The Last Owl and Bunny

Found this little guy in The Drawer of Almost Finished Projects. All he needed was a face. Now off to Etsy he goes, ready to see the world with his brand spanking new eyes.

And so ends my amigurumi bunny phase with this last girl. I had so much fun making them, but now it's time to get a move on. She's going to Etsy, too.

These softies will be the last I'll list in my shop until after the New Year.

With the holidays coming at light speed, I have to switch from leisurely crafting mode to "Holy cow! I've got a load of Christmas gifts to make!" mode. That doesn't mean I'm done with softies, tho. I have some really great new softie ideas and I can't wait to get started on them.

I hope I can finish them in time. 26 days until Christmas!

Hoot! Hoot!

It's been awhile since I've made owls. I forgot how much fun they were to put together. This bit of magic happens when I finally sew the eyes in place. They suddenly come alive and it's all I can do to not start talking to them. Out loud, at least.

Once again, I will sing the praises of wool felt -- it is wonderful stuff! It costs a lot more than craft felt and is harder to come by, but it is so worth it. They make these owls' eyes pop.

This group of Thoughtful Little Owls will go to my shop bit by bit as I find the time to list them.

Thank you to everyone who inquired!

Multiplying Like Bunnies

I've been in an amigurumi bunny zone lately. After making the snow bunny for Softies Central I cannot seem to stop. Now that I've finally got the hang of it, I just find crocheting so soothing. Much different from sewing, which for me requires a lot of concentration. As for the bunny obsession . . . well, I have four pet rabbits running about my house so they serve as my muses.

For these three little girls I used a loosely woven alpaca blend yarn. It's hard to see in the photo, but they have this fuzzy halo, which sort of reminds me of sparse mohair fur teddies.

The best part about making them was finally having a reason to use supplies that I was saving for something special. I recently got some 60/40 wool & rayon blend felt which I ordered online. It's great stuff! I will never go back to acrylic craft felt again. I found 100% wool felt to be too thick and stiff, but 60/40 has a nice drape and is easy to sew. It also still has that soft, smooth feel you only get from wool felt. I loved using them for the flower embellishments on their ears.

For the ear insets and reversible smocks I got to bust out all the fabrics I purchased on my summer trip to Japan. I didn't intend to make the smocks reversible, but I had such a difficult time choosing just one fabric so this was a nice compromise. Also, the fact that you can switcheroo their clothes makes them a bit more playable and not just displayable.

I think I will try my hand at making other amigurumi creatures next time -- bears, koalas, kitties, etc. Once this bunny phase dies down that is.

Off to Find New Homes . . .

This Week in Cute: Wawaya Softies

Adorable, yes? When I discovered Etsy about two years ago, a wee stuffed bunny immediately caught my eye. It was so sweet and strange looking. At first I wasn't even sure if it was a bunny (I'm still not sure, really) because it looked so alien, but then those rabbity ears . . . . Anyway, I couldn't resist. I had to have it . . . and then another.

These softies were made by a very talented artist in Japan. You must take a peek at her work. Even though her site is in Chinese the photos tell all. Her softies are truly original, and if ever you're lucky enough to own one, you'll see that they don't disappoint up close, either. The detail work on the little guys I purchased are amazing. They are completely hand sewn, button jointed, and can stand unaided. Oh, and their facial expressions -- so precious! Not to mention that they each came tucked inside a drawstring bag that had my name hand embroidered on it.

Just looking at my Wawayas always makes me smile.

Softie Surplus = Etsy

So every time I design and create a new softie I get so excited about it that I whip them out one after another . . .until the novelty peters out. Well, after awhile I've built up quite a softie surplus. Hence, my opening up an Etsy shop. I hope my softies find better homes than the plastic storage bins they sadly live in now.

These will be the first softies up for adoption this weekend (or however long it takes me to figure out Etsy).
A sweet koala girl.

A pretty kitty.

And three thoughtful owls.