#timberdoodle

Y’all, I thank you SO much for all your kind comments on Tim over the past six months!! I never anticipated he’d get this much attention; He got a decent amount of traction on the r/birding subreddit, but only for a few days. And on Instagram he got only 14 likes, so I really only posted him here on a whim… I didn’t think I’d be waking up to 100+ notes on this post every day, even half a year later haha

Anyway, I have been very busy over the past semester, and there’s quite a few updates related to Tim:

1.) Before the semester began, I made three more felt woodcocks… Here’s a picture of all of them together.

From the left, we have Tim, Philohela (has the best balance, Tim’s feet were way too small), Screwball (I rushed him too much and he’s kinda wack lol), and Trilobite, a half-sized one who has become my pocket companion and emotional bedrock lately.

I plan to continue making more, I’ve already got another mini one in the works. I’m also gonna make a chick, soon, their babies are really cute…

2.) It is with great pleasure (and a bit of sadness) that I must inform you I am no longer in possession of Tim.

See, I took a textile design class last semester, and for one of our projects, I made a series of prints that were hugely inspired by the work of one of the lead researchers on the American woodcock, Dr. Amber Roth, of the University of Maine. Her lab does a ton of research regarding the woodcock, and also the golden-winged warbler, both birds that depend on young hardwood forest, habitat which has been in severe decline lately. I decided to make prints which featured both birds alongside some wild berries which also grow in that habitat (they’ll be posted here soon)

After I finished that project, I ended up contacting Dr. Roth to share the designs with her; Her research helped me a ton with making them, so it felt only fair she should get to see them. I also shared the picture of Tim with her.

I was very nervous when I sent that initial email; But, not only did she respond, she loved them! We’ve been emailing back and forth since then, and guys, she is SO kind, it’s really been the highlight of this academic year for me. We’re going to have a video call soon so we can finally talk more face-to-face, which I’m very excited for!

Anyway, long story short: She adopted Tim! Here he is, being presented at my textile design final right before I shipped him out to her. The print on the fabric with him is one of the designs I made; She also paid me to make some bandanas for her to give her lab students for the holidays

Now, Tim B. Doodle will get to spend the rest of his days at her lab, where some of the best research on the American woodcock is being performed! Of course, I’m a bit sad to see him go, but I’m so glad he will be somewhere where he can be appreciated so much. I feel like a parent who just sent their kid off to college, haha…

Of course, I still have three others with me, so I won’t miss him too much!

3.) I’ve already posted a little bit of it on my blog, but I’ve made tons of other woodcock art this semester, and have more in the works! Alongside more felt ones, the larger projects include a pattern to make a woodcock plushie, and I also have plans for a woodcock costume (aka essentially a partial fursuit). I’ll definitely be posting updates about those projects, so stay tuned!