Make this owl. This imperious and condescending owl. He measures 9 inches tall from disgruntled talon to sinister horn. And the pattern scales well if you would like to try a larger owl.
The PDF pattern download is 31 pages long and has more than 130 color photos. You’ll learn how to construct the basic body shape and talons as well as my system for creating owl-ish layers of feathers and a dastardly expression. Every element is broken down into steps and fully explained.
The pattern has all the top secret tricks I’ve come up with over 12 years of making ill tempered owls. And I’ll share this one with you here:
When the layers are fully assembled spritz with water or spray starch if you like.
And run a hot iron over the feathers. I do it to his face too (so rude) to adjust his dastardly expression. It has a magic effect, un-ruffling the feathers and giving the layers extra owly-ness.
I’m so excited to share this pattern with you! I’m so glad it’s done! I can’t believe how much work it was!
And I hope you make owls!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful pattern Ann, and for sharing your knowledge.
The pattern is so detailed I can see that you have put a huge amount of time and energy into this.
I look forward to “learning by doing” with your guidance.
Thank you again, and best wishes for the forthcoming festive season and new year!
Is the spritzing not only good for owls, but for songbirds as well?
A group of small owls made as gifts for a Christmas party of friends on my website since I can’t load them here. I love the big owl and will have to try him next.
The pattern is very well-written, for anyone on the fence. I started yesterday and only have the talons to finish this morning. I especially like, Ann, that you call for pieces to be cut out as they come up, rather than all at once at the beginning. This allows for a fair amount of creative juxtaposition in process. I didn’t have any suitable voile, but I will say that the very thin black knit I had in my stash worked really well for wrapping the talons.
Thanks so much- I’m impressed with your speed! And regarding the opportunity for creative juxtaposition, I’m happy to hear that works for you and I so hoped that that sort of thoughtfulness in choices would be the result of not cutting everything at once. It is also the way I like to work.
I have never tried a thin knit for the talons but I will today – it is a brilliant idea. Thanks again, i’d love to check out your owl!
I sent you an email with a few photos. This will be a present for my daughter (coming home from college in a couple of days) and I know she will love the aesthetic and attitude so much. (Of course my three year old coming home yesterday afternoon immediately swooped in with, “oh good! you made me this mine own owl today!”)
I am just loving your patterns. I have not been sewing for over 20 years and your Three Little Owls pattern rekindled my fire! I had just finished a set of these little darlings when I saw “Dastardly” in my inbox. I now have a Dastardly sitting on my work table awaiting some feathers and talons. Your instructions and patterns are the very best I have ever worked with. My long stored-away stash will be seeing the light of day in the form of your beautiful creations! Thank you! I will be back for more!
I have just discovered your patterns and have made dastardly owl and your beautiful lamb with some long ago left over baby wool blanket so lovely. I can’t wait to make mushrooms and birds . Thank you so much for this inspiration and excellent patterns
Hola! ann, acabo de ver tus buhos de mal genio, estan preciosos, me gustaría hacerlo entiendo que tienes los patro es a la venta! Me pregu to si los tienes en español? Vivo en la ciudad de Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, México. Saludos.
So amazing!! I can easily imagine how much work it was, and how much love too. Brilliant!