The Woodpecker is back!

Back in 2010 I did a post about a project my friend Mary (click on Mary's name and check out the post I did on her work) and I were going to work on!  You can see that post here.   Well, at our Aussome Study art group meeting this week, Mary brought her finished woodpecker!  Isn't it spectacular!!!!!    He measures around 11" x 14" or close to that!

This is the original picture Mary had printed for us to use as inspiration. 

 

Mary did a fantastic job on the woodpecker!!!!  I just love how she stitched him!  And her background quilting is wonderful too!

And check out the tree!!!!  I wish you could feel the fabric and see this piece in person!  It's wonderful!  Those are little holes Mary stitched in her fabric!!!!

Neither of us remember, except I had on my blog, we were going to work on the project together.  Hence, I started to create the woodpecker way back before 2010!...perhaps it was because I was into the dye painting???  We just don't remember but I was SO inspired with Mary's piece this week,  that I decided I should get my 'bird' out of hiding and finish him.

My original intent was to use real feathers and cover over my dye painting of the woodpecker.  You can see some of the feathers I had started to glue down here...this was back in 2010!

Well, I decided, even with all the feathers I've saved from my own birds, I didn't really want to glue down individual feathers.  Not sure I could get the feathers in the direction(s) I needed.  Yesterday, I tried to remove these feathers but I must have used Gorilla glue!  Yikes!  This bird may stay as is!

Fortunately, I made two dye painted birds, so I decided to bead the woodpecker instead of real feathers!


You can see the photo we are working from at the top and my dye painted bird in the hoop.  You can see the hoop marks in the next picture.

I'm just starting to outline his beak and will work beads all around the piece before I start to fill in.  This was a tip given to me by the fabulous beader, Kate Boyan (check out her work - wow!!).  She gave me this suggestion several years ago and I now start out all my beading pieces by outlining with beads.  Thanks, Kate!!



I see where I need to redraw his tail...I don't need to use dye paints as the piece will be covered in beads and cut out (then I applique it to a quilted background).  Having the colors already on the pattern do help with the shading and which beads I need in creating his feathers.

I've pulled grays, blacks, whites and red beads...starting with delica's, size 11 for the feathers.  I'm using seed beads to outline with, size 15.   And I don't even need to buy any more beads!  Go figure!  Stay tuned!  Not sure how long it will take me to bead this guy!  He's measures     3 1/2"x 10 1/2".