Both the pied wagtail and the robin are finished and have moved to their new homes in time for Christmas.
The lonely naked cardinal, perching on my work table looks at me accusingly every time I go past. Hopefully I'll be able to start weaving his beautiful red and black feathers soon!
When I made the robin's legs, I developed the best method yet. I made the main structure: legs, loop of wire that slips into the pocket on the underside of the bird, and straight wires below the feet, all in one continuous piece of sturdy wire. The feet I made of more maleable wire. After forming a foot, this wire also went on to be what anchored the foot at the right position and then spiraled up the leg to end up wrapped around the wire loop hidden out of sight inside the pocket. Here are the cardinal's legs waiting to be installed once the weaving is nearly done.
