Arnie the Doughnut

Thursday, August 19, 2010
Posted in: Finished Project, Sewing

In the recent sketchbook pages I’ve shared, I have a lot of Arnie the doughnut. And here he is.
Arnie the doughnut hanging out

I was going to do a tutorial. But you don’t really need directions on how to hand stitch blanket stitches, stuff him, embroider sprinkles and put in yarn legs and arms, right?
Arnie the doughnut
And yes his hole is way bigger than doughnut hole sized. I didn’t really think that part through properly. I just used a plate and cup I had on hand. But that works out alright. He’s very easy to carry around because we can slip him on like a bracelet.

Here are the pattern pieces. Just click on picture and download the original.
Arnie pattern page 2

Arnie pattern page 1

Pretty simple really. Might just want to make sure you have enough stuffing so you don’t end up using leftover yarn like some people do. Sort of looks like his guts are coming out.
Stuffing Arnie

Oh, and it might probably be easier to put Arnie’s sprinkles on before sewing his frosting on. I made him that way because I thought Isabelle would enjoy seeing him come into being like a real doughnut with sprinkles added at the end. Not the smartest way to go about it but it still worked out.

Clay Fun With Isabelle

Friday, June 11, 2010
Posted in: Clay, Family, Finished Project

I know I’ve been having a hard time getting onto the computer lately. And I just can’t seem to figure it out. I’m thinking of getting rid of my “I heart” section. I’m rarely on the computer to even see anything “I heart”. Anyhoo, here I am, showing these pictures a week later than I said I would.
Little bunny made mostly by Isabelle

In one of my sketches, I drew us playing a Wallace and Gromit game. Then Isabelle watched the Wallace and Gromit Were-rabbit movie. And then for some reason we decided to play with clay and Isabelle wanted to make a Wallace and Gromit bunny.

Only…I don’t think I’ve ever worked in clay. My sister and friends and even Alan have worked with clay. But me? I have an art degree and never worked with clay?!? Really? That can’t be. Maybe I just have a really crap memory. I’ve taken a sculpture class. I’ve worked with wire, cardboard, natural items, and bronze. But clay. Nope. Can’t remember that.
Little bunny tail

Ok, off in la la land. Back to what I was saying.

This was a collaborative project between me and Isabelle. I made the head and body. Then Isabelle made the rest and I put them all together. Since I had no recollection of using clay, I didn’t know how to do that.

And I didn’t look it up beforehand. We just sort of winged it. Maybe that’s why stuff kept falling off the rabbit in the beginning. Like his nose. His ears. His head. Oh…just everything. It took some trial and error. I think I complicated it by not wanting to use water (thinking it would be messier). So while I was figuring it out, Isabelle made our family in clay:
Our family made by Isabelle

And Wallace and Gromit in clay:
Wallace and Gromit made by Isabelle

I think that explains why I got so very mad when Isabelle broke the arms off the rabbit when it was already in the drying stage. Next time, I’ll look it up first. That would have been waaaaayyy smarter.

A few days later when it was all hard we painted the bunny.
Painted little bunny
We used what we had on hand which was watercolor. The brown didn’t come across that well but the pink did. And YAY rabbit made mostly by Isabelle! :)

Happy Little Airplane

Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Posted in: Crochet, Finished Project

Bwa ha ha!! I found it!! I FOUND IT!! Or I should say, Isabelle found it, the little airplane I crocheted for her back in September.
Crocheted airplane

I haven’t seen it since I took this picture at an airport on this tiny pretend runway, back in November.
Little airplane at pretend tiny runway at a real airport
Ok maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But it has been missing in the black hole of her room for quite a while.

The pattern is from Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too by Ana Paula Rimoli. I love her patterns, they are so cute. I only changed a little thing with this pattern: I put a safety eye in the propeller so it would spin. And a little tiny motor so it would fly. I AM MacGyver.

Ok, just kidding. About the motor part.

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