Freddie's Elephant

 

I made this little stuffed elephant for Freddie Norman (son of a past workmate of mine) who was born in January 2025.  His older brother and sister had each received an elephant so it was compulsory for me to make one for him too!

I love the elephant fabric!

It is the 'Eleni the Elephant' pattern that I ripped out from magazine 'Patchwork & Stitching Vol.17 No. 4 2011'.

'Jenny' doll

My sixth finish for this year is a rag doll for my wee cousin, Florence McGowan.

Her big sister, Lucia, received this version in 2020, so it was only fitting that I make one for Florence too.

I've insisted that this one is called Jenny, due to the first one being named Dana (my sister-in-law's name -see the post for the first version) - so I think it is only fair that we have one doll each!

I used a pattern called 'Pip', ripped out from Australian Patchwork and Stitching magazine, Vol 11 No 1 2010, and she is about 21" tall.

Sharing with my quilting and crafting friends via Kelly's Needle and Thread Thursday linky party!

Elephant for Ada

Baby gift for Ada Norman, born in December 2021 to one of my lovely former workmates; she finally received her gift in April I think!

I had made the same toy for her big brother Eli when he was a baby.

The pattern is in my folder of magazine patterns and was from Patchwork and Stitching Vol 12 No 4 2011.

Dolly

 Another creation in the soft toy department for this year, for 2-year old Miss Alexis Bankshaw (daughter of a former workmate of mine, the lovely Lisa).

I have been informed by Lisa that 'Dolly' is already being well-loved and snuggles in bed every night. 

 Lisa's first three daughters each received a 'Mrs Perkins' giraffe toy but, despite my hunting through the sewing room at least three times, I could not find the pattern anywhere. So, Dolly was made as a 'twin' for the other rag doll I made this year as I just loved the colours/fabrics.

Dolly is about 21'(53cm) tall and was made from a pattern (called 'Pip') in the Australian Patchwork and Stitching magazine, Vol 11 No 1 2010.  She was super easy to make and I love the final result!

Elijah’s Elephant

A small stuffed toy for my workmate Emma’s baby son, Elijah. 

I had already made a lap quilt as a wedding present so thought a stuffed toy would be a nice change. 

Found the pattern in my folder of magazine patterns; \

this is from Patchwork and Stitching Vol 12 No 4 2011. 

He is about 21 x 31 cm in size and the fabric was in my stash.   

It is quite canny that I picked an elephant as Eli has a little collection of elephants starting to gather in his room (artwork and toys).

Lucia's Rag Doll

I wanted to make a little something for my cousin's little girl for her 2nd birthday...

a hunt through my pattern collection turned up this adorable (and super easy) rag doll.

A second hunt, this time through my stash of fabrics, 

and I knew the doll would have 'red' hair (in honour of her Nana Jan, I might add!)

The hair is made of knotted fabric...and has earned her the name of Dana (after my sister-in-law, 

as her hair is similar, according to little Lucia and her Uncle Reece, who named her).

The eyes are appliqued, with hand-stitched edging and lashes.

The mouth is also hand-stitched.

The doll is about 21" (53cm) tall.

The pattern, called  'Pip', was from Australian Patchwork and 

Stitching magazine, Vol 11 No 1 2010.

Another Giraffe at Last!

Another finish of one of my goals for the 2nd quarter of On The Windy Side's Finish Along Challenge!  I think I've managed to get four things done, not too bad!

I spent the day working on school reports, finally spent some time this evening to get Melly's legs onto her body (she's been waiting in the basket for about a year!)

About 18' tall and made from a pink polka dot, with a black multi-coloured spot for the horns and hooves; pattern is called Mrs Perkins and is by Melly & Me.

This one is off to the Maniototo as a gift for new baby Issy Bankshaw!

You can see my other 'Mrs Perkins' giraffes here: #10 for Harper, #9 baby gift, #7 for Corbin and #8 for sale, #2-6 sold or gifted, and #1 for Claudia. 

Linking up to share with Amanda Jean's Friday Night Finish It party!

Mrs Perkins Giraffe #10

Completed this last weekend...a baby gift for my workmate Jodie Whitson-Morris, who is expecting her second baby in mid -June (on my birthday actually!) We held a baby shower for her on Monday as this is her last week at work. 

Update! Baby Harper Maree Morris was born 13 June - a bit before my birthday but I will forgive the wee poppet! 

This giraffe is of course a cousin to the other 9 that I have made so far, with just another ten to go until I reach my target of 20! (There are two ready-to-be-assembled giraffes in the basket, waiting, waiting...good things take time!)

