Crafting for Charity: Stockpiling! (and a fail!)

While I was waiting for the socks to arrive (so I could begin the Great Sock Monkey Commission), I wiled away a few hours making a few things for the next Regretsy Charity Sale (or any other charity thing that may come along while I wait).

First up, some more ewoks.

I was going to do a tutorial for these (even took photos as I was making them) but in a word, the photos sucked and Wild Olive (where you can get the pattern) already did a tutorial (with good pics) so why re-do something that didn't need re-doing?

I will note that I have altered the original tutorial.  For non-felt ewoks I sew and turn (meaning sew on the wrong side then turn the item right side out) versus sewing on top (the original tutorial uses courderoy and is sewn on top--meaning no turning).  I prefer a more finished edge.  So my ewoks are a tiny bit smaller.  Except for the felt one (he's on the left).  With felt I surface sew (no turning) and the finished product was a little bigger.  I think all three are super cute.  I'm planning to make at least three more once all my commissions are done.

But I don't want to fill my charity coffers with just ewoks.

My charity coffers need. . .KITTIES!!

MEOW!

You can't tell from the pic, but the black one does have stitched whiskers and leg lines.  But they're black so don't stand out.  As anyone who's had black cats can attest, sometimes if your cat is sititng just right they kind of look like a big black blob.

The second cat is so cute I almost want to keep him for myself (and I may have named him Graham--he looks like a Graham).  Graham is the first kitty I've made who had dimensional whiskers and I like the effect.  He's also the only pattern I hadn't yet tried out (the patters are over at Nuno Life --just look through that whole blog--tons of great stuff there).  I like how you can mix and match the heads and bodies (and that one set is clearly a Siamese).

OH, and so you can see just how small these are.

Graham posing next to a regular sized teaspoon (aka "eating spoon").  So they're pretty small.  But very easy to make.  I made this pair while I was visiting my family.  They take about an hour each (from cutting to final stitch).

While the kitties alone are definitely worthy of being added to the charity coffers (I've used coffers THREE times now--let's see how many more times I can use it!) I wanted to offer something else along with them, kind of sweeten the deal.

What about. . .a BAG.  Just a simple little drawstring bag.  In fact, it's the same tutorial for the patchwork drawstring bag only without the patchwork.  So even easier.

Kitties on one side.  Sushi on the other.

The only snag?

This bag is a big ass FAIL.  It's a drawstring bag that doesn't "drawstring".  I made the cord area too narrow so it only pulls down about a quarter of the way.

OOPS.

So I need to make a new one for the charity coffers.  This one will join my Island of Misfit Toys (or I might include it with a charity purchase as a "free bonus").  It's still usable but just not as it was intended.  And it is made well just (technically) not RIGHT.

I have enough of the kitty fabric to just one more (but plenty of sushi fabric and the polka dot fabric).  These bags and the ewoks are perfect for fat quarters.  I can get a whole bag out of one fat quarter (or two halves if I'm doing different fabrics for the reversibles).

I think I'm going to make one more kitty for this set so I can title it "Three Little Kitties".  Or I might go with "Sack of Kittens".  I plan to make "Sack of Puppies" as well.  I want to continue the "sack" theme and make different cats/dogs (from other patterns) for inside cat/dog themed bags.  And other animals.  I have some super cute circus fabric that I could use to make a "Sack of Circus" or "Sack of Zoo".  I can also make handled bags to go with toys that are larger.

And I do have this super funky OPOSSUM fabric.  I want to figure out (or find) a pattern for an opossum toy so I can have a "Sack of Possum".  Or maybe a "hillbilly" animal sack, with a possum and a groundhog. 

What else have I been up to lately?

I sent out my charms for the Shades of Grey charm swap I joined.  Happy to report I didn't mess up anything so the extra half yard I bought is now mine to do with however I see fit (it's the ghost print from the Guising set, so I think I might make a halloween themed set of something or other for the charity coffers).

I'm also done with the embroidery on the last spoonflower tattoo doll and have the limbs all sewn together.  Just have to put it all together and it's done.

But first, I have to get to the sock monkeys.  I need to either find or draw up a sock monkey sized bib for them.

OH, and I'm thinking (for myself). . .Sea Monkey Sock Monkey.  Yes, a combining of two fun things in one.  But first I need to get all my commissions finished.