Sunday, August 29, 2010

A new post, a new creation...

Since my post-mat leave return to work I haven't had much time or energy for crafting or blogging. Luckily I had a special occasion today - one that demanded that I haul the sewing machine out of the basement. My awesome niece had her first birthday party - and you know how I cherish first birthdays!

I was having a hard time finding the perfect gift for the little gal. Her mom suggested a handmade doll, so I gave her a stack of my books on soft-toy making and asked her to mark her faves. She picked the funky bunnies with flower eyes by Portuguese dollmaker Rosa Pomar in Plush-O-Rama.


The fabric came from a huge stash that my sis bought on Kijiji ($40 for two big boxes), plus about $2 worth of trim and felt. There was no pattern so I just did my best approximation of the photograph in the book. I'm very particular about faces - they've gotta be A.C.A.P. (as cute as possible). On that front I got a lot of helpful advice from my husband/creative consultant. I'm quite pleased with the result. This is the biggest doll I've ever made. It's more than two feet tall, almost as big as the birthday girl!

BTW if you're looking for creative party ideas, my sis had a terrific idea for decorations/party favors. She posted an ad on Kijiji looking for someone who makes balloon animals and ordered a couple of dozen balloon flowers. They added some visual (and sonic) pop to the party and the kids were clamoring to take them home at the end of the festivities!