Rafi and his new family's - Creative Space.

The small boy's birthday is just around the corner and for him I have repaired his beloved Rafi, I have also made a family of Giraffe's for 'Rafi' to hang out with down on the plains....

Rafi looked like this after 2 1/2 yrs of 'love' from a small boy.

I wondered if I should even attempt to stick a needle into the felty thread bare coat of Rafi let alone try to attach something to it. I wondered if it would all be too much for him causing Rafi haemorrhage is fluffy innards at a significantly faster rate than he already was.

I considered making Rafi a 'new suit' to wear, I had even planned on ensuring the small boy was part of the process of 'dressing' Rafi in the new suit so as not to cause him any undue anxiety for his 'old Rafi'.

Using the off cuts from the new 'Rafi family' I made some patches for Rafi and blanket stitched them on to him - starting with the great gaping hole in his neck.

And now he looks like this

(Legs to be patched soon)

And these are his herd members, his new family.

These new Giraffe's may soon have some needle felted patches - I'm well over blanket stitching for now.

Should you be requiring some felt of glorious thickness - safe in the knowledge that it wont pull apart when worked with, is hand dyed and made from 100% pure wool then I urge you to go visit Trudi's shop 'Me and Ewe' - You will be so pleased you did.

For more lovely words and lovely things to look at, go see who else is playing Kirsty's game of show and tell today.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

Rafi -repairs update

It has arrived!

The beeep beep beeeeeep of the postman's motorbike heralded the arrival of a parcel at Pippiwillow HQ last week.

After much agonising over which colour to choose to re-create 'Rafi' - I had to choose two.

The beautiful hand dyed wool felt that Trudi at Me & Ewe makes and sells is just so lovely, I really couldn't choose just one colour so, I chose two. I am quite proud that I could stop at two...for now.

These are the colours that I have chosen.

A gorgeous camel-esque colour and a rusty colour. I may dry/needle felt the spots on or I may not. I will have to see how they look once they 'come to life'.

So, now as the weather is cooler and the night comes earlier I feel my creative 'mojo' (?'sewjo') starting to bubble beneath the surface.

As I now have two colours for Rafi - I will make a family of them and give the small boy a great surprise - he really misses his Rafi.

Does anyone else become more 'in the mood' to sew and create when the weather turns? What do you create? Are you of the sewing machine persuasion? or perhaps a knitter?

I end up with so many projects on the go I often have half finished creations and bigger plans for more before I've finished the first one.

Cheers.

Giraffe - V's small boy

He used to be a long lean tree munching machine. Meandering and traversing the Savannah with few predators to take up the precious thinking space in his head. The only thoughts (possibly) being "where's my next tree" and "don't bend your neck down for too long".

But, then he came to my house. Or, more specifically to my small boy.

He was a hand made first birthday gift from my Sister to my small boy.

Who loved him so much, he now has a broken neck.

Whilst I do think this new pose gives 'Rafi' a permanently quizzical and interested look. The small boy believes that 'Rafi's' head is feeling poorly and needs some medicine.

"Poor Rafi" (poor me) - me thinks, Rafi can't be repaired and will have to be re-made - at night when the small boy is sleeping lest he see the horror of his beloved 'Rafi' be taken apart.

After I acquire some lovely new hand dyed wool felt from Trudi's oh so lovely new Etsy shop 'Me and Ewe' (please go there and you'll see why I love felt) I will be ready to begin.

I may even make a family of 'Rafi's' - industrial strength Rafi's at that (and this time they may even have some 'Giraffe like patterns/colouring' upon their lovely coats and some serious leg reinforcements to avoid the 'splaying leg pose' - which I note, is quite a normal thing for a Giraffe to do - just not all the time).

Cheers.