bittybirds: the blog

Here is a picture of the pillow I made our friend Douglas for his 9th birthday, featuring an appliqued version of his cockatiel, Petrie. This was an easy, no-hemming-required project that didn’t take much planning. Made entirely of fleece, it washes well. It is also a nice, snugglable alternative to a stuffed animal.

Materials:

• textured blue fleece (enough to make a pillowcase)
• fuzzy gray fleece (a small amount)
• embroidery floss in orange, black, and yellow
• two white buttons
• pillow form (I used a half-sized pillow)

Instructions:

1. Cut out a cockatiel shape from the gray fleece.
2. Cut a piece of blue fleece large enough to wrap around the pillow. Do not sew it into a pillow yet, but figure out which side you would like to use for the front. Leave a generous amount for the short side of the pillow where you will sew button closures.
3. Pin cockatiel applique to front of the pillow.
4. Sew cockatiel in place, about 1/4″ in from the edges of the cut-out, and also sew a line in place to represent the cockatiel’s wing.
5. Use black emboridery floss to embroider eye
6. Use orange embroidery floss to embroider feet (I used a chain stitch) and orange cheek patch
7. Use yellow embroidery floss to embroider beak
8. Now, sew the blue fleece into a pillowcase. Leave one side open.
9. Carefully cut small buttonholes on the front of the pillowcase.
10. Sew the white buttons in on the back inside of the pillowcase, corresponding to the location of the buttonholes. Use the orange embroidery floss for cheery effect.

And, voila–a cheery, child-sized cockatiel pillow!

How many budgies have been declared “Young Cross-Stitcher of the Year”? At least one!

Spike the budgie is a clever little sew and sew — she can do STITCHING.

And the three-year-old bird is so darn good she has been voted Young Cross-Stitcher of the Year.

Spike spent months watching her owner Sandra Battye creating patterns before picking up a needle in her beak herself.

They are now birds of a feather and work on tweed and other fabrics together.

Sandra, 31, who nursed Spike back to health after a food allergy almost killed her, said: “She would sit on my shoulder and watch me for hours.

“One day I just sat and didn’t stitch. It seemed to frustrate her. Then suddenly she picked up the needle in her beak and began cross-stitching herself. I was staggered. Now I can’t stop her.”

Link | Via Craftzine

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