Owl Tutorial

4" X 4 1/2" X 2"

This darling little feathered buddy is easy to make!

Create a flock and share them with your friends!

Right click on template photo.

Select save picture.

When you print the templates, enlarge 200% for accurate size.

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Cut one owl body shape from each of your two co-ordinating fabrics

Use the same fabric for the owl's front head peak from the same fabric you used for your owl's back.

Cut circles from wool that compliment your other two fabrics for the base of the owl's eyes.

Cut a beak from a yellow piece of wool.
If you don't have wool for these steps, cotton fabric will work just as well

Pin or apply a light glue to set the peak to the top of the front owl piece and secure with a stitch of your choice. I used a simple zig-zag stitch on my sewing machine.

To add the eyes, center a button on a wool circle and sew into place.

Sew that unit to the owl's face near the forehead peak. Repeat for the second eye.

Position the beak between the eyes and down a bit. Secure with a stitch of your choice.

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Fold the bottom piece in half, point to point. Finger pinch at the fold.

Fold the owl's body in half lengthwise and finger pinch just at the bottom at the fold.

Lining up your pinched marks, pin half of the owl's bottom piece, right sides together, to the bottom of the owl front piece.

Begin sewing the pieces together 1/4" in from the points and stop sewing 1/4" from the end. Back stitch in both places to keep stitching secure.

Fold the owl's back piece in half and pinch at the bottom. As before, pin the other side of the owl's bottom to the owl's back piece beginning and ending 1/4" from edges.

Match up your owl's front and back pieces, right sides together. The owl's bottom piece should be pulled away from the body so it doesn't get caught up in your stitching.

Begin sewing right where the owl's bottom piece joins the owl's body pieces. Back stitch as you begin and end your sewing.

Stop sewing just under the ear area with a back stitch on one of the owl's sides.

Leave an opening to turn your owl right-side-out. This is also where you will insert your stuffing.

On the opposite side of the owl, begin sewing with a back stitch where your owl's bottom piece joins the owl's body pieces as before.

Stop sewing using a back stitch at about an 1 1/2" or so of where you plan to leave an opening for turning and stuffing.

Turn your owl right-side-out and insert your weighty item into the bottom area of the owl.

Fill the rest of your owl with stuffing and close up your insertion area by hand with an invisible whip stitch.

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To make the owl's wings, layer one fabric right side facing down, batting in the middle and the coordinating fabric facing up.

Trace two wing shapes on the fabric that is on top, facing up, with a wash away marking pen.

Using your machine and a simple straight stitch, sew just inside your drawn line about 1/8" from the raw edges following the outline of the wings.

Cut out the two sewn wing units. You are ready to stitch them on the owl.

Position each wing on the sides of the owl's body.

Using the numbers as a guide, sew wings on following these steps:

Bring needle up at 1

Take thread over and insert in 2

Take thread under, then up at 3

Take thread over and insert at 4

Repeat this process at least twice for each wing.

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You now have a new oWLiE friend!

Enjoy and share!

If you like this project, post a link on your blog or send a link to your friends!

Owl Softie by Melissa Kroff Lawrence is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Based on a work at melsownplace.blogspot.com

Update May 5, 2009

Robin at Robin Hearts Quilts made one!! Don't you love her color selection??