Me & Pillowhead

Brewster is an adorable pony. One of my customers from Etsy approached me about creating a fat pony that looked like Brewster. It is her nephew's favorite pony and she wanted to create a special present for him.

Then, I was asked if Brewster's name could be embroidered on. Well, I knew where to turn for help. Enter Angela from pillowhead. Angela hand embroiders letters on many things, my favorite being pillows, of course. But, she agreed to help me with my little project.

It was tough. The chocolate brown faux suede that I found is perfect for Brewster, but it's very dense and hard to get a needle through. Angela rose to the challenge and created these tiny (.5") letters on Brewster's backside.

Well, he was certainly a hit. And, you know what I'm making for my niece and nephews this Christmas - stuffed animals with their names embroidered on them! What a unique way to personalize a gift that will be treasured for a long time.

Hedgehogs

So, it's been a while! I've been very busy filling orders and designing new animals. I have lots of posting to do, but I'll be spreading it out over the next few weeks. The holidays are coming, and I've committed to quite a few holiday markets. I hope my first holiday season as a vendor goes well.

So, I'm now introducing a new design - fat hedgehog. I've made two so far, and I can't wait to make even more. I'm completely in love with these little guys and they might just be the cutest fat animals yet. :)

Thanks for checking them out, and as usual, they're for sale in my Etsy Shop.

vintage dress dog

I have a wonderful customer who has requested that some animals be made from her vintage clothing. See the vintage skirt whale for reference.

The second animal that I just finished is a boston terrier made from a vintage dress and white corduroy fabric. The dress has a pattern of little men walking dogs, which was very cute and appropriate for this dog. The markings and paw colors are based on the customer's own dog, making it very special.

For new animal patterns, I always start out with a sketch, so I'm posting the sketch here for you to enjoy. The computer sketches always help me visualize how the shapes will translate to a 3D stuffed animal and into a flat pattern piece. The mouth was a new design for me, and gave me a little trouble when I went to add the nose. I had placed a seam right where the nose needed to go, so I had to make some strategic cuts and stitches in order to secure the nose and keep the fabric together.

More blogs to feature me!

I'm back from vacation, and I just found that I was featured on the Funky Finds blog. It was a nice treat to come back and see more fans!

Here's the link to the specific blog post about my animals, but the entire blog is amazingly fun! If you are looking for cool stuff, Jessica seems to know all the great places to find fantastic gifts! (obviously, as my Etsy shop was featured) :)

Another blog (how could I forget this one!!) to feature me is the D.I.Y. Kids blog run by Ellen and Julia Lupton. The Lupton Twins' blog has recently achieved How Top Ten status! I feel honored to have contributed a "make your own stuffie" lesson.

Again, I'm adding the direct link to the feature, and also the link to the entire blog. A wonderful resource for great activities to do with kids.

Newest Creation - Fat Rhino

Hey guys and gals!
Welcome the newest animal to the Sweetest Pea Designs collection!
Introducing Fat Rhino!!!

I've been venturing over to the upholstery fabric section of JoAnn's recently. I've found some great textured fabrics. I used my first upholstery fabric to create a fat hamster. The texture really adds a lot of personality to the animals. I enjoy the simplicity of the faux suede and the variety of colors, but the most recent fabrics really lend themselves to the specific animals.

There's a balance I have to figure out when creating these animals. How life-like do I make them? Does the texture/color have to match in order for the animal to be recognizable? In some cases, the texture helps with the identity. For example - the pig and the cow designs are very similar, but the cow-print fabric instantly identifies that animal as a cow.

So, for now, I'm excited to experiment with new fabrics. But, I'll always love the requests that come in for blue monkeys. : )

Newest Etsy Inspired Illustration

Here's my newest Illustration.
You can view all 4 by going here:

The featured Etsy Sellers Are:

CRAYONames: Storyblox
Quilt: jamtartbaby
buckwheat pillow: vanislanddreamz
tiara: rohmcustom
shirt: daniellediy
skirt: aliceofkansas
shoes: stopsandstarts
ipod cozy: girlscantell

Featured Seller on Etsy

For the next week (give or take a day or two) I will be the featured seller on Etsy.com. There are over 14,000 sellers, and I feel very lucky to have been chosen. There are photos, an interview, and the best part: 3 of my items will be featured on the home page at all times! So, check back every day for a new theme of featured products. Wednesday was monsters, I'm posting rodents today, and some themes to come are: one of a kinds, farm, aquatic, jungle, animal cozies, baby-safe stuffies and fantasy creatures. Hopefully I'll be up long enough to cover all of those.

Thanks to those who visit and who have already wished me best of luck! It's going to be a busy week. I've sold 4 already!

Other Blogs to feature my creations

Here are some blogs that have featured my stuffed animals:

The newest is cimorenegal's Etsy features blog, where I'm featured today.

Here is a link to her Etsy Shop, to reciprocate promotion.

I have also been featured on Cool Mom Picks. This is a site that features product picks/reviews recommended by moms.


These blogs feature many great products and sellers. I'm pleased to have been chosen as a feature on both!

One of a kinds

Here are some one of a kind animals that I have created. Some use vintage Japanese kimono fabric that I have some small pieces of. Some use samples from discontinued fabric sample books. I love working with patterns and textures that have unique qualities. At craft fairs, these seem to sell very well. Customers enjoy getting something they know is one of a kind and adorable. Some have been given as gifts, some people just can't give them away. I know I have a hard time letting go...

I will be posting some more vintage Japanese kimono animals this week in my Etsy store.

Dr. Perfect is at it again

So, we have a stuffed animal octopus with a mind of his own. So much, that he has created a blog just for himself. He has asked me to plug his blog on my blog... oh brother! In his blog, he will discuss his favorite foods, brag about his tentacle-span (28.5"!), and showcase his plans to take over the world. Oh, and sometimes he'll have free goodies like desktop wallpaper and such.

So, if you're feeling adventurous, wander over to Dr. Perfect's Blog.

Monsters!

So, my new line of monsters is up in my Etsy store. They are inspired by my husband's illustration work. He often draws monsters and other fun things, so check out his blog as well.

The monsters are: Beatrice, Walter, Albert and Alice (left to right).
To learn more about them or to purchase any of them, visit my Etsy store.

Thanks!

vintage skirt whale

I was asked to create a plush whale made from a vintage skirt. I'm attaching some photos of the skirt before I cut it and after to show the completed whale. Enjoy!