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feather

ed

frien

ds

tomake

theartful

abigail patnerglassenberg

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2

MAKING WINGSAND TAILS

I often wait until I have a turned,

stuffed, standing bird before I decide

what sort of wings it might have and

what color scheme to use. To me, the

wings are a blank canvas, and this is

my opportunity to be creative with

colors, textures, and materials. The

simplest method is to make quilted

wings and tails. Wings and tails

with feathers take more time, but

also add complexity, texture and

visual interest.

Creating Quilted

Wings and TailsThe simplest way to create wings

and tails is to sandwich batting

between fabric layers and quilt to

add dimension and visual interest.

This is a fast, but still beautiful, way

to make wings and tails. I like cotton

batting best, but polyester batting will

also work for these projects.

Cut a piece of batting roughly the

shape of the wing or tail, but 14"

(6 mm) larger. Cut two pieces of

fabric this same size, and placethem right sides together. Put the

fabric on top of the batting, creating

a sandwich: batting on the bottom,

then two layers of fabric, right sides

together, on top. Iron the pattern

piece on top of the sandwich [1].

Stitch around the pattern piece

through all layers, leaving an open-ing of about 1" (2.5 cm) for turning

[2].

Pull off the pattern piece and trim

the seam allowance around the

stitching line to 18" (3 mm).

stuffed bird

basicbirdmaking

techniques

fgure 1

fgure 2

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Insert forceps between the twofabric layers and grasp the farthest

tip of the wing. Gently pull the wing

right side out. Iron it at and tuck

in the raw edges of the opening,

ironing them at as well [3]. Stitch

the opening closed with a ladder

stitch.

Now, quilt the wing. I like to draw afeathery design with a disappearing

fabric pen and stitch over it on the

machine [4]. Handquilting can give

a beautiful effect, too.

Creating the Base for

Feathered Wings and Tails

The rst step in creating a feathered

wing is to sew up a wing base that will

hold loops, punched shapes, or other

feathery embellishments. The wing

and tail bases can be any fabric color,

because they will be covered later and

will not show.

Cut two pieces of fabric roughly

the shape of a wing but 14" (6 mm)

larger. Place them wrong sides to-

gether. Iron the wing pattern piece

on top [5].

Repeat for the other wing and

the tail.

Stitch alongside edge of freezer

paper around the pattern piece

through both layers. Remove

freezer paper. Cut out the shape

through both fabric layers, cutting

18" (3 mm) from stitching [6].

Wings and tails have raw edges and

are not turned.

fgure 3

fgure 4

Making Looped FeathersTo create looped feathers on wings

and tails with torn strips of fabric,

I like to use quilting cottonit tears

very easily and in straight lines

on either the lengthwise or cross-

wise grain. To tear strips, make a

series of snips along one edge of the

fabric, about 12" (1.3 cm) apart (it

is not important to be exact about

this). Tear the fabric using the

snips as starting points. Continue

tearing until you have a good pile of

strips. Twelve to fteen strips are

needed for a one wing, so several

dozen in a few different colors will

be needed to complete one bird

[7]. You can press the strips if

they are curled on the edges.

fgure 6

fgure 5

fgure 7

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Quails are small, plump birds that

nest on the ground. Whimsicalhead feathers and colorful plum-

age make this bird an especially

attractive finished piece. I like to

give the quail long, flirty eyelashes

to add to its allure. Because thisbird is a ground dweller, it does

not stand on wire legs; its rotund

body is weighted with a smooth

stone inserted during stuffing, so

that it stays upright.

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making quail

1 Trace pattern pieces and cut out of freezer paper.

2 Pre-wash and iron all fabrics.

3Cut two side body pattern pieces from white cotton fabric.

Transfer all markings. Cut one bottom gusset and one head

gusset from white cotton fabric. Transfer all markings.

4Pin bottom gusset to one side body from point A to point B.Stitch. Pin bottom gusset to other side body from point A to

point B. Stitch.

5Pin head gusset to one side body from Point C to Point D andsew. Pin head gusset to other side body from Point C to Point Dand sew.

6Sew remainder of bird between Point A and Point C and

between Point B and Point D, leaving the opening for turningand stuffing as marked.

7Clip curves and reinforce seams as needed. Turn quail right side

out with forceps, pulling head into body first and then pulling

the rest of the body through the opening.

5

materials14yard (23 cm) white cotton

fabric for body

Scraps of colorful cotton for

wings, crest, and tail, about 12yard

(45.5 cm) in total

Small scrap of brown cotton fabricfor beak, about 2" 2" (5 cm 5 cm)

15" (38 cm) of 18-gauge

aluminum wire for crest

10 ounces (284 g) wool or

polyester stufng

Brown embroidery oss

Smooth stone for weighting, about

112" to 2" (3.8 cm to 5 cm) in diameter

Thread

toolsFreezer paper

Scissors for paper and fabric

Disappearing fabric marker

Pins

Appliqu pins

Sewing machine

Forceps

Hand-sewing needle

Wire cutters

Craft glue

Round craft punch for crest

(optional)

pattern piecesQuail Side Body {cut 2}

Quail Bottom Gusset {cut 1}

Quail Head Gusset {cut 2}

Quail Wing {cut 4}

Quail Tail {cut 2}

Quail Beak {cut 2}

See

BasicBirdmaking

Techniques

sectionforbasic

construction

information

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contentsIntroduction

Tools and Materials

Basic Birdmaking Techniques

Patternmaking

Fabric Selection

Stitching Methods

Turning and Stufng

Wire Legs and Feet

Beaks and Eyes

Wings and Tails

Resources

Index

profiles and galleryBirds by Abigail Brown, Tamar

Mogendorff, Jennifer Muskopf,

and Ann Wood

6

projectgallery

projectsBird Ornament

Bird in a Nest

Mini Assemblage

Wren

LarkCrow

Quail

Chick

Swan

Woodpecker

Penguin

Owl

Owlet

Raptor

Wading BirdFlamingo

Gull

Hen with Eggs

Peacock

wren

wading bird

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flamingo

gallery 7

chick

penguin

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join theflock!Create your own aviary of charming, beautifully detailed,

one-of-a-kind fabric bird sculptures with basic machine-

and handsewing, embroidery, and mixed-media craft tech-

niques. presents 19 incredibly charming,

quirky, personality-lled birds for you to make!

Through a detailed chapter of step-by-step basic bird-

making techniques and tips, you will not only learn to

make these cute creatures, but also discover how to draft

your own patterns for almost any birdreal or imagined.

Inside youll also nd Glassenbergs creative ideas to give

each bird individual character and personality, from using

paint and glitter to adding collage elements. Plus, check

out an international gallery of birds from other noted

fabric bird makers for more inspiration!

Abigail Patner Glassenberg has been making award-winning soft toys and soft sculptures since 2005. She has mademore than 100 birds of every variety, selling them in galleries,boutiques, craft shows, and online. Her work has also beenfeatured in magazines including Cloth Paper Scissorsand insewing, craft, and soft sculpture books. She lives in Boston,Massachusetts.

paperback, 8 9, 144 pagesisbn 978-1-59668-238-2, $24.95

available january 2011