strange specimens and bird work

hand stitched mushrooms

Spongy and irregular. That’s what I’m looking for, in mushrooms anyway. Strange specimens, just yanked from the earth. I want you to smell the fungal forest air.

hand stitched mushrooms

little mushroom pattern.

hand stitched mushrooms

The fabric on the mushroom with the puffy and stripey undercap was made using the bleach printing method we talked about a few weeks ago. I did one thing differently this time and made the bleach marks with a paintbrush after sewing and before stuffing

get the mushroom sewing pattern

If you’d like to invent your own shapes and sewing patterns  good place to start with sculptural/ 3 dimensional sewing (like toadstools) is by experimenting with sewing spheres. Play with the edges, taper one end, experiment with the number of pattern pieces, cut them in half etc. and see what sorts of shapes you can create.

ann wood handmade sphere patterns

The free sphere template above will help  get you started. This mini seed pod is made from the 3 part sphere template (printed much smaller) and elongated a little at one end.

hand stitched botanical expeiments

seedpod and lace fly

Tiny fly inspected, tiny fly approved.

songbirds on my work table

sewing pattern for a textile songbird

 

I’m  working on songbirds too – made from antique garment scraps. The indigos are Japanese and the earth tones are mostly linings from edwardian dresses.

get the songbird sewing pattern

hand stitched songbird

What are you making? Have you tried the needle book or the tiny dishes? I’m putting together a post of things made from my patterns and tutorials. You can send photos to me at info at ann wood handmade dot com or tag your photos in instagram with #annwoodpattern.

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5 Comments

  1. Susan Hebert

    Another idea for bleaching fabrics are Clorox pens – the type designed for stain removal – work great for creating faded/wear marks on doll clothes like jeans, too.

  2. I LOVE all these golden brown pieces of cloth you have 😉
    they surely make wonderful birds (or mushrooms)

  3. What a wonderful discovery, your web site. I cant wait to dig in and give it a go.

    V.

  4. Tammy H.

    Hello Ann
    It’s such an exquisite delight to find another “forest soul”. I adore walking through the woods behind my little cabin, searching for tiny treasures (like mushrooms). I’ve often wished there was a way to bring them home with me for company, but alas, they prefer the woods. And so, when I found your imaginative offerings and pattern (barely audible and greatly stifled squeal here!!) I ordered right away! I’ve made five in the last two days and am still quite giddy! Here is my question. After making my five, I can’t back to your site, and performed a little visual comparison. Yours look so………..ethereal! I noticed a little brown or green near the bottom to give that, as you call it, “just plucked from the ground” look. How do you get that? Is the fabric piece shredded, or torn? Please, do tell!! Thank you so much for sharing your imagination!!

  5. I’m so glad I found your website. I love your aesthetic, your projects, your whimsy, and your patterns! My primary hobby is crocheting, but I decided I needed a break from all of the counting and decided to try one of your free patterns. I made a Picnic Bug this week and I am so ridiculously pleased with it. It was a perfect start. The tiny fly on this mushroom post caught my eye and now I want one of those, too!!! Thank you for sharing

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