Sock Owl Mobile, Take 2

I needed a baby girl gift a few months back and when I looked at the registry, I found lots of owl decor. Just my thing. So we asked the expecting parents if they wanted an owl mobile - my specialty. Well, at the time, life was crazy busy, and I could NOT find women's pink socks. So I waited until the beginning of the new year for life to slow down. Luckily, this is also Valentine season and pink socks are easy to find. I bought 2 sets of 3 pairs packs b/c there was only one in each pack that would work. Here's my first attempt (Jack's) and this is my second, but this time, I turned it into a how-to. (I should note, I'm no seamstress and I had no instructions - this is just my version).

• First I turned the socks inside out and machine sewed an arch across the toe. This makes the 2 little points on the owls head. Cut off excess sock.
• I turned it right-side out and stuffed it with batting.
• For the rest, I used embroidery thread - 2 strains at a time - all by hand. I loosely sewed an upward arch at the bottom of the owl (about 3/4 up the foot). 

• I gathered that seam up by pulling the thread real tight and knotting it off.
• Then I cut the excess sock off the bottom (the ankle), but left some sock to make owl feet. I also cut up the middle so that there would be 2 separate feet.

• I rolled up the sock into itself and sewed those rolls together. This is the make the feet. It wasn't too scientific - just played with it until it looked right. Because I rolled the sock up, I didn't have to put any  batting in the feet.

• Eyes: I cut ovals in felt, making sure they were the same size and stitched them in place. It helps to start in the middle of the face and work around, that way, you're in the middle again at the end and can start the 2nd eye without tying off your thread from the first eye.

• Did the same for the brown pupils.

• For the nose, I just sewed a diamond shape with the embroidery thread. Not exactly perfect, but I think it adds character that way. My nose always itched when I got to this part.

• Wings: I wanted color on them, but the felt helps them be a little stiffer. I cut the fabric a little smaller so the felt would be a bit of an outline. 

I used Jack's mobile to hang them from. I was sad to cut that apart, but really, he's 21 mths. He doesn't need it. It was just SOOO cute!! Took a couple tries to find the right size of twine to hang them with....

Finally I had it complete. THEN.... THIS PART!! The morning after I had finished, Z played with the winding mechanism and overwound it, breaking it. I had had that mobile for 7 years!  You know how hard it is to find one of those? We went to 9 stores!! No one had a white mobile!! Finally, we checked a local resale shop and she had one in her spare parts box! Yeah! Finished!! I just covered the plain white-ness with scrapbooking paper.

So what did I do with the other pairs of Valentine's socks? I'm so glad you asked.

I thought it'd be nice to give away to a few friends, but I didn't want to just hand them a pair of socks, so with rubber band and a few scrapbooking supplies, I made them more presentable.