I'm guessing this forum is for professionals which I am not. I just started stuffing geese and for the most part they look pretty good. Although I'm making it work I know the way I'm sewing up these birds probably isn't correct. The sewing is definitely the hardest part. Is there a correct sewing pattern or techniquie to use?
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The needle makes all the difference. I do not do birds yet, but for all my other stuff, I prefer a cutting-style "S" needle for all my sewing and love the good ole baseball stitch.
Jeff W.
as long as you take care to keep the stitches fairly even and not entangle the feathers in the thread. Also, please stop "Stuffing" and start "Mounting" Unless you're making Teddy bears. LOL
but use the smallest needle that you can. I use a thin nylon thread, it's strong and the skin lays flat easy.
The previous responses pretty well covered the sewing choices. My preference is a four inch straight cutting edge needle. I always sew from the skin side up - otherwise the down gets sucked into the needle hole which I find frustrating. On large birds, (turkeys large geese, swans, cranes and so forth) with relatively long incision lines, it is easy to mess up on skin approximation. I tie small pieces of thread in three or four places along the incision line directly oposite each other as I am skinning the bird. Then, when you are sewing it up you will have some reference points for skin approximation. Sewing problems sometimes surface when one separates the stitch 1/2" on one side and a different distance on the other. Over the length of the incision this can create bunching and other challenges. Good Luck