QUILTED

This little guy is all quilted.   Now all that is left to do is the trimming, binding, sleeve and pocket.

NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL

 As most of you know I always start with a sketch on tissue paper.  I like to place it where I plan on using it to make sure the size is right and the pose and the position.

 I cut a thin piece of background fabric to place all the feathers on.

 The eyes and tiny and require a lot of patience to cut out.

 I use the tissue to place all the eye parts.

 He looks very wierd here but you must have faith that once all this comes together and he gets a
haircut....or should I say a feather cut...he will look oh so much better.

 Better but still pretty crazy.

The feather trim helped a lot...see what did I tell you.   Now the tail feathers which are furthest back go on.

 Then the wing feathers are constructed and placed on.  Chest feathers are added and he is done.

Saw Whet Owls are very small....maybe around 7 or 8 inches.  So he sits up on this little tree like a tree top ornament.  Now to quilt him which will make his feathers come alive.

PINE TREE

Finished working on the pine tree for the most part.....next comes a surprise....you will have to stay tuned as I am not telling.

BRANCHES & NEEDLES

 Had a day to work in the studio today.  It snowed last night so had shoveling to do etc and did not go into town to work on Bob's shop that he is closing up.  So it was an unexpected treat to have a full day to work on this new piece.   I started by adding two branches to the main trunk.  I quilted the bark and then added the needles. 

Once I finished the two new branches I added a third to the foreground and proceeded to quilt the bark and add needles.  This was pretty much an entire days work but lots of progress was made.

Trouble

Well.....once in a while this happens.....Just not feeling this one.   Almost quit on it and started something else.   However....I am continuing in hopes that what I still have planned for it will bring it around to where I wanted it to go.   We will see......if it can be salvaged.
The worst thing is where the branches meet the truck of the tree.  It did not look bad when viewing it here but once photographed and put on this post I see that some are way to wide.   It is all finished and quilted onto the background so there is no changing it now.   I will "ponder" it for a while and continue with the other elements and see what I can come up with.

Tree

 In between grocery shopping and contractors showing up to give us estimates on the repair of our kitchen, I began work on my tree which is in both the foreground and the background.  I added one branch as was shown in the photo but did not like it on its own.  The Great-Horned Owl is rarely seen in the daylight and if he is,  he makes sure he is camouflaged amoungst that trees sometimes picking the densest of trees to hide in.  The photographer caught him at an unusual moment however I am choosing to at least put a bit of the short needle pine branches around him.

I returned my sketch, which I do on tracing paper, to the quilt.  I like it but it needs more.

 I added another branch to the upper portion of the quilt.

 It is okay but it needs more to look dense like a pine would be.

I added a third branch on the bottom angling it different direction and since It is in the foreground, because I will continue it in front of the bird once he is on the quilt, it is larger.

Now I will quilt these branches and add the needles with thread.