At my day job, I work with school children, and there is an obsession with birds at the moment. This has spurred on a range of bird related drawing, craft and play.

One afternoon, I noticed some paper and pipe cleaner bird wings costume trickling out of the craft area. It reminded me of this project I had cut out a few years ago and not worked out how to finish it. It was a wings costume.

So I pulled all the pieces out and had another look. I had cut two quarter circle pieces and several rows of “feathers” out of poplin.

bird wings costume base
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Firstly, cut two quarter circle pieces. these will be the “base” of the wings. I finished the edges by zig zagging over them.

I think were I had got stuck previously was how to finish the raw edges. Maybe I had planned to back the wings. But with fresh eyes, I decided a simple zig-zag stitch over the raw edges would suffice. The feathers edges I left raw, I hope any fraying that occurs to them through use will add to their feathery look.

feather fabric
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feather pieces. I made a simple pattern by folding up a piece of paper, then cutting the shape I wanted the wings to be. I then used this pattern to cut lengths of fabric.

I only added three rows of feathers to each wing. I think its enough of a suggestion of feathers to make them look like wings. I applied the feathers to the curved edge. To achieve the curve, I have put in tiny little pleats along the straight edge of the feathers. I stitched these down with a straight stitch and then a zig-zag stich.

wings
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Two wings

I added pieces of elastic at the wrists and in the middle. I over lapped each wing at the centre by approximately one inch, then securing as I attached elastic here as arm loops.

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I overlapped the wings at the centre by approximately one inch. I then took a piece of elastic, long enough to form two loops to go around the shoulders. I found the middle of the elastic and pinned it to the centre of the overlapped wings, I then pinned each end of the elastic either side of the middle. I secured all of this by stitching over the edges and through the middle of the elastic.
wrist loops
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wrist loops. I simple stitched loops of elastic to the top edge for the children to slip over their wrists.

It took maybe an hour to gather all the pieces and put it all together. Add a little bit extra time for cutting all the pieces out. But this was a quick and easy project, and I’m hoping the children love them. I am concerned that one might not be enough though and anticipate having to make another pair so they can be shared around easier.

finished wings
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finished wings
bird wings cosutme
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ta da! finished bird wings costume

This coming Saturday (8 June 2019) is World Wide Knit in Public Day. I am yet to lay solid plans for this day, but be assured, whatever I end up doing I’ll have some knitting or crochet with me!

Happy Wednesday! Have a creative week!
<3 Cate