And this is where they started - from the comfort of our four-poster bed, on our Devon holiday.
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Well, almost. The bed had muslin drapes. One night when they were pulled round and we were sharing a bottle of wine, I noticed an interesting gap between them. Which turned into these long necked bird-like creatures.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzX56GcARUBcRCDpAqN3PdEG8Xbz-LTvtFmczdQD2Sfby-mLxFnpRRvtBKOjYkhI-5ZGBaP1MtKwmdt53RzRtTa-URIvDWz5wr_afr0rp277ysgerXykgdq7RSkwU3WfiNQ0a/s400/Moleskine.jpg)
I've been putting off tackling the business of making my own patterns for years. And I managed to put it off for a few more months. But I finally knuckled down, transferred the sketches into a photo programme, did a bit of flipping and produced a rough paper pattern.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGpSeZ0rpDlRmgthj2eLttLy_CfQnkrDxDNYUiQvMX_8iEdeCOLKJhpaGqyeM7U1Tl_Y7Aa0Mxn7dw8shjSaRmf6QYiuS0utTq1_ImF2ymVdecQkpK8K6Lf584upuAXW-RWrE/s400/screen.jpg)
With a bit of wailing and gnashing of teeth, I cobbled together a rough dummy, which seemed to work. I was most proud of my gusset - I would never have been content to just sew together two bits of material, because I do like to make life difficult for myself.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kfCTcLSuYEsHdY0Uopi_2gs9Ky_cu_oywhi0t_hgS_k6Svk48HLg4tYm-n3bvBOq_yu7qKLrVHbBHRCgXnaVfsmjWKFQIDBBPc4Ed2cLoWRAOGl7d34Wvvb7gTt1mJy3htmx/s400/dummy.jpg)
A year ago I bought some poplin, and actually got round to tea-dying it for a nice aged effect. It has since been languishing, neatly folded, on my neglected sewing machine. I meant to make geese from it, but never did. Time to iron it out...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi530YSU0UtqTg4amfBmTjMomqtB0ek-yRSfniCXj6c060qudDAPM1TanjkAccYvhmDb3RqbnntiDI4d-Id0Fny_Zaj1mmH8FvqPuDd5bSDNRTpX2D9z1Ja2BFs858G44oYaAzf/s400/poplin.jpg)
...and get cutting, with Andy's little nan's scissors. She's no longer with us, but I still use her sewing equipment, much of which she inherited from Andy's great-grandmother.
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My old Jones machine groaned with subdued excitement (or was that me?) as I unlocked it and wiped off the dust. I breathed in that special antique sewing machine smell of old oil, cold iron and memories.
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What was in the little side drawer? Nothing too interesting. Essence of haberdashery.
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I had a momentary panic trying to remember how to thread up. Miraculously, I still have an original manual, which also helped me sort out the tension in minutes.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xSOc5kJd5EKUqy2QOu4cig5VgKRKOMBrEkPsxLIt4bpHKnc_0vrrpWb_l5gPHwKMIS3QGFUVQU9pLv9jOVmdpVj38tkzHbVjj99mTJJDkANF0RPeAz1OxRsvg58NmGdVG2zw/s400/jones-manual.jpg)
Time to bite the bullet. I got going. There is something very comforting about using an old sewing machine. They seem to stay in excellent working order despite years of non-use and my Jones clicked and clattered happily, so pleased to be working again and eager to be of use. We hummed together.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouFJdnnkSAEIjrUpZTTsirRU6cvZfyUmNr5Buhmur_In0cyPwlX0S98RGwztp0k0MK9K1ljm1eqhaSAsneY-ysn5Tv8KLVbyDyyPKmL_vN4SfiSZAOTNeN-M0V8jODQ-C8rJN/s400/machine.jpg)
I did used to be able to sew. I learned the basics at my mother's knee, and went on to incorporate embroidery and patchwork in my illustration degree. It got put to one side, as a non-money earner, in the days before Etsy and the craft revolution. Things kept coming back. Me and the new goose got intimate.
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My studio floor is littered with re-discovered fabric stash. The big bag of sheeps wool which I bought specifically for this purpose (well over a year ago) has been broached. I am exploring the gentle art of stuffing. I've gone for a primitive look, which is not a style that is common in the UK. But I like making lumpy old things, and they are not a million miles away from my artworks. Which was the whole purpose of it all.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDY_jPtXLCz6k6d9cb2k5DSD34OmVCzo2nRDRcp-jIsTwki7lkgK-SwI9IR-CIGqzVCXGn00NhvQMgnC6dfTR1A4AiTNP2sPhhTA1xlvMBIVS7qjVE60k0kChD9FdjPaxHzLz/s400/Lucy-Goosie-jpeg.jpg)
Now we are three. I am not sticking hard and fast to the pattern, as I want each one to have a little personality of its own.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Dr5Wa7gTn1zzo62t-y9HLG7RXwR623eJqS4-q12L5TjVd8GqJ2EtErSCMAMtH8sm94FYst2uidLT430tSKqlmgfJmm_akOuXDX3IToYMBFN9_0YRAxUN7w_UPqrhWKwaTgXJ/s400/geese-walk.jpg)
And with a shameless plug (because I could do with earning this week's grocery money) I've put two of them up for sale in my Etsy shop...this one -
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SOLD - See her new home HERE
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEi_skRHGlCW9sY3aWMkVCxiowyOC3eMxNcmVtkiecWsqWjvarVxVEcwcw5cnYkzt-zdA58qQ83E9juGIMeJOCbPLgnNNfCWVSo6Ztpff-l1BKGe9cpe126vzPFcxtPGeCtyo/s400/G2-right.jpg)
I'm keeping the other one for me, how radical is that!?
UPDATE - thank you to the two lovely people who snapped my Gooseys up! I'll be making some more next week, but for now I must return to the slower pace of needle felting and clear some orders.