Friday, 13 March 2015

Mistle thrush

Doh - the day isn't going right so far!  Today and yesterday, I have been trying to make a mistle thrush.  I was looking at pictures of them and thinking that the pose I really wanted was that alert, upright, neck-stretching thing they do.  I was really happy with the pattern, but when I came to make the final version, it turns out that flat feet - nice big, flat study feet for balancing a little bird on - don't go well with the alert look.  That would require tiptoes - which would never balance.

So meet Bob, the alert, flat-footed mistle thrush.  :-)

I think the top of his head is too round as well.

And of course, when I was ready to make him, I couldn't find any fabric that worked.  His chest and stomach are just white cotton with hand-painted spots, which looks alright I think, but his brown back and wings are too dark.  He needs to be a greyer, sandier brown.

On the plus side, I think I have come to terms with his bendy wire legs.  I've always been worried about their fragility but when I was sewing him up this afternoon, I decided I really liked the fact that he feels so delicate.  I used to work with little birds - real birds - at a wildlife rescue centre and their legs do feel really twiggy and fragile.

Anyway, onto the next thing!



 



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