In My Shop: Mooshy Belly Bunnies

There are a rainbow array of little mooshy belly bunnies in my shop.  These bunnies are made from recycled stripey t-shirts.  They also have sweet mooshy bellies--no, not morbidly mooshy--just mooshy enough that they make for good cuddling, but can still fit easily into an easter basket.  Find them hopping around here.  

(Psssst: want some mooshiness you can make all on your own?  Head on over this way and find my FREE mooshy bunny tutorial...)

Two Penguins and a Hop Skip Jump Book

This is Arnold--and his friend, Arnold.  I made them both for Christmas gifts--one for Beeper (this ended up usurping my plans to make him that Chewbacca), and the other for a certain little girl I know who has a particular fondness for penguins.   I know.  They are pretty adorable.  That ridiculously long beak, the stocking cap--perfect.   They were mostly made from recycled materials--the black and white wool fabrics were from old suit jackets I thrifted, washed and cut up into useable pieces years ago, the hats are from cuffs of old sweaters I keep in a basket in my workshop for just this sort of thing.

Arnold the Penguin is a design from Fiona Dalton's new book of plushie designs, Hop Skip Jump: 20 Eco-Friendly Toys to Sew published by Penguin.  It is only being sold in Australia today, but I ordered mine and just had it shipped all the way here.  For me, it was completely worth every shipping cent, every red mark against my carbon footprint because I cannot stop looking at this book and thinking about which plushie I want to make and all the reasons I can find to make them. There are so many ways this book  is inspiring me...

I love how all the plushies feel modern and vintage at the same time.  

I love the photos of the plushies and the fabrics Fiona chose for each--as well as the overall styling of the book (inspiring photo styling can sell a book to me--that eye-candy-effect that makes me want to keep looking at it again and again...)

I love the fact that the book focuses on making the toys from recycled or eco-friendly fabrics.  

I love the little accessories so many of the animals have a (the fox with a handkerchief, the cat in a tie, the hippo with a party hat...)--simple additions that make me smile. 

 I love the array of designs, varying in complexity and time commitment.  It also contains designs geared for boys (a robot, a rocket), as well as girls (2 doll designs)--and even babies. 

And I just love the sewing-friendly design of the book (lays flat when open, nice large pocket contains the templates for handy keeping, lots of good illustrated instructions).

You can get a good look at the book here (including the complete list of projects), and order it here or here.  You can also visit Fiona's blog, aptly named Hop Skip Jump, if you have never been and see what sorts of goodness she is up to over there.  Fiona also has a lovely array of individual patterns available for purchase in her little shop, here.  

As always, so much to make, so little time--but this is a good book with which to start your year of hand-making.   

Funny Bunnies

Here is that little bunny made from recycled sweaters I have been working on.  Kinda cute in that sweet and simple sort of way.  But you should know that there is also something a little funny about this bunny (and his friends)...

...and no, it is not their little tails colored like springtime confections (or candy-asses--as I was tempted to name them until my adult self took hold and shook me to my senses)...

...no, I am afraid these bunnies are earless--or maybe they are imposters merely impersonating bunnies...whatever the case, they are a bit goofy and maybe even a little sad looking once they remove their hats--but just put his hat back on and he'll be fine.  Really.

Oh, and did I mention that this little funny bunny design will be available to you in a set of spring-time inspired patterns I will be releasing in the next week or so?  Yes, there is more to come so stay riveted to your computer monitors until I make it back here with more information.  

Just a Prototype

Hi.  I'm just a prototype so don't get too used to me or anything.  Probably won't be around here much longer once she takes off my ears and rips out my seams and reconfigures me into some other sort of bunny she likes better than me.  Not that I care.  I mean, can you see the view out the window behind me?  This is what passes for springtime in Minnesota.   Guess that's why I have a winter hat even though I am a symbol of spring and Easter and rebirth and all that.  Whatever.
Catch you on the other side.

