I managed to finish my deadline project early enough on Sunday to get some stitching done on the birds (the premiere of Iron Chef America helped too!). I have the legs done on the bottom four birds and have pulled threads for the beaks, which I’ll stitch today.
A few weeks back I told you that my plan was to make these birds look like real birds. For all of them except the jay and the little bird at the top, it’s easy because they all look like real birds.
The problem with the jay is not the arrangement of colors but the color of blue. Western jays have blue-green as their blue. Eastern jays have blue-violet as their blue. I know this because I have lived in both places. It drove me nuts when I first moved to California that my DH, the native San Franciscan, referred to the common jay here, the Scrub Jay, as “blue jays.” The blue-violet jay in the East is named the Eastern Blue Jay.
Since my grand-niece is in Pennsylvania, I’m changing the blue-green to blue-violet for the jay.
But the upper bird remains a problem because I cannot find a bird like him. He’s small so likely he’s a finch or sparrow. But I can’t find any with red beaks and legs. I also can’t find any with that much white. So I decided on turning him into a goldfinch, which will require extensive changes. For right now I’m leaving him alone.
But if you know what bird it is, let me know in the comments.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
I think it’s a zebra finch. They have the red beaks and legs with the black stripes.
Thank you, I’ll look them up.
Keep stitching,
Janet
A stylized indigo bunting?
Joanie
The all blue bird middle right is an indigo bunting.
Keep stitching,
Janet
I think he could be made to be a South Carolina ween.
I love your posts!
Thanks, I’ll go look at them.
Keep stitching,
Janet
It looks like a type of flycatcher. I checked my Audobon app and this is the closest to the painted bird on the canvas. Google Alder Flycatcher or Willow Flycatcher, etc.
Try Red Poll. If you’re changing the bird a goldfinch would be pretty there or a painted bunting.