All throughout my youth I had an obsessive relationship with my public library. It was definitely about fiction but extended to the reference section, as well. At one point in my early teens I discovered this book, and actually set about making one of the items in it.
It was the Pooh Bear you see on the front. I gave it to a little boy I babysat, and his mom turned it into an ornament. So, I made one for Mary. I didn't forget about the book, and more than a decade later, I found it on Amazon.com and bought it.
The purpose? Well, it's just a great book, with many little crafts, but I wanted to make Pooh Bear again as ornaments for my 4 nieces and 1 nephew. So I stocked up on embroidery floss, felt, stuffing and sewing items.
I'm more of a handcrafts person, the smaller the better. I was able to make all the Pooh Bears last Christmas because I had a desk job where they thankfully allowed me to craft to my heart's content - and it was a good thing, too, as I had to answer the phone a lot and could still stitch while talking. (I wanted to read more, but reading and getting interrupted a lot is NOT good.)
This was for my friend Wendy who just had a baby.
I branched out and for the first time made Piglet, who is wearing a little purple dress, because he was for my friend Briony who ALSO had a baby. Briony and I were in a college production of House at Pooh Corner, and she was Piglet, and wore a purple dress. (I was "Late Rabbit", Rabbit's niece. Psh.)
Yes, I like taking pictures of myself and my kraftiness.
(I was especially fond of Piglet)
This last Christmas I made Eeyores. Like Pooh Bear, they aren't hard, but are time-consuming. I worked on them every night after 9pm for two weeks. It was nice, because I could either talk on the phone while making them or listen to music. Or "watch" movies.
If I look a little tired here, I probably was. This was the day I finished them all, the night before we left to go home for break.
But it was great to see them all together. The only tweaking I did to the pattern was embroider all the kids' names on the felt before I stitched it together, and add a bit of silk cord for hanging.
Great little toys - or ornaments. They aren't really sturdy enough (at least, the way I make them) for toddlers, but can handle regular play if the kids don't go tearing at the limbs and hair and such. You can also enlarge the patterns and make bigger-sized stuffed animals. The author does request, though, that you don't make these for profit. That's fine with me. :) I just make them for good fun.
--Arwen
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