In My Shop: Bitty Bow Wows

Perhaps some of you may have been waiting for this--3 little Bitty Bow Wows are up for adoption in my shop.  You can find them here. (Fair Warning: other than those I will be selling at No Coast Craft O'Rama, these will be the only Bitty Bow Wows that I plan to make between now and the holidays--so if you have your eye on one, now is the time to act, my friend).  And for anyone who might care, I have also put a couple of new Babies on a Stick in my shop--look here. 

In My Shop: Matchbox Monsters

6 itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, brightly colored little baby monsters, all tucked in their cozy little matchbox beds.  You can find them in my shop, here.

Matchbox Monsters

Little itty bitty dotty boxes on the window sill.  Wonder what's in them? 

Why, hello there little monster.  Time for a nappie change?

Shhh...back to bed now for you and your little beastly friends....nightie night.

Yes, another project I have been at work on as part of that other project I cannot tell you about quite yet...vague enough for you?

The Bitty Bow Wow

I guess the Bitty Bow Wow was inevitable.  What with there being Bitty Bebes and Bitty Birdies, it was only a matter of time until the dog popped into being.  I'm not even so much a fan of dogs, but something this teenyweeny, with a little red lolling tongue and blue patch over one eye, well, I guess it is sorta cute in that sugary candy all gritty between your teeth sort of way.  Littlest Pet Shop, meet your handmade competition.

(oh, and did I mention some of these will be showing up in my shop sometime before the holidays [and did I mention the holidays in September?  Yep--I did.  Sorry about that but a girl's gotta have some lead time when hand making toys like I am my own personal Santa's workshop]?  And also, this is part of a secret project I cannot tell you more about quite yet...patience, young grasshopper.)

In My Shop: A Rainbow Array of Mooshy Belly Bunnies

Made a little litter of mooshy belly bunnies in a rainbow's worth of colors.  As one might guess from their name, they are mooshy, gushy and squooshy--you know, soft, cuddly, that sort of thing.  Also, they are made from recycled stripey tees (which I have an endless affection for, both in my own personal wardrobe, as well in my plushies).

These have a sweet little white bob of a tail that is securely attached to the bunny's derriere--that means they are safe for babies, toddlers, kids of all ages and big people, alike.  And did I mention you can find them in my shop?  Yup--right here.  Hop on over and have a look if you are in the market for some stripey, mooshy bunny goodness (and let's be honest here--who isn't?).

In My Shop: Two-Faced Friend Dolls & Counting Bean Bags

I've managed to whip out a few sets of counting bean bags and a little gang of two-faced friend dolls.  Two of the sets of bean bags are made with some of those reproduction feed sack fabrics I so love--they have quite a lovely washed-out vintage-y look.   And the dolls are all made with real, authentic vintage feed sack and vintage trims and other recycled materials.  If you'd like to have a look, you find them here, in my little shop. 

Tutorial and Pattern: Recycled Mooshy Belly Bunny

This all came about because of a large multi-colored stack of stripey tees I have had taking up space in my workshop for months. The t-shirts were all thrifted and reclaimed and salvaged from our own outgrown boxes of clothing, of course. When I started collecting them, I admit, I had no idea what I intended to do with them. But those colorful stripey tees kept calling my name every ime I went to the thrift store...even Mr Beeper commented when folding a freshly washed pile how lovely they were to look at. Yep.

And so here we are, a little Mooshy Belly Bunny tutorial and pattern download for you so you can cut into some of your own discarded stripey tees and get something simple and sweet back from it.

DOWNLOAD MOOSHY BUNNY TUTORIAL

And this is an easy plushie to make--you can turn this out in about 1 hour. For real ( I made three, I would know). So, for those of you who have left comments stating that you do sew but want to sew more, and more specifically, want to sew plushies but are a little intimidated to try--well, this tutorial is dedicated to you. Yes, you. And you know who you are. Anyone can make this little guy, and even with a screw up or two, it will still look sweet and be mooshy and stuff.

And need I also point out that this is the prefect last-minute bunny to make for someone's easter basket? You could easily do it tonight.

So, go root through your boxes of discarded clothes, dig through the bowels of your kids'closets, find some stripey tees and go to it. Because I know you can make this one. And I know the results will be just fine. Just relax, drink a glass of wine (or two) if you have to, and try to enjoy this. It's just a little bunny. Easy peasy, people.

