a bird craft with my little birdies

Little man has had a random fever for several days. No other symptoms. Just a fever that leaves him tossing and turning at night when it gets high.

Its kind of throwing my game off.

I HATE it when my babies are sick, and something about little man being pale and tired and cozy up to me, telling me his little thoughts, so sweet and sad.

He is leaning up on me now as I type.

"I cant wait to be nine. It will be SO fun."

So we have a snuggle morning.

The girls build block towers. We read Buscuit together, little man sounding out the words. And yes, the sun is shiney outside but, I gardened yesterday, planting more kale and peas and sunflowers and some turnips (which I dont really like but, whatever.) So today, no gardening. Today is just reading and sitting and maybe a craft, seeing as its craft Tuesday of course. Ha.

Its funny how life creeps along, and then seems to run at full pace. I cant believe this little man is going to be seven. SEVEN. Its like ten is just around the corner. Ten. And then you will start to see his little man face peek out from his child face.

Now we are talking about where the keys are on the computer and how can mama type so fast. Without looking. Did you just write that mama? Yes.

Really though. Crazy right? How quickly it goes...and how it takes forever. Like they say, the days are long but the years are short.

When I was young and adventurous I spent some time hanging out in Brazil, doing various young and adventurous things, and met this lovely lady, like a big sister to me, who had two adorable little fuzzy haired babies. We made brownies and drank coke out of glass bottles and gabbed late at night. And now her babies are graduating high school. And I think, I am that old? Those fuzzy haired little babies are wonderful teens going off and doing amazing things?? And soon too that will be me, releasing my little birdies into the sky. Hoping, praying, they fly strong, true to themselves, loving the big world around them.

And this is to say nothing about that little 18 year old I was then. Am I flying strong, true to myself, loving the world around me?

Ah ha. A tie in!

I had planned to blog about this bird craft we had done. Birds. Releasing my birdies. Ha.

Too much?? It totally is, sorry!

In any case. You know me. I am all about writing what is in me in the moment. And that is it, for better or worse.

SO. A Bird Craft.

I saw, of course, a little mobile on pinterest and fell in love. Little colorful birds made out of wool roving, hanging from a branch.

We first dyed some wool from my mom's farm. This is easy enough, if you have access to wool. Just heat some water, to boiling, pour in various large bowls, add a good glug of vinegar and several drops of food coloring per bowl. Just stick a bunch of wool in, stir it around, and wait. Its done when you can lift the blob of wool out of the bowl and the water is fairly clear. The vinegar causes it to adhere to the wool.

So, if you dont have piles of wool lying around like here, you can also buy predyed wool at JoAnns or Michaels or you can order it online at various places (just google I guess)

Now, as to the bird making part.

Basically its just folding wool around a longish piece for the wings, stuffing some extra in for the head and belly, tying off the tail and head with thread, and then adding a tiny beak and needle felting it all into place.

Here are some pictures if you cant follow that. (HA.)

Hope you and your birdies are enjoying these summer days. Just makes me more and more mindful to EMBRACE it, LIVE it, BE in it, and yea, even those crappy days like where kids fight over couch cushion forts and end up in a kicking match on the floor (this is what is going on at my house right now. HA HA HA) And, oh, yep, just took crabby little misses temperature....CRAP.

Happy crafting mommies!

soaking our wool

little man's bird...kind of duckish looking...

so first, i needle felting the wing piece to be firmer

the long piece is for the body. the shorter to stuff in the belly and head

lay the wing piece on the long piece

fold over the long piece, add in stuffing

tie off head and tail

needle felt it all into place

the finished birdie

we found a stick outside and tied the birds up with thread.
as i write they are swaying in the breeze...pretty, right?
i'm thinking of adding felted bees later this week, maybe flowers too