This has to become the big Alchemy Bird for my art project about bullying. He plays an important role in my fairy-tale about the frightened little bird and the dragon…

Until now I am only thinking about how to make this bird… And I am making lots of feathers. This has to become a very beautiful bird. I will add information about this bird as I go… You can also have a look at my website (Dutch/English) or my new website in Dutch only.

I have made now a scale model for the bird. I used an origami pattern of a standing crane for this… First I made a paper one and then I used fabric, using the iron and needle and thread….I will try to use this as the base for the bird and then add to it.
The idea to use an origami pattern for this I have used earlier, with a huge flying crane that I made together with my husband.

I have made a huge “folding leaf” of fabric. 16 pieces of fabric are joined to make a square of 1,6 m. The iron is used to press the folds. My husband is assisting me with the folding and pressing.

After and during folding the bird some stitching has to be done. The bird also gets wire inside and gets filled with fiberfill.

Had to change the legs. They were too much to the back to get the bird balanced. Have used wire inside the legs. My husband assists me with making the legs.

He is still not able to stand, but coming closer…. with some weight in the back part. But I think he will need a third point of support in a long tail. And perhaps I will also have to open the legs again to put a wooden stick inside… but first the tail now….

I have put now thin wooden sticks to the biggest part of the legs, getting them more stable. And I started the tail, which will give the bird a third point of support. Think it will have to be a fanning tail. This will make it possible to use a lot of the feathers I have made in the tail…
And… I am very proud, because he can stand now!!!
Not very stable yet, but it will come. So glad I am now thus far!

Laying out paisleys for the wings…. And pinning it to the bird, just to see how it could become….

For the beak I crocheted a cord, which I used for looping or actually needle lace.
For the back of the tail I made a cord of recycle-materials and I used coiling. This gives more stability to the tail.

From the same cords i made the fanning tail. Now the fun part can begin! Adding feathers to the tail… Have tried it, but have to wait till tomorrow for daylight to see how it will become…

I have tried now several options for the tail, playing with the colors and making photos to see how it will look. I use photos to see if it works or not. Have changed it several times. All the different feathers I have made look beautiful at their own, but all together in the tail of the bird I did not like it. So I have removed several beautiful feathers which did not fit in… Maybe I can use part of it for another part of the bird and the other ones will be for just another project….

Made the under wings, the inner wings (with wire), stitched the feathers at the wings and stitched the wings.

Made new feathers for the back, stitched them and also stitched the tail.

Also needed different feathers for the belly. Making the legs was not so easy…. First I tried with orange-red net. It was just too bulky… Frogged it. Then I tried red tule… Also not satisfied with the result. Then I tried a mosquito net in an orange-red tint and I embroidered it… Still not satisfied… Finally I took the rest of the yarn from the head and neck and wrapped this over it….

I think I am finished now. But will have another look tomorrow…. and then I will also take some more photos.

It is tomorrow now…. and I first thought I was ready, but then I got an idea to make him still a bit better. So I took my hook again and crocheted some more fluffy feathers, which I added to the front. But now I am VERY HAPPY with this bird.

So I thought I was ready…. And then I looked at the photos and I thought that I still wanted to change a little. I thought the fluffy feather part at the belly was getting too much attention. So I toned this part down, by adding some grey feathers and some of the same light blue I used in the neck…. Hope now I am finally ready. I think so. Am happy with my changes. So the photo on top is of the changes.

Edit June 2017: I added another picture of Alchemy in the fairytale wood.

You can follow my project Feathers and dragons also at Facebook.