Birds on Felt or Fabric Tutorial

This technique works as well for rabbits, cats, etc... as well as my beloved birds..

I embroider the birds (or animal) on felt or fabric backed with fusible tricot, cut it out and applique it to a block.. As in these goldfinches, I tucked in a little cotton before the final stitches to the block to "plump" them out...

If I use felt I use  a firm high quality felt in a neutral color or a color that blends...I use felt that is available at fabric or craft store.. Most any felt will work but you don't want something too cheap that will pill or too stiff as some squares are.....  If I use fabric, I use a fine cotton and back it with fusible knit tricot interfacing.  Unless you back it, the fabric will unravel at the edges when you cut it out.

 I either sketch or trace the bird on the felt/fabric. Then very first step is to outline it in a VERY TIGHT chain stitch...for two reasons. 1. Felt has a tendency to stretch and you don't want your robin turning into an eagle.... 2. The tight chain stitch defines the edge nicely and you can weave all outer stitches into it and it makes cutting it out later very tidy indeed.. When it comes time to applique the motif onto something you can weave your stitching into this same tight chain stitch....

After I finish the chain-stitch outline I add some "contour guidelines" I have a tendency to focus so hard on my fill-in stitches that they wander off in all directions... Following the guidelines give the body of bird or animal shape and also provides the "grain" or direction of the fur or feathers....

Then I begin filling in with long and short stitches in the base colors... I keep the stitches rather irregular in length because it gives a feathery look... The "contour guidelines" are incorporated into the stitching and become invisible... I am about to start the tail and use guidelines there also.... Since this is on a stumpwork round robin I am doing the wing separate (as shown) and will attach it at the end so the vignette has even more dimension.

Now I will finish the tail and use some white, light blue and darker blue to do some shading.... Just like painting... 

Once that is done I turn it over so I can see where the original chain stitch is done and using small scissors I cut right next to the chain stitch... You have a nice secure edge for applique...nothing to turn under or fray......

Here are the front and back of the cover for my featherweight sewing machine.. The photo on the Singer cover is my grandmother at about 15 years old.

Addendum: I received an e-mail asking me to be more specific as to how I applique the birds (flowers, rabbits, etc.) to the block with the stitching appearing invisible...

The very first step was to outline your motif in a VERY TIGHT chain stitch...for two reasons. 1. Felt has a tendency to stretch and you don't want your robin turning into an eagle.... 2. The tight chain stitch defines the edge nicely and you can weave all outer stitches into it and it makes cutting it out later very tidy indeed.. When it comes time to applique the motif onto something you can weave your stitching into this same tight chain stitch....

With this photo of Arlene's bird you can see I am only part way through doing the long and short. As I start the green tail I will weave the long and short stitches along the edge right into the chain stitch.

Once that is done I turn it over so I can see where the original chain stitch is done and using small scissors I cut right next to the chain stitch... You have a nice secure edge for applique...nothing to turn under or fray...... Then I use matching threads and stitch the applique down catching the thread into that original "very tight chain stitch" and occasionally weaving it a stitch or two into the applique.. ... literally making the attachment process part of the motif.

As I go around the motif I change the thread I am using to match the colors in the motif... So on Arlene's bird I will use green, blue and red as I sew it down...

As you can see on the with the goldfinches it would had been yellow, white, and black...