A bird in YOUR hand

If you want to really understand the special characteristics of birds then why not learn how to make one

Anne Belgrave is an artist and feltmaker who runs workshops at her lovely old Chapel studio on the Welsh border. 'Felt birding' weekends are suitable for complete beginners, and aimed at anyone who has both a love of birds and making things - birdwatchers and twitchers, stitchers and bitchers.

To make a bird you have to look very closely at its shape and structure, analyse the intricate details of its plumage and capture its special look. It's an amazingly intimate way of appreciating the essence of these small creatures that we watch, feed and marvel at - but rarely have the pleasure of holding in our hands.

All you need is a fine felting needle, a small pile of wool and some heartfelt observation of the lovely details of eyes, beaks and feathers. Choosing a favourite small garden bird, you first construct a basic armature and then learn to wield the special felting needle which has tiny barbs on it that draw the fibres back and forth, working the wool into a firmly felted mass.

Last year Anne made a series of felt installations in a small woodland for the Herefordshire Nature Trust. These were all based on proverbs with a birdy theme: don't put all your eggs in one basket, a bird in the hand, to kill two birds with one stone...and it was whilst working on 'birds of a feather flock together' that she found this way of making a flock of Long-tailed Tits. The technique was then used to make a collection of rare birds to be sited in a public garden, complete with bird hide to encourage people to sit in and look out for the unusual visitors perched half-hidden in the trees.

As well as teaching, Anne has written a popular book 'How to Make Felt' and runs the felt business Bellacouche.com with another feltmaker Yuli Somme. They have a workshop in Chagford Devon where they make felt burial shrouds and other useful things: bags, yoga mats and pillows, oven gloves, tea cosies and cushions.

To find out further details of Anne's 'Felt birding' weekends go to her website www.feltworkshops.co.uk or email her at info@feltworkshops.co.uk