Tutorial: How to make a Snooty Birdie

I have been playing around with my Snooty Bird deisgn, tweaking it a little and I thought it might be nice to document it here with photos’n'stuff.

“How to make a Snooty bird” tutorial

First, choose the fabric… oooh, but it’s so hard! I’ve chosen some Farmer’s market by Sandi Henderson.

I’ve made a template using an old manila folder card. It’s easy to cut and quite sturdy, it’s cheap and on hand. I tend to get nervous about using templastic because I don’t want to waste it if I make a boo boo. Once you finish refining the shape, templastics probably the way to go in the durability stakes.

Next, cut out the wings. I’ve freestyled it here, and gone for louder fabric as a contrast. Mmmm, Chocolate Lollipop (the fabric that is- by Anna Maria Horner). I tend to draw the shape I want and then eyeball a (really rough) 1/4 inch seam allowance as I’m cutting (because I am lazy- so, so, so, lazy).

The next step I’ve called lazy basting, because I’ve never basted and this seems like the most economical way to go about it. If you have any nuggets of info for me about basting, please drop me a comment.

I pressed the seam allowance around the shape of the template with the edge of my iron. Then I tacked all the way ’round the seam allowance and tightened, securing the fabric around the template. After this, I popped the template out of the basted fabric and pressed flat. Neato, huh?

This is the inside, so neat and tidy. Next, cut out the fabric for the body of the bird. Fold fabric over right sides facing and pin. Cut around, eyeballing your 1/4 inch allowance.

Next step is to sew the wings on each side, then right sides facing in, pin back together and sew around, leaving a gap big enough to turn inside out and stuff.

Where the fabric curves around (like the beak area), do some snips (careful not to cut through the stitches!) to stop the seam from twisting. Turn in the right way and press.

Stuff with polyfill, or filler of your choice, using a chopstick or skewer to push stuffing into the pointy ends of the birdie.

Using a whip stitch, sew closed as discreetly as possible. Next step is to sew the eyes in place with an embroidery floss using a french knot.

With needle half way through the fabric, wind floss around the needle three or four times. Pull needle through and secure through fabric again. Repeat this perhaps three times until eye is desired size.

Now your birdie is finito! Careful he doesn’t fly away!

Tags: Anna Maria Horner, baste, Fabric, french knot, sandi henderson, snooty bird, tutorial

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