In My Shop: Sleepyhead Bunny & Rainbow Sunshine Plushie

More sweet and lovely little plushies in my shop made from that uber-soft organic cotton fleece I recently purchased. There is just something about this material that reminds me of a lovingly worn and most-beloved toy--in fact, I think my brother had this little sleepy puppy (Sleeper was what we called him) made from a fabric very similar to this way back when--back before the notion of making fabrics from synthetic materials ever existed. And it was his favorite cuddle toy for ages--and then it was adopted by me when he was over it.

So, I have designed a little plushie sleepyhead bunny that is based on an antique bunny toy I saw in a book. It is sweetly sized for little ones with a sleepy face inspired by the aforementioned Sleeper. I also created this sunshiney little plushie made with a color wheel of ribbons. You know, babies love those little ribbon tags, and, well, lately, I am in love with using lots of color (the influence of Beeper's favored coloring approach--the color-it-like-a-rainbow-threw-up-all-over-it approach).

You can find them both in my shop, here.

In My Shop: Chow Bebe Bibs & Plushie Duckies

I have a very dear friend who after a long, hard road to getting pregnant (and staying pregnant), is finally there. I have been so ridiculously excited for her that I have been making loads of stuff for her baby--some stuff that I have made before, some entirely new designs, and one or two things designed by others. Of course, the way I work is that if I am bothering to make one, I might as well make three (or eight). So, some all new baby stuff has landed in my shop--and there is more to come in the next few days.

One of my favorites that I have just put into my shop is that uber-soft organic cotton fleece duckie in the cream color. I ADORE this material and if I had to go into a cocoon at any point, it would be made of this. There will be more items made from this because it is just so frickin lovely that all babies should be born into a world where at least one item they are handed is something made from this material. Seriously. And its eco-friendly.

And some more bibs. I was using Amy Karol's bib pattern--but then decided to make my own design that was a little more modern and curvier and wider through the body so as to provide more coverage to little baby buddah-bellies. And did I mention those are environmentally friendly too?--Yeah, they are since they are made with recycled towels.

So, considering all the baby-gear-creation going on around here, the big picture plan is to put together a little booklet with several Beeper Bebe for Babies patterns in it that will be for sale, at some point, in my shop. And yes, one tutorial will be offered for download here too, so don't change that dial.

Lucky Day Give-Away For You: Custom Kindie Garden Plushie

Yes, people, it is your lucky day. The first of many to come. Why, pray tell, you ask. Well, because I want to offer one of my unfailingly lovely readers the opportunity to be the very first lucky winner of an all new item I plan to start offering in my Beeper Bebe shop very soon--your very own custom-designed, 100% original, Kindie Garden Plush.

And you know what that is, right? It is a plushie made just for you, a plush realization of a child's drawing of your choice that is all one-of-a-kind. That's right--you select a drawing from a child (your own child, someone else's child, an absolute stranger in elementary school you solicit a drawing from--you choose!), send me a copy and I will make you a plushie version of that drawing. Yes, for real.

The plushies pictured here are some I made from some of my own original artwork from my kindergarten era (the artist at 5--you can see the future of what was to be here), as well as one I made for Beeper this last year when he did his first self-portrait. All of them incorporated recycled materials, in case you were wondering.

Interested? Here's what you need to do: Leave

a comment in this entry telling me something random about you, something most people may not know--could be something important, or something completely irreverent. Just share a little something with me--so we can start to get to know one another better and because I am endlessly curious. And that is the price you must pay to have access to this wonderful opportunity. Easy, right-o?

Leave your comment by the end of the day on Saturday, January 23rd. With the help of my sometimes sweet, often belligerent assistant, Beeper, I will select one lucky winner on Sunday and announce the winner that same day, whereupon the winner will need to contact me to make plans to collect her (or maybe his) fabulous prize.

I can hardly wait to hear from all of you, dear Chez Beeper Bebe readers. I know you will all delight, surprise, and amuse me. Good luck to you.