Spool Birds for My Niece

Baby on the way...

No, not to this house, to my sister's house in Minnesota.  My fourth niece is due to be born in February, and we're eager to meet this little one.  When I started thinking about my gift for the new baby, I tried to think outside the box.  I come from a family of talented quilters, knitters, weavers, and sewers so this baby will have no shortage of made-with-love items to welcome her home.  For my gift I wanted to challenge myself to try something new.  I was looking at ideas for nursery decorations, toys, and crib mobiles.  Several times I came across a version of a crib mobile or nursery decoration that incorporated birds and each time I liked the idea of working with birds.  The pattern I decided to use is for Spool Birds designed by Michael Fulkerson.  These birds were designed to be sewn by hand, and I thought it would be a nice break from machine sewing for awhile.  The fabric I decided to use was from an estate sale this summer--yay, I found perfect project for the vintage fabric!  I decided to make the birds in three sizes, and I started by printing out the pdf pattern.

Only 2 pieces per bird

I used nylon thread to make seams invisible

I decided to make eight total birds and that meant I didn't have to use any of the fabrics more than once. It really was delightful sewing these up.  I was picturing my niece looking at the fabrics and shapes in a few months as she lay in her bed. I chose not to put eyes on the birds, but I think the shape and fabrics are endearing as they are.

All of the seams get done except for the end of the tail and then the birds are flipped inside out and stuffed.  I put quilt batting in my birds, and I had a bit of supervision during this process.  Stewie yielded to the siren call of a warm and fluffy sleeping surface.

Yes, this quilt batting is good for snuggling

The final seam is put on the tail and then the birds, themselves, are finished.

The flock is growing

The birds were finished one day and then next day T and I went for a walk around the neighborhood in search of the perfect perching branch.  I carried home several possibilities and now we have a pile of second, third, and fourth choices in the back garden.  The chosen branch was hung from the dining room chandelier and then the birds flew up to secure their roosting positions.  There is a pair of love birds that chose to sit together, a group of chatterboxes meeting for a circle gab session, two kids hopping about on the various branch levels, and one lone bird singing to himself on the end.  The birds chose their spots and then I just secured them to the branch so they didn't have to worry about falling off.  When everyone was comfortable, we moved the branch out to the yard for a few pictures.

Here's the whole gang

Kids hopping on the left and the gab session on the right

Lovebirds

I have done a little reading about birds and it turns out they're good omens.  So, my dear niece, you'll have some powerful friends and protectors in your nursery. 

 "In fact, most things associated with birds tend to spell good fortune, such as when birds fly to your home and start making nests in and around your house. While bats bring abundance, birds bring good news and opportunities. The next time a flock of ravens, pigeons or magpies come to your home, feed them with bird seeds. Birds are also said to be powerful protectors and guardians."   WOFS.com

The birds travelled to Minnesota this week and hopefully, I'm posting this after my sister has seen the finished project.