Alright, I give in...

I've been sewing more and more feathers - these are bigger ones to hang around my cage in the degree show - and I keep forgetting to photograph them but here are some I prepared earlier (I feel like I'm on Blue Peter lol)

And I've been shouted at for being mean and not showing you Azadi so here's a little preview...

:) I'm not spoiling the surprise by showing you the whole thing

Here's a pretty sunset to cheer you up...

#feathers #bird #cage #sunset #myna bird

Azadi

I finished iiiiiit! My cage is all sewn together and Azadi doesn't look like he's walked into a wall anymore, I'm so happy.
Now, I'm not going to show you a photo of it - you can see it on opening night when everyone else can see it :) but you can look at this feather I'm sewing instead:

#feather #sewing #bird #cage

So much pain...

I've still not stopped sewing but it keeps going a bit disasterously. I got very excited after I'd made my wings on the weekend so I decided to sew my bird together (I've decided to call him Azadi - it means 'Freedom' in Hindi or thats what google translate said, I hope it doesn't mean 'shoe' or anything) and managed it after breaking my new sewing machine, fixing it, and going through 3 needles. But the beak moved when I was sewing - they're sneaky like that - so it looks like a cartoon bird that's walked into a window which wasn't really the look I was going for.
I spent the last 2 days sewing my cage together and it's still not quite finished. It's just being awkward really - the wire keeps breaking needles (I've gone through about 10 the last 2 days) and it wont fit to sew in a circle and the base is too small so everything's got to be re arranged. It wouldn't be too bad but because of how it's been made a lot has to be hand sewn and I've folded the fabric so it doesn't fray then folded it again to sew into a bar so every piece is 4 layers which is great fun when I'm sewing folded bits which are about 16 layers of fabric. I gave up about 5 hours ago and still haven't got all the feeling back in my thumb.
I did have come cookie dough icecream to cheer me up when I got in so I think tomorrow's gonna be a good day. Everything will get finished cos there are only a few more little bits to do so it can get photographed for the degree show catalogue on Thursday. Oh god I hand in in just over a week!

#myna bird #cage #hand sewing #icecream #deadline

Wings...

I've spent the whole weekend locked away in my room in my own little nest trying to finish sewing my wings together:

 hours and hours and quite a few stabs to the fingers later my wings have been sewn together! I do still need to sew the wings to the body and the body together and give it legs and make the cage but I'm celebrating this step anyway. Celebration cake anyone :)

#sewing #wings #embroidery #celebration cake #myna bird

Hoorah!

I've finally sewn all my feathers!

Now all I need to do is do a little bit of seeding on his chest/back and sew him together! It's a bit exciting

 

#sewing #myna bird #feathers

The end is (sort of) in sight...

I've been sewing and sewing and sewing my feathers and dont really seem to be getting much further which is quite frustrating. I have to keep telling myself that it's the embroidery taking so long and once I've done the base colour there's all the highlight/shade to do which takes longer but after a few hours sewing (where you have started to smell something a bit funny which I can only assume is the machine overheating...) and you look no further on it's a bit disheartening. Oh well, I've gone 1 wing all done and am sort of, almost, nearly half way through the other one...

I have had to find ways of entertaining myself so the slowness this is progressing doesn't make me eat too much chocolate and I thought I'd share my smiles for today - this was as I looked out of my window when I was writing this and the 2 seagulls looked like they were stood on the edge of the window (I think the funny smell the sewing machine was giving off has gone to my brain a little bit...)

 And this was just a pretty sky - look how blue it is!

#feathers #myna bird #sewing #machine embroidery #seagulls #sunset

Feathers Galore...

I know, I've been very bad over easter and not done as much work as I should have on my studio modules. In my defense I spent a week on work experience with Poppy Treffry down in Cornwall which was loads of fun, everything in my house if beautifully folded now lol. I did really enjoy it and it did help everyone was slightly mad (but all the best people are) and lovely. I also had a sneaky holiday but I think my skin reflected the sunlight cos you can't tell. I did keep trying to do work after but there as a deadline for one of my lectures that got in the way but now that's all handed in and celebratory cake has been had I can concentrate on my bird. I should really name him or her, any suggestions?
I have done some work for it the last few days, I've drawn a couple of feathers and I've drawn out all the pieces for my bird but I regred doing that now cos there are a lot and it's a bit daunting...

#poppy treffry #work experience #drawing #feathers #myna bird