whileshenaps.com

Sewing, blogging, and creative business.

ibis

I owe a big thank you to Pamela for suggesting that I might like to make an ibis.  She said she thought the long beak looked like it would be fun to make with fabric, and she was right.

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At 18″ tall this bird is one of my taller ones.

As you can tell, my brown floral tape arrived (gotta love eBay). And I used some Paperclay again, this time underneath the floral tape to create knees.  I really liked this technique. The knees dried super hard and were easy to wrap.

He is made from white linen, flour sack and red-orange and black muslin with lots of contrasting stitching in red.

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This bird has toenails, like the raptor.

Speaking of toenails, Charlie took the girls to the playground yesterday morning so that I could walk into town and get a pedicure.  So nice!  And today I woke up to two lovely presents – Roxanne make me a handprint in clay at school that she painted with gold “freckle” paint and although she claims she is hanging it up in HER room, I am actually going to hang it up in my room.  And Charlie and Simon got me an iPod.  Oh my.  I feel so high tech!  I am so excited to be able to listen to podcasts and This American Life in my studio now, far from the computer.

We spent the morning in Framingham at the New England Wildflower Society and then went out to delicious dim sum brunch at Uncle Cheung’s.  And the weather is just perfect today – cool and sunny.  I will be in the shady part of the garden this afternoon planting the mayapples and jack-in-the-pulpits we bought this morning. Happy Mother’s Day to you and to your mom, too!

Comments

  3. Amanda says

    I hadn’t noticed the toenails on your raptor before, I love little details like this! And the paperclay knees are so realistic! Yay for birds!

  4. pamela says

    fantastic job! he’s gorgeous.
    (why do I always think birds are male?) next look into yellow slippered egrets!

  5. Jen Leheny says

    Can I just delurk for a minute to tell you how bloody amazing you are and how much I love seeing your wonderful birds appear from the sketches in your book and I love the new brown taped legs and knees and claws and everything. Everything. 🙂 Well done! Jen

  6. pamela says

    ooh I forgot to say I LOVE THE LEGS! you got them perfectly! I have come up with another bird if you ever want to tackle something big and bulky- pelicans! Watching them fish is amazing its like a bomb goes off when they dive into the water.

  9. Rebecca says

    Your birds are stunning, you have a real eye for their shape and stature. I make birds too, from hand felting, I love birds!

  11. Lisa says

    Abby, they just keep getting better and better! Each time I see one of your birds I think it’s the best one yet, then you post another picture that is even more stunning! I love it!

  12. kim says

    i love seeing the creativity on your blog. your art is amazing… when are you going to assemble your aviary into a gallery opening? i’d love to see them in person (hint hint ;))