wool.  I think I'll wrap the wool with yellow thread as well.

 Received this lovely artist trading card from Linda in Peterborough, Ontario.  It is so beautifully stitched and colourful.  Thank you Linda!

4 atc's I received from a swap I was part of through the Embroiderer's Association of Canada.  All so nicely done :)

Bluebird in Progress

 I so enjoyed making my Curtain Bird that I had to make another and found a nice bit of blue material to use. 

 Wings and tail added to the body.  Wire legs to come next.

 I scattered a handful of sunflower seeds on the wood box and it didn't take long for this saucy little female Redpoll to come along.

My bleak Sunday drive on a Saskatchewan highway. Not a sign of green yet anywhere.

From Curtain to Bird

 The Artful Bird by Abby Glassenberg has oodles of bird designs and patterns and I've been wanting to try my hand at making one for quite some time.  Taking an old piece of curtain material I cut out the body, wings, head gusset, tail pieces and sewed them together.  I discovered that doubling up 20 gauge copper wire will work to hold a bird this size and I wrapped the legs first with wool and then with string and low and behold my Curtain Bird stands!

 I also finished my tyvek peacock atc this week.  I will definitely get some more Tyvek to paint with metallic acrylic paint and heat with an iron to melt.  Maybe I could even use some Tyvek for bird's wings!

 The city of Regina has broken a 57 year snowfall record this winter with receiving over 196 cm of snow.  I went out at my coffee break last week to take a picture of the library where I work and all the snow.

 I work up on the 6th floor and here's a very picturesque view out of the library window.  It's very pretty with all the frost but enough with winter already!

 We started the peppers and a few celery plants for the garden and they are all up and doing nicely.

 The tomato seedlings are all doing great too.  At least we have green and growing things in the house if not outside yet.  Old Man Winter please go away!

The birds certainly are not happy with all this snow either and here are a couple of Juncos (right side) along with 2 Grey Partridges and a lone Sharp-Tailed Grouse looking for seeds. We received more snow today and tonight it's going down to -17 C or 1 F.  It just has to warm up one of these days!

Picotless Tatting

Happy International Tatting Day!  I had no idea that this day occurred on April 1st which is also my birthday.  No wonder that I've been wanting to learn how to tat for so long!! This is a small piece that I managed to tat today sans picots.  It's all done in split rings and my tension is rather poor and I had trouble with each turn but I'm just happy that at long last I'm slowly figuring out how to do it :)