Day School for Owls

No its not a new class at Hogwarts :-) this was the latest Day School at the Lytham St Annes Embroiderers Guild; making Applique Owls with Lizzie Wall.
Lizzie came to speak to us last year regarding her work making quilts, wall hangings and other items using the Raw Edge Applique method. See the posts about this here, here, here and also here.
By using a paper backed fusible product, such as HeatnBond; you can cut the shape precisely as you want it without adding on a seam allowance or turning it under.

 One of the tables at 'Owl' Day School, above, showing work in progress.

With this method you fuse the product to the back of your fabric, fussy cut out your shape ie feathers and wings, beaks and tails or as with the Owl above;  cut out flowers make pretty feathery bits around the legs and chest. This adds a softer touch to the very modern pattern on the body.
Paisley is great for feathers and plumes as with the Green Owl in the pic below, waiting for his paisley feathers to be added on.

Peel off the paper backing and then fuse in place ( take care to place a piece of baking parchment over the fabric to be fused to protect your iron from the glue).
This method is a very popular way to make Art Quilts and allows you to build up layers very quickly before doing any sewing. It also makes it much easier to make complicated looking designs as shown by the wonderful Owls created on the day by our members attending the class.
Here as some examples below.

Cut out a fancy swirl to make a plume on the head, above, or as the lady making this owl informed me "its a girl so its wearing a fascinator". She will also be adding some 'bling' once she starts sewing and quilting the various elements.
The owl wings are made up of various fabric pieces that are layered up. Don't you just love the brown flowers that make up the feathers on the legs? They look like fancy pantaloons or bloomers. Cracks me up :-)
A sweet Chick, below, with jade leaves decorating the head and chest, with floral paisley wings. Notice the pink legs. So Cute. This also shows how fabric choice can be used to determine gender and the age of the owl or animal. 

The male owls seem to be darker in colour with  the more obvious feminine colours being used for the 'girls'. Babies seem to be made up of paler fabrics and have less detail, giving them an 'innocent' wide eyed look. Or perhaps I am just being fanciful? What do you think?

  

 This owl on a blue floral background, above, seems to be a little older than the jade coloured owlet previously, but still seems to be a youngster. It could be either a he or a she. The blue body is a nice touch as are the shoulder feathers giving the appearance of a collar on a cape....... Now these owls really are taking on personalities and even have their own style of dress and fashion :-) 

 The rather dapper owl, above, on the red background, is looking very regal. Perhaps, he or she is a member of Owl Royalty? Loving the fern feathers on the chest.
Below, this Dame, knows a thing or two, and is all dolled up for a night on the town in a gorgeous blue feather boa, or maybe its a Mayoral Chain of Office? Perhaps I have been watching too much of a certain Warner Bros film.....

I do hope that no owls were offended by their descriptions. They really are beauties, though aren't they? 
Thank you to Lizzie Wall for tutoring us on the day, click here to see some of her own Owls.
More of the Lytham St Annes Owls are making their debuts in the next two posts. Stay tuned.