Owl!
Owls have been some of my favorite creatures since childhood: hearing their soft, haunting voices in the night woods from my bedroom; a rare ghosty glimpse in the trees or a flash of luminous eyes in the beam from the headlights on our country roads; my beloved worn paperback copy of Farley Mowat’s boyhood adventures with his unusual pets in Saskatoon. Later I was intrigued by their status in myth all over the world: birds of wisdom and prosperity, companions of goddesses, omens of death, divine messengers or demon spirits. And let’s own to it: a lot of them are cute. So it’s no surprise I fell for the tiny owls on Alexandra Rasmussen’s blog, Moonstitches, on my first visit. (I also fell for her beautiful quilts and photographs; she’s one of the craft bloggers whose posts I most look forward to nowadays.) I knew there were adorable sewn owls in my future.
I made this little guy last night when I realized I wasn’t going to finish the birthday present I’d started for Jen. He’s a placeholder until the real present is done. I stuffed him with wool and stiffened his bottom with a circle of cardboard from a priority mail envelope, which I figure is sort of a good joke for Harry Potter fans. And look how perfectly he nested overnight in my new 100% Philistine Made pin cushion:
I gave him to Jen at school to be her desk owl. Here he is on my desk:
… and outside at the bird bath:
(He didn’t go in, being so new and squeaky clean.)
Now I know why Alexandra says they come in swarms. I don’t know if I can resist making him a bunch of cousins. The literary collective noun for owls is a parliament.
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 4:08 am
Oh, thank you so much, Sarah!
Cute guy indeed. Very owlish eyes!
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 4:13 am
Adorable
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Owls are such magical creatures! Here in Canada I once came face to face with a Great Snow Owl during my walk to school and he just stared right through me – a little scary and totally amazing at the same time. Yours, of course, is absolutely darling. I wouldn’t blame you for sewing up a parliament
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 5:54 am
That little sewn owl is to die for!! Ah, the cuteness.
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 7:08 am
So cute! A parliament of them would be awesome!
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 9:12 am
So cute!! Great idea to make up a whole parliament to give away!
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 11:17 am
I loved the little owls when I first saw the tutorial, but I never got around to making one. I think I’ll have to give it a go (though I might have to get more fabric… I packed up my stash, so there really isn’t anything on hand), because they are still too adorable to be believed!
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
So cute… I could so easily see a whole line up on my shelf!
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
That is too cute for words!
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
He is so cute!
Posted: October 9th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Too cute! I love owls, too. I’m a little addicted to making cabled owl projects, but maybe I can move on to sewing owls, too.
Posted: October 10th, 2008 at 5:03 am
so cute!
Posted: October 13th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Love the owl! I actually collect owls so I have to make one! I think owls are good luck! : )