Sewing Owls with the Little Ladies

My girls have been begging me to make them each an owl with feather tufts. We came up with a pattern which inspired them both to make their own. They each sewed every part of these owls. Araina (5) made the blue and green owl, Fauna (7) made the pink and brown owl.


I provided them each with an embroidery hoop, #16 embroidery needle, felt of their choosing, and embroidery floss.


They cut out their owl bodies and threaded their needles (2 pieces from the 6 piece floss). We always add just a little dab of glue onto the center of the felt piece to keep the felt from slipping while they are sewing. I have found this method easier than pins, just make sure to put the glue only where there will be no stitching. Pushing a needle through dry glue is hard!

Then the sewing began. This is Araina's first major sewing project, she is a natural!

This is Fauna's first sewing project using the hoop, which she loved. She has become quite the little handsewer, she sews fast and is quite a natural at it too.

Both owl bodies are now complete. Click on this photo to get a close-up of the stitching.

They were both very proud of this first accomplishment.

Next, they picked out the colors of the owls' details, cut out the pieces and laid them out to see if the colors fit their visions. Here is Araina's vision......

Here is Fauna's vision; she later replaced the white eyes with brown.

Now to stitch on the details.

The finished products turned out GREAT!!! They were so proud of themselves! I too was proud of them!

I stitched on a brooch backing for Araina and Fauna's will be made into a necklace.

The girls loved this and actually made these owls in one sitting (about 2 hours). Araina loved this experience and had very little trouble. She is now working on her own turtle pattern for a future brooch. Fauna is working on a kitty pattern. Fauna posted more photos of her sewing here. Araina wrote a poem about her owl here.