Mrs Perkins #9, black and white version, Melly & Me Designs, approx 18

Jodie's eldest child, Corbin, has this orange giraffe on the right and adores it apparently! I am just thrilled to know that my stitching is holding up to the demands of a two-year old (he drags it around the house and takes it to bed etc)!

Mrs Perkins giraffe #9

Right! I said I would get these giraffes finished in April and this one was! The other three...not quite.

I can only put the legs on one giraffe a day as gripping the doll making needle and getting it through the thicknesses of stuffed limbs results in quite sore fingers (so have been also working on quilting another bag).

Pattern is Mrs Perkins from Melly & Me. Height approx 18"

In 2014 this was given to Bex Brown, our te reo Maori teacher, to await the arrival of her new baby daughter.

Giraffes in progress and a new BOM block

Here is a head shot of my latest bunch of gals...eyes and lashes on, ears and horns on, manes and tails on...legs still to be put on!

And the latest block from the Moda Designer Mystery BOM - "County Fair" by Julie Comstock from www.CosmoCricket.com...

And I spent the first day of the holidays catching up on pre-washing and ironing the pile of new fabrics I've built up over the past few months...boy, the plans I have for this lot!

March Block of 2012 Moda BOM Mystery Quilt

This is called Sunday Drive and I must say I enjoyed spending an hour on this Easter Sunday morning creating it (having first cleaned up the mess that the cat left for us of an Easter bunny cousin in the laundry, that he'd caught out in the fields somewhere, and after reading my new Sarah-Kate Lynch novel while enjoying eating my chocolate button Easter egg that Kieran kindly found in the backyard for me after walking past its very obvious hiding place at least twice!). So nice not to be rushing around for a day or two!

Bock Ten of the MODA 2012 Designer Mystery BOM; designed by Polly Minich and Laurie Simpson from www.MinickAndSimpson.comwww.MinickAndSimpson.com

 

The ten blocks so far (with shadows from the window panes, showing that we are still having lovely sunny days to start the autumn off!)

And my mission is to get these four giraffes finished before the end of this week!!

Sold! One blue giraffe!

We held a carboot sale yesterday at school and in the pouring rain I sold my 'blue' giraffe to Madi, who bought a black and white giraffe from me at last year's sale - I have a collector/fan!

I know it has gone to a good home! (And matches her jacket nicely!)

Newest batch of giraffes

Here they are...waiting to have limbs, ears and horns joined to the bodies...four new giraffes.  They were cut out back in November and stuffed in January. Watch this space for completed photos.

Two new giraffes! 7/20 + 8/20 in my goal!

Made these two giraffes for my colleague Jodie (who is expecting a baby in January) to choose from - at the baby shower for her today at work Jodie chose the orange coloured giraffe for her new baby.

I have the pleasure of keeping the blue one for a while - I just love the colours!  Only 12 more to make to reach my giraffe goal - I have 4 pink giraffes sewn and cut out just waiting to be stuffed and put together.

See giraffes 2 - 6 in the series here.

Giraffe Series 2/20 - 6/20

 Check out the next five of my series!  The giraffes have been very popular and I have actually sold three!

Alice Sheat, a relieving teacher at school, bought the green one for her daughter Ruby.

One of my pupils bought the black and white one at the car-boot sale held by the Year Sixes.

Kath J bought the pink one for her colleague who collects giraffes.

I have made these two this weekend - one will be to send to ex-staff member Lisa Bankshaw who recently had a baby girl - I will let the staff decide which one we will put into the gift basket that we are sending.

Will have to wait and see what happens to the one that gets left behind!

Giraffe Series - 1/20

Dec 2010

Giraffe 1/20

Found this gorgeous toy pattern in 'Kits and Things' (my favourite quilting store, Invercargill) late last year. It is a Melly and Me design called 'Mrs Perkins' by Rosalie Quinlan. Completed size is about 47cm tall.

Have decided that I think I could handle making about 20 of these before I decide I've had my fill of them as they are so easy to do! I don't plan to do them all this year mind you! But over the next wee while...they take a good day to sew, cut, stuff, piece together and trim.

Anyway, the first one I made was for my cousin Kaylee's newest baby, Claudia. It is all machine and hand stitched. I think it is so cool that I now also have the pieces for the next three giraffes all stuffed and sitting in a basket waiting for me to get the buttons and then I can put them together and finish them off.

Claudia McNally, age 2 months

My cousin tells me she has had to put the giraffe up very high, not because Claudia is still too small for it, but because all the little girls who visit are very keen to get their hands on it!