Thursday, June 28, 2007

The only dog I can have in my apartment

I've been having trouble choosing my next project. I still need to post about my pregnant/bloated shirt (and no, I'm not pregnant, just bloated) but I need Rob to take photos for me, and I keep forgetting. I have all of this lovely fabric just aching to be used, but I want to make sure to match up the right patterns with them. So to ease my crafting jitters, I decided to make a stuffed animal from this super cute book.


Huggable Sewn Stuffed Animals, ISBN 4-14-187866-9

I've seen this book around the blogosphere, it was first printed in 2002 with a reprint last year. It's the perfect book to make stuffed animals for babies. There are 18 patterns, including a tapir (!), flogs (their misprint, not mine) and a flying squirrel. Here are some photos of the less exotic creatures.








Like the bag book, there are step by step instructions for one of the animals.

And since it was the dachshund, I had no choice but to make it (well, I did have a choice, but he's just so darn cute!)

Meet Dudley the Dachshund!


I just love him to pieces. I used a fabric that I bought in Japan, it was called, "Handy Household Fabric". I wish I could find more natural colored cotton fabric here, I think I just have to look harder.

With this project, I understood why the smaller sewn Japanese project patterns don't have seam allowances. You draw the pattern on the fabric, cut generously around, then sew on the drawn lines. Aftewards, you trim the seam. I still have problems dealing with clothing patterns that don't have seam allowances, but I'm learning.

On a slightly unrelated note, my friend Anna found the little animals that I made her baby-to-be cute, not scary. Phew!

13 comments:

monica said...

Dudley is adorable! I love the fabric.

Anonymous said...

Dudley is very cute. I hope Unki & Maggie are scared by Dudley.

Anonymous said...

Your dachshund is adorable! (The pattern for the squishy-looking bunnies is pretty cute, too!)

Sarah said...

Dudley is adorable! Have I mentioned on my blog that I'm obsessed with daschunds? Right now all I'm allowed to have is a stuffed animal, too, but Dudley is so much cuter than mine!

Agnes said...

AAAAARRRGGH! Too cute!

lupinbunny said...

I lurrrve that pig!
Can you post photos of the flogs and flying squirrels? I'm curious...

iSeL said...

What a cute little guy. I want him! :D

winnie said...

that is adorable. but may i suggest the pot-belly pig? it's SO cute.

Anonymous said...

so cute!! oh i need to hunt down that book. i love simple, white stuff toys!

thanks for sharing!

queen said...

Thanks! Just ordered this after reading your post. Lucky me, I live in Japan!

Anonymous said...

I love your stuffed dog!! Is there any way you can recommend ordering this from the States?

Thanks!

Brandi said...

This is sooo coool! I've been looking for sites so i could make a stuffed animal!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dudely is soooooooo cute!
x_x

Unknown said...

Hi maririb,

I know that this is an old post, but I would like to get this book. The only place I've been able to find it is Amazon Japan. Any ideas,hints, or tips? Thanks!