Sunday, June 24, 2012

Cheep, Cheep

Several months back my teenager asked if she could borrow my pin cushion because she was going to attempt to make something with needle and thread. This being a rare occurrence I quickly agreed.

Now, the pin cushion in question was hand made for me by a dear friend about 15 years ago. It is a wee little basket that she wove just for me and stuffed with lambs wool and I have used it with joy ever since.

Enter the family dog...a being that is only allowed to continue living in my house because my youngest son is completely and totally in love with her. Ask anyone who knows me my feelings on this pint sized four legged pest and they will be quick to tell you there is no love lost on Marie the dog.

She is forbidden in my spaces...but sneaks in just the same often enough to irritate me. She's well past puppy stage but seems to delight in chewing anything in her path and many things that should be well out of reach of her stubby little legs.

Put a borrowed pin cushion on the floor of a teenager's room for just a split second and Marie was there to snatch it up and run under the bed with it. The teenager brought the mangled cushion to me, full of sorrow and disbelief that the dog had so quickly pounced. She had rescued it before it was completely destroyed, however, it was damaged enough that it will need repair before it sees any further use.

I tucked it away for that future date that I can locate a basket weaver to do the repairs, as sadly my friend who made it passed away several years ago.

I have need of a pin cushion often enough that being with out one is a problem. My frugal nature combined with my shameless supply horde made the idea of buying a plain Jane tomato from the store out of the question. Not to mention I'd been using a hand made one for over a decade and I certainly wasn't going to buy a factory made one now.

At first I thought I would just all quick like stitch up a stream lined functional one. But then I decided to treat myself and scoured the internet for patterns. And the little bird spoke to me.

And then I decided to add just a touch of sparkly pretties...but I have no edit button. And then what was to be some "light bead work" got a tad more elaborate. And then the front end of the bird was heavy enough to throw the little avian off balance and it needed a counter weight on the tail. And then I loved it so much I had to make more....as I said, I have no edit button and I also fail at keeping things simple.

And low, the flock was born.

It's hard to say if I have a particular favorite, but I do believe that I am most proud of the peacock. It took the most time as the bead work is the most elaborate.

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The little brown bird, one of the earlier and simpler ones is still pretty fun.

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And it's the swirls that get me on the cream and gold.

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Two of these pretties can be found for sale in my Etsy shop, the other fine feathered ladies have already found homes. And of course there are more in the works. (Yes, yes, I know male birds are the colorful ones..it's just they tell me they are girls.)