Under the Sea: Sparkly Octopus

I mentioned I was mega crafty this weekend.

And this is what I made on Sunday (yeah, I'm going out of order because I'm saving my "original pattern" post for last).

I've had this pattern on my "to sew" list for a while but I knew it took a lot of cutting prep work and I had to be in the mood to cut out a mess of little felt pieces.  I was in that mood on Sunday (it was either work with the stuff I had laying around my stash or drive myself out to the 'burbs to the craft store and I don't like driving at all let alone out to the 'burbs so. . .).

OCTOPUS!!!

Oh, before I forget:  PATTERN IS HERE.

Looking at the finished product it looks like a really daunting pattern, like it would be super hard.  It is NOT.  At all.  I'd classify it as "medium" (on a scale of easy, medium, hard) and that's only because it's a smaller item and you have to cut out a TON of pieces (oh and the beading--but really, the beading isn't hard just time consumming).

Another photo of him/her with some stylish glare on the sequin suckers.

After I beaded the first leg I wondered why on earth the pattern was all uptight about sequin placement when they were all crammed together anyway.  Then I realized my sequins were larger than the ones used in the tutorial/pattern.  Hey, I was working with what I had and these green ones were fabulous against the lighter green of the body.  And they worked with the beads I had (I have a few tubes of same color beads I wanted to work from since I was not in the mood to pick through my container of mixed seed beads--I always find ones that are cool but have impossibly tiny holes).

I went "classice" with the sequin eyes, too.  If I made this pattern again (and I might, but not right away thanks to the aforementioned mass of cutting it takes to prep) I'd do some embroidery for the eyes.  One of the octopi shown at the Future Girl link (home of the pattern) had lazy daisy stitches for the eyes and it was super cute.

I have a feeling this octopus is going to get my co-workers all squeeling with delight.

Now I just need a name for him/her.  (and I need to make the mermaid doll I plan to go with)

Suggestions for names gladly accepted.