Little Bird--A Gertie Diversion

Most of the supplies used for the project

The Thread House Academy hosted a Taster's Weekend the first weekend in April. There were three classes taught by three different teachers. Gertie, my inner squirrel, was so excited about the classes. . .ALL of them! 

Layers together ready for handwork

She convinced me to watch the three class videos. I chose to do the mini chicken pouch that Jo Avery taught. Gertie wanted me to do all of them; but, I held out at playing with just one. . . .for now!

At three inches, this project is tiny! I thought it might be fun to put USB sticks or a needle pack in the pouch. Jo put a chocolate egg in her sample which was a good idea since the class was taught near Easter.

I gathered my materials and cut my fabrics. I used the wrong side of the metallic fabric in the photo for the decorative bands on the head. The black fabric is the underside of the wings. The small scrap that I used for the top side of wings was all that I had! 

Colonial knots, running stitches 

View from the lining side

I used the red print for the bird body and the brown fabric for the head. I don't have felt that Jo suggested for the beak. Instead, I used two layers of yellow cotton fabric from my string scrap bag. I used a scrap piece of cotton batting.

The only difference between the chicken and the bird was the shape of the wings. After stitching the wings, I embellished them a running stitch, I stitched the body to the head. I added the wings and beak. 

I layered the right side of the lining to the right side of the body/head with the batting on top of both. I did trim the batting so that it was barely caught in the stitching. I then stitched a quarter of an inch around the perimeter leaving a three inch opening for turning along one edge.

View of the seam. . .you can't see it!

I trimmed the bulk from the corners and clipped the inside corner. I turned the fabric so that the batting was between the two layers. I pushed out the corners and pressed the project. What a funny looking piece it was!

It was time to begin the hand work. I stitched colonial knots on the decorative bands and running stitches in a contrasting thread on the head and body. Next, I began to assemble the pouch. I did leave a hole to be able to thread a cord into the project. I turned up one end and hand stitched the lining edges together. What I learned from this step, was that when I moved the seam to form the triangle bottom, the edges covered my stitching on the lining. I did stitch the edges of the body with a matching thread to act as a reinforcement.

Side view 

After moving the seam so that it was in the middle of the project, I stitched the end closed, again stitching on the lining. When I opened the seam, the body edges closed
over the lining! 

Next, I stitched the edges of the head together and stitched the beak together. I also left a hole for threading the cord. I added the eyes. . .which are buttons from my grandmother's button box. Smaller ones would have been better; but, I used what I had. I added the decoration on the cord which could have been a bead; but, I used a toggle button that must have been on a coat at some point. It too came from my grandma's button box. 

Other side view with the toggle button

Threading the cord through the holes was a challenge. I used a thread loop to do the job. I added a knot to the bottom and I had a finish! The cord is a way to access the pouch inside as well as close it after you have accessed it. The project  was a lot of work. I don't know that I would make a second one!

This was goal number two on my May list. Linking to Alycia at Finished or Not Friday.