Spring Birds

So, I've been working on these little guys all spring (and part of winter).

If you've just joined us, you can find the solo posts for each of the birds here: 

Robin,

Goldfinch,

 Cardinal,

and Blue Jay.

It's been thrilling to create them - all the aspects of making a new Menagerie critter are - and I always learn so much about the animals in the process. I have the internet to thank, of course, for any anatomical accuracies. But there's also my backyard and bird feeder, where I watch these birds in action and get to verify the exact shades of yellow or turquoise or rust, they way they perch and fold their wings, or hold their tails as they sit. Rendering a real life thing as a toy isn't a prescriptive process, regardless of how closely I want to represent it, and I often have to adapt some feature or other to make it work in fabric. How much artistic license, where and how: those are some decisions I make, and then I tweak. It invariably takes longer than I imagine it would, but it's a lot of fun, and the finished outcome is so worth it.

I love that within just one taxonomic class, there are almost infinite variations of color, heads, beaks,  

wings, tails . . .

And they're all in my new sewing pattern, Spring Birds, 

so you can make them, too!

I'm also preparing some kits of materials for the shop, so you can pick up all the things you need  - fleece, felt, eyes, poly pellets, everything but the thread and stuffing, really - to make these birds. Check back later this week for updates - both the pattern and kits will be available very soon!