A Creation and a Zombie

I've been on a softie/plushie making kick.  I always loved stuffed animals as a kid. I guess I still do, only now I like to make my own. After making the elephant for my sister's shower I decided to make another one for someone at work who just had their first grandchild. This time I used fleece for the body. Note to self don't use fleece next time it's too stretchy, cotton fabrics work much better. 

After I finished the elephant I decided to make a zombie.  When I make a zombie, I usually have some kind of plan in mind that I sketch out. This time I decided to try something different, I had no vision of what I was going to create, I just built it as I went along.  I made this zombie using pieces of two recycled sweaters and pieces of two wool coats. I stitched on his wounds, then painted his wounds with acrylic paint to make him look bloodier.  I added mismatched button eyes and even added yarn hair this time.  I actually crocheted his intestines, which is impressive since I'm not very good with a crochet hook. He's sitting on the bookshelf next to the other zombies awaiting the arrival of a new zombie in the coming months. I've been anxiously awaiting the opening of signs ups for a zombie doll swap over at Yarnigras Swapper Spot.  The theme is zombies in the nursery. You know it's going to be good!

Speaking of zombies last week was the 10th anniversary of the release of Shaun of the Dead. Even ten years later it's one of my favorites!  Watching Shaun of the Dead all those years ago  is what actually sparked my love of zombies. I still love funny zombie movies that aren't super scary. Below is a list of my favorite zombie movies.

1. Shaun of the Dead
2. Zombieland
3. Warm Bodies
4. Cockneys vs. Zombies
5. I am Legend ( I consider this a zombie movie - warning: it is a little scary.)

If you're a zombie fan and haven't seen one of these go immediately and watch it now. You'll thank me later.

Chunk in Lego Land

This is Chunk, our silly little black pug. Chunk is goofy, sweet, wild, obnoxious(at times,) a good companion and is always standing underfoot. He just wants to be everywhere we are. He snores like a chainsaw, snorts like a pig and makes us laugh with his silly antics.  He will eat anything! Even now at almost three years old he still eats things he shouldn't.  One of his favorite things is eating Legos. If there is a Lego on the floor he'll chew it.

My daughter has lots of Legos and enjoys putting together Lego sets as well as just creating on her own.  She made this Lego Land sign. Usually Chunk gets sent out of the room during Lego time, but . . .

 Chunky didn't want to miss out on a trip to Lego Land so here he is posing with the sign. Thankfully he prefers individual Lego pieces instead of chunks of Legos so the sign survived his trip into Lego Land.

Baby Gifts

This weekend we had a baby shower for my sister and her husband who are expecting a baby in May. We are very excited to add a tenth child on my side of the family.  My daughter is surrounded by cousins and we're thrilled that we'll have a new baby boy to add to the mix.

I wanted to make something for the baby.  The baby's room is gray so I created this sweet little elephant as a decoration for his room.

Here he is in the basket of goodies I had collected for the baby. I fell in love with this metal basket and decided to forgo a gift bag, instead creating a gift basket of baby goodies.

 My other sister and I planned the shower with some help from family and friends.  We wanted simple decorations that could be used after the shower to decorate the baby's room.  My sister sent me a pin and asked me if I could make this giraffe. I thought it was cute but knew I wanted to change a few things. Of course I could have purchased a pattern for the giraffe in the pin, but where is the fun in actually knowing how to make it?  :)  Call me crazy, but I think the fun is the challenge of figuring it out and creating your own. I decided I could do it, so I took some old newspaper and drew out a pattern then preceded to create this little guy.  I named him Stu, because by the time I finished him it was two in the morning and I kept saying "Stupid giraffe." My pattern worked out but the challenge was attaching his legs in a way that he could stand up on his own. I tore one leg off three times. To be honest I still think there must be a better way to attach the legs but I haven't done any research to figure it out. Of course I'm not sure I'll ever need to make another one. At this point Stu is purely for decorative purposes, as I'm sure he wouldn't stand up to a wild ride with a child on his back.

This is my brother-in -law and my sister with Stu.