A mystery from the past

Several years ago I had an idea for a panel with a lot of different birds. They were all to be done in a realistic style, and the whole panel was to be quite large. Well, I digitised a big collection of birds, and stitched them out together. The panel was to be called "The Parliament of the Birds" and it was almost finished. But then I got called away on another job, and totally forgot about the Parliament, which got stuffed into a box somewhere. I found it again during a recent clear-out, but the only problem was that for the life of me I can't remember what was supposed to go in the centre of the ring of birds. Some insects, maybe, for them all to eat? Some chicks? Another bird who would be the Chairman of the Parliament?

The Parliament without a middle

This is a big project, and I don't want to throw it away without making at least some effort to finish it. So does anybody have any ideas about what they're all so interested in? I would be VERY grateful for some ideas!

Comments

[lauraborealis]

a stuffed bird and a handful of Cheerios abandoned by a child? There is a certain disbelieving quality to some of their expressions, while others are zeroing in on their good fortune.

[maria]

Maybe a mother bird with little baby birds with the other birds looking on.

Or perhaps a shiny glittering object that a
has been blown into the circle of birds.

PS. I love reading your post and embroidery as well as all the information behind your creations!

[virginia autrey]

Maybe they are looking at a reflection of another bird in a puddle of water.

[Sandra Lane.]

Mia, I think that they are all looking at their own reflections in a puddle. May be baby birds fish and insects in there or hey are just needing a quick drink, love the birds they are super.

[Lisa]

Handful of corn or bird feed thrown out for them?

A scattered sheaf of papers from a speech from Parliament?
:-D

[Mirjam]

There are birds of all kinds together, and the environment looks a bit grazed. So could it be that they examine a map of a new habitat, and discussing about?

Thank you for sharing your artistic work! I really admire it.

[Ramona]

Mia, I think they came to get a drink of water and follow up on the gossip of the day. I love the birds.

[Jane]

Maybe a bunny!!

[Deanna Lynn Briese]

Make it a Christmas manger for birds. Nest with egg shells and baby birds. Wise men on wings.

Thanks for what you do

[Violette McConnell]

How about a next with baby birds in it? Or perhaps a bird feerder.

[Beal]

A golden egg? A fish? Could be a live fish popping its head out of a tiny pond in the middle or a dead one laid out as a snack. A giant peach with a worm sticking out? A mini Stonehenge?? ;-) Because the birds are realistic, food or water makes the most sense. But something unusual or fantastical would fit, too, given that all these different birds wouldn’t normally gather like this. Soooo... a penguin? Or a baby dragon? I’m stumped!

[Suzanne Rust]

Mia, how do you get such amazing expressions on your birds? Wow! Close-up, these seem to be more apprehensive or frustrated than excited, and I was reminded of a recent snow storm. In winter our empty birdbath becomes a bird table, but a day of rain was followed by an overnight freeze, then snow. Swarms of birds descended on our feeders, with some rimming the birdbath - trying to get to seed beneath the ice. Their cocked heads and general air of puzzlement were very similar to this scene!

[Maggie Lloyd]

The crow seems to be telling the others about this beautiful shiny treasure he found. I just love crows and call my sewing studio my crows nest becaquse it is filled with all and these beautiful shine and bright things and just as untidy as a crows nest.