Hand-Embroidered Felt Owl

"A wise old owl sat in an oak,

The more he heard the less he spoke.

The less he spoke, the more he heard,

Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?"

~Traditional

I've always liked owls. One of the first 'real' ornaments I had in my bedroom as a girl was an owl in a mortar board sat on a stack of books. I think their association with wisdom and general 'bookishness' is one of the reasons they have always appealed to me. Whatever the reason, I felt compelled to make a little owl out of felt last month, so I did. I finished this little guy a couple of weeks ago, but I've only just got around to photographing it.

I was really pleased with how it turned out as I only started out with a rough idea of what I wanted and it just evolved as I went along. I'm not one for making patterns, so I just winged it and I love how it turned out. It is entirely hand sewn, and since I find needlework very relaxing, this little chap was a delight to make. I'm not quite sure where she will end up, but for now she is enjoying hanging out with my Dickens books, which are presided over by my treasured owl bookends.

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