Worktable Wednesday: A Change In Direction and Progress On Some Dolls

I've made a decision about my business, I'm going to become a mostly pattern based business. This means you lucky people will be able to make your very own Sassy Packrat Creations! I will probably need pattern testers to try out some of them and get feedback, so be on the look out for that announcement if you are interested.

This will be a slow process and I'll still show wips and for sale work that I'm doing. I'm hoping once I have things all set up I will have more freedom to join art challenges and do more commissioned work. Like I said I'll be doing this slowly over time so there will always be something to see going on here. I'll also continue to offer FREE patterns here.

 Now on to what's on the worktable today.

This doll is coming along. I love this cherry blossom fabric. Arms, hair, shoes and accessories need to be made.

Here's the second girl on my worktable. I have the most amount of progress done on this pretty girl. Tunic, leggings and an over vest.

 Working on some embroidery for the vest.

 I love to add flowers on anything I can.

 I even put the dreaded french knots on it. This time they came out really well, whew!

 Done, now she just needs shoes and hair. This doll is getting a modern Asian look.

 Sorry these last pics are so yellow, it's crappy and rainy here. Closer view of the vest.

Friday Finds: Super Adorable Cat Plushies

Wednesday would have been my buddy Binks' 18th birthday so in his honor I'm sharing adorable cat plushies with you today.

 Dodobob

My first find is this sweet kitty. He's so full of character and looks like a cuddlier. 

Lavender Stories 

Such an adorable cartoon type creature. I just love that she's a non cat color pink. Who can resist a polka dot nose and heart?

 MosMea

A personalized drawing of your cat made into a plush. A touching way to honor a special feline friend.

 Shebbo Designs

This one is my favorite find of the day. It reminds me so much of my Binks. They do dog portraits too, this shop is worth checking out.

Pikelet Workshop

I love this one of a kind rag doll type kitty. It has such fun fabric combinations and makes me smile.

 Tinytot Atelier

Last but not least my love of felt dolls had me choosing this charming gray felt kitty doll.

I hope you enjoyed my finds today. As always if there is a theme you'd like to see me find, let me know. Also if you would like me to feature your art please contact me at sassypackrat(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Worktable Wednesday: Finishing Up Some Dolls and Another FREE Pattern Offer

I spent an hour digging through various bins of finished and unfinished projects looking for these dolls this morning. I'm deciding on clothes, shoes and hair. These should be ready for my next product lunch in April (date TBA).

Aren't they a lovely ethnic rainbow? I love making dolls of and for all people.

 Here's a custom set I made a while back of a mom and her little boy.

I hope you got a chance to see the FREE Easter pattern I posted on Monday. I also made a different FREE pattern for my email subscribers too.

They received a PDF of a double sided ornament and I think it's so cute! You can get this FREE pattern by just signing up for my email.

I'm currently working on the next pattern, it's for Earth Day in April. If you have any ideas for a pattern you'd like to see me make, just leave a comment!

 

Running Easter Bunny Felt Plush Pin

I designed the cutest little running bunny pattern for you guys! Perfect to wear for Easter.You could also turn this into a hair clip.

 Supplies:

• Polyfill stuffing 
• Embroidery thread in color of your bunny (I choose brown) 
• Pink embroidery thread (for feet) 
• White embroidery thread (for bunny tail) 
• Embroidery needle (my preference is #5) 
• Sharp scissors 
• Felt in white, brown and pink (not shown) 
• 1-1/2 inch pin back 
• Hot glue or craft glue (optional)  
• Packing tape (felt crafter's best friend)
• My pattern available below.

DOWNLOAD PATTERN HERE

 

After you gather your supplies, download pattern page.

Cut out pattern pieces and pin to felt. You can also just trace around pattern pieces lightly with a pen. See below for how to cut the toes out.

Here's a nifty trick for cutting small pieces from felt. Place the pieces on the felt and take a piece of packing tape an press over where you are going to cut.

Now cut around the shape. The tape holds everything nice and secure.

And there it is, cut perfectly, no stress and ready for the next step.

Next sew on the foot pads and toes. This might me too fiddy for some people so it's perfectly fine to whip out the craft glue and glue those suckers on. (I'm just obsessive about stitching things so that's how I'm showing it done)

 Start lining up the bunny pieces with the solid back piece.

