New Items in the New Shop

All are there for your perusal, one stuffy, and a bunch of photos!

Cuddle Bunny is here.

Pink Peony is here.

Glendalough Monastery is here.

Wicklow from a Horse is here.

White Iris is here.

Contemplative Walk at the Upper Lake is here.

Enjoy!

I've been busy!

First... I finished the scarf order, and am planning to meet up with my customer to deliver it, since he's local.

Then, I started on the gifts for two first birthdays.  My cousin's daughter just turned one and her party was today.  In addition to a beautifully illustrated big book of nursery rhymes, Eric and I got her my very favorite children's book, The Sneetches & Other Stories, by Dr. Seuss.

If you've never read it, with or without kids... read it.  It's worth the time.  There are several stories, each with a message, but the great thing about Seuss is that, in addition to his brilliant rhyme and beautiful talent for illustration, he never beat you over the head with the moral of the story.  When he died, we lost a hell of a talent.

Besides those, I couldn't let a birthday go by without making something for her.  So I made her one of my knitted mice and this adorable stuffed bunny.  I found the tutorial here.

I was so glad to have a use for the feminine fabrics; I'd won them intending to try a quilt that's just never going to happen.  They were perfect for this bunny, though.

The other first birthday was that of Eric's best friend's son; the party was yesterday.  So he got a mouse too, in dark blue, the same great book of nursery rhymes, Eric's favorite childhood book, A Fish Out of Water, and this cute penguin I made.

It's funny that my favorite is a Dr. Seuss and although Eric's favorite book was not actually written by Dr. Seuss, it's one of Seuss' Beginner Books series.

Now?  Now I'm working on another stuffed bunny for my nephew; when my mom saw my cousin's daughter's she insisted Avery needs one too.  It's in progress!

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Mooshy Belly Birthday

This Friday is the first birthday of our nephew Zach, on Eric's side.

So in addition to two very cute outfits (one with a dinosaur, one a puppy), three books (one animals, one vehicles, one mythos), and a CD (Free to Be You and Me), he's getting a bunny I made.  Hope he loves it!

Mooshy Bellies!

Back in October, I won a gift card to Joann's from Jess at http://frugalflourish.blogspot.com/!  I was so excited!  Excited, but unable to get there right away.  How annoying is it to have money to spend and no time in which to spend it?  You can imagine, I'm sure.

Well, Eric and I were able to get there on the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving, beating the crazy Black Friday crowds, but still taking advantage of some amazing sales.  With just a little of our own funds, I was able to get this awesome royal crushed velvet, which I wanted to make a "skirt" for my rolling face painting cart for an event in February.

Plus, I got this great, soft fleece.

I picked up a yard of this awesomely thick golden yellow felt.  The birthday party my sister is throwing for my nephew on December 19 is a Where the Wild Things Are theme, and she was thinking of a crown for my nephew... so I decided to make it from felt to make it more comfy for him.

Plus, I already had these two (very) beginner quilt kits because I want to see if I like quilting and figured this was an inexpensive ($14.99 each) and non-time consuming way to find out.

Thing is, I thought the kits only came with the pieces for the quilt fronts (I was wrong).  So I also got a pack of quilt batting and this cool fabric that'll suit the backs of both (or other projects).

The best purchase, though, was this fabric that's so incredibly soft it's ridiculous, called "ultra cuddle," that I got in these two great colors:  brown and pale green.

See, I found this tutorial and pattern for a really cute stuffed animal dubbed a "Mooshy Belly Bunny," and I wanted to make it as a gift for my nephew.  The original post calls for the recycling of t-shirts, but I loved this fabric too much and thought it'd be perfect.  I did the first one in green, and instead of white ear insides used a pair of my mom's old corduroy pants.

With some thread and the addition of a pompom from when I made the puppet, it didn't take long for this...

... to become this...

And then I used green embroidery thread to define his head and black to give him a face!

I had so much fun with it that I decided to make one in green and one in brown for each of my two nephews and a set for Eric's best friend's impending son, who's due in January.  I started one in brown, but then decided to keep the original green one for myself.  I continued with the brown, using a pair of mom's old tan cords for the insides of the ears...

And then there were two!

This one is for my other nephew, on Eric's side.  Meanwhile, Eric made the bright observation that the body is basic and generic enough that it could be used for other animals!  So I decided that my nephew on my side and Eric's best friend's son would each get a green bunny and a brown bear, while my nephew on Eric's side will get this brown bunny and a green bear.

So I cut all the green fabric for three more animals, two bunnies and a bear.

And then did the same thing in brown.  I then my my sister's son's bear, of which I got no photos!  I was kicking myself for it, but I finished it just before going to their house for our Chanukah celebration and gift exchange, so I didn't think about it.  I'll be making the others soon, though, and will post photos.

I'd visit my sister and post photos of the bear I already gave my nephew, but I have a feeling the pictures wouldn't do it justice at this point.  From what I understand, out of all the gifts he got... the Thomas the Train sets, the Little People sets, the Lego sets, the See & Say and CD that Eric and I also got him... his favorite things were the bear and bunny, which he refuses to put down and which he gnaws on pretty much nonstop.

Photo op aside, I'm ecstatic that he loves the gifts I made him so much!  Isn't that awesome?!

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