A homecoming of sorts

LOOK, Bernina is back after three long weeks and she purrrrs! How I have missed her, we're doing lots of catching up!

With our Bernina celebration, I decided to get organized and went to Ikea looking for a new bookshelf. I had three large plastic tubs full of fabric sitting on the floor. It looked like a disaster struck, which it did. John helped me clean up and also decided that we were hoarders. Yipes, to be a hoarder…I guess that means I (correction "we") just need to sew more and in the process I'll (we'll) use up all the fabric stash. Seems like a solid plan to me!

This little lamb is broken, look at his sad legs. I made him about 2 years ago when we launched up&up at work. I was part of the team that worked on about 900 skus. At some point in the process I made some of the images for the products. I made a total of 9 lambs in different color ways. The process was a bit intense because I had never made a plush pattern before. I think I ended up with something like 14 version before I final got it right. Unfortunately I had no idea about gussets, and never mind I never really did any research. Most recently I was reading a fantastic blog: While she naps that has extremely clear tutorials on making plush. Here's the link: http://www.whileshenaps.typepad.com/ Abigal Patner Glassenberg is the blog author and really knows her stuff. And by the way, she just put out a book which I can't wait to get my hands on!

Another really great blog for this type of thing is Doll, here's the link: http://mimikirchner.com/blog/ Mimi Kirchner is the blog author and makes incredible hand made dolls which she sells in her store. They are unique and wonderful, not scary dolls. I bought the kitty pattern from her Etsy store which I made the Vogels from.

The secret tools both these ladies use is a "hemostat". Here's the description from Wikipedia: A hemostat (also called a hemostatic clamp or arterial forceps), is a vital surgical tool used in almost any surgical procedure, usually to control bleeding. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see the initial incision lined with hemostats closing blood vessels awaiting ligation during the initial phases of surgery. Okay enough about that!

Here's the new and improved lamb, fresh out of surgery this afternoon. He has four inner leg gussets, a fresh coating of pink on his nose, new felt eyes and fresh stuffing. Please notice how proud he stands, completely upright (without any wires). I admit the first lambs had wires…it worked.

And here he is poseing with his official "Iron" baby formula can. What was really fun after these lambs where all done being shot, different people from the team took one or two at a time on vacation. They went to incredible places, England, Amsterdam, Korea, Thailand, Poland, Russia, South Carolina, Wyoming and Texas…Minnesota State Fair, Renaissance Fair but just missed a U2 concert. The only requirement was to bring back pictures! So you can see, after all that traveling you might have your legs fall out from under you too - remember gussets!