After everything is lined up pin head and feet to body.

Using a running stitch attach head where the body overlaps. Then attach the feet where they overlap the body as shown above.

Now we are ready to make the fluffy tail. Cut the 2 circles from the pattern out of white felt, Carefully make a series of cuts from the outside of the circle to the edge of the gray inner circle (don't cut into the gray circle).

Cut in even intervals all the way around the circle. Do this on both circle pattern pieces.

Place the smaller circle on top of the larger circle and sew a quick running stitch in a circle, attaching the 2 together and to the bunny body. Ruffle and squish the tail till desired fluffiness is achieved. You could also sew on a cottonball if you prefer.

Turn over the solid pattern piece, position the pin back and sew. Tip: open the pin to make sewing easier. You can also hot glue the pin back on instead of sewing.

Line up front and back and blanket stitch starting at right side head. Work around to the left.

Once you sew all the way around the head stuff the ears and head, then continue to sew around body to feet.

Stuff left foot and continue to sew around as shown.

When you get to the right side, stuff right foot and then stuff bunny's body. Finish sewing closed with blanket stitch.I stuffed my bunny very full but you could lightly stuff for a flatter look.

Almost done! Hmmm, needs something. How about a ribbon?

There we go, how cute is that?! All done, great job you guys!

 My lovely mom posed for this photo for me.

If you make this pattern please tag me on Instagram @sassypackratstudios or on Facebook as Sassy Packrat Studios. I'd love to see how you did. If you have any questions about this pattern, please ask and I'll be happy to answer.

I also have free patterns that are completely different from the ones I share on my blog just for my email subscribers. They are having a party over there, come join us! Click here to subscribe!

Friday Finds: Amazing Illustrations for Children's Rooms.

As a child, besides the stories themselves, I was madly in love with the illustrations in children's books. Quite honestly I still am! Nothing helps spark imagination more than a well drawn image. So today's finds are illustrations for children that we all can enjoy.

 Dreamy Meisme

This artist does custom illustrations and I love her loose, fluid style. Red Riding hood is a particular favorite theme of mine.

 Lisa Ciccone 

What a sweet capture of a long ago now childhood communication. I remember doing this with friends at sleep overs in the summer.

 Pizublic 

Any illustration of an animal doing a people like activity is a winner in my book! And if there is a child in in too, gold star for sure! How adorable is this bear?

 The Funny Side Of Art

Love the watercolor style of this fun, adventure Pirate art. It looks like it could be straight out of a children's book.

 

Albert Papeterie

 A clean graphic style is always charming and will fit with any decor. This bunny is so adorable! He looks so proud wearing his little striped necktie.

Kudzu Monster 

An alphabet print is an old stand by and always a fun addition to a child's room. This animal one is super cute!

I hope you enjoyed my finds for today and I'm looking forward to finding more fun and colorful things for you to see.

As always if you have something you want me to post let me know.

Worktable Wednesday: Easter Patterns and Easter Bunny Dolls

Hi everyone! I hope some of you got a chance to check out The Happy Shamrock Pattern and tutorial from the last post. I really enjoyed making and sharing it with you!

For today's Worktable Wednesday I'm currently working on free Easter patterns for my newsletter subscribers and you awesome blog readers. These will be two completely different patterns. The blog pattern is a simpler easy to make one and the newsletter one is more detailed and will be sold in my shop at a future date, but my subscribers get it for free.

Working out one of the patterns. I plan on introducing patterns here on Mondays. Next Monday the 21st I should have the Easter pattern and tutorial available for the blog. 

Are there any patterns you'd like to see me design, make and share with you?

I wanted to share a few things that are in my shop right now and perfect for Easter.

 Bunny ornaments. 2 different kinds ( jointed bunny and bunny face ) and only for 2016. They will probably be made into diy patterns at some point, but for now they are made and ready to ship.

These adorable bunny hoop art girl and boy are something new in my shop that I'm trying out. I'm head over heels in love with these and will adding to this category very soon.

 And last but not least, bunny dolls. I wish you could see these in person, hold them and really look at the details! They seriously add to the cuteness factor of the studio.

 I just purchased a tripod for my phone so I can make videos of all kinds of crafty things. I have a Youtube channel now and as soon as I get it looking pretty and get some videos loaded I'll invite you to join me.