Fly girl
Issue #24
Felt birds get two tail feathers up
By Susan Beal
Published: June 1st, 2005 | 4:19pm
We’ve all got plain bags, skirts, or T-shirts that could use a little something extra. Add these charming felt bird appliqués for an instant wardrobe pick-me-up.
To make the birds in any size you like, just enlarge or shrink the pattern pieces on a copier, or cut them out freehand. You can sew this project by hand or use a sewing machine. I hand-sewed the pink and red bird onto a skirt pocket and machine-sewed the blue bird onto a vintage T-shirt. This is a quick, fun project — your birds will be done in an hour or so!
Materials
Two colors of felt
Needle and thread, or sewing machine
Straight pins
Step one: set up
Cut out the bird design in any color combination of felt, using the pattern pieces A-E. Arrange the pieces together placing the beak and feet first, then the body over them, and lastly, the wing and eye.
Step two: pin down
Pin the beak [A] and feet [B] in place. Pin the body [C] over the feet and beak. Next, pin the wing [D] and eye [E] on.
Step three: sew it
To hand sew, you can use tiny stitches spaced about 1/4-inch apart, or sew with a longer running stitch for a decorative element. These stitches are the same basic technique: Just bring the needle in and out, moving forward, to sew the two layers. The only difference is that the stitches that show will be either short or long. Stitch all around the edges of the first two pieces, knotting at the end.
To machine sew, follow the same steps using a medium-length straight stitch, backstitching at the end of a seam. You can also attach them using a tight appliqué-style zig-zag stitch. But since felt doesn’t fray, the straight stitch does just as well.
Step four: embellish-o-rama
Try using a small button or sequin to create your bird’s eye. You could also use a contrast thread color to stitch your bird, or embellish your seams with little seed beads or fancier embroidery stitches. The birds also look cute in a flock — try sewing a group of them in different sizes onto a garment or bag.
Crafty tip
Felt appliqués are also a great way to cover up a stain or frayed spot. Make up your own designs, too — initials, flowers, stars, anything you like!
See more of Susan Beal’s how-tos at susanstars.com and pdxsupercrafty.com.
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