Like a mad scientist..

I've been experimenting with some fun new concepts and designs.

This is a zebra named Reezba that I made for my oldest.


While being made almost entirely of cotton and wool, I would hardly call him "plush". His basic structure was made by wrapping a wire armature tightly with long strips fabric (mummy style), then stitching a white felt "skin" directly onto the wrappings. To give him texture, I raided my stash of embroidery floss and went to town winding him with a wide array of off-white tones, with blue and blue-gray stripes finishing off his stripes.

My favorite thing about him is his posability.

There is a giraffe in the works for her sister. Sadly, it has been in the works for over a month without actually being worked on. I hope to remedy this soon.

I've also been inspired by all the lovely felted wool playscapes available through Etsy and similar, as well as the topographical work of Crafterall (which might have something to do with the retro poppies which are displayed over my desk- a.k.a. the corner of creative chaos)

These two concepts have married and resulted in a new quilted appliqué playscape for my girls...
...which I believe will always be under construction. It's full of fun textures. Future phases of the project include trees, a cave, bushes, maybe a tent, and any number of other related items and ideas which haunt me when I lay sleepless in bed. I might actually make a few of these for my shop, as well, but it will have to wait until I get out from under the recent rush of Scavenger orders. Not that I'm complaining.

There's more.. always... but it will have to wait for another day.

One of these days, I'd really like to try posting a tutorial. :~)