This tutorial has been a long time coming – but finally, here it is!  These cute and cuddly monster pillows have big mouths just ready to eat your pajamas and keep them safe until night time.  They’re also really fun sleepover companions.  If you’d like to have one of these monsters for your very own (or for someone you love) I make them in custom colours in my shop.  Or, you could make your own!  Here’s how:

Materials

• 3/4 yard (70 cm) of fleece for the pillow
• piece of fleece in appropriate colours for horns, teeth, eyes and eyeballs
• piece of coordinating cotton for mouth lining
• stuffing

Step 1:  Cut the fabric

Out of the pillow fleece, cut 2 16″ (40 cm) squares  (I made myself a cardboard template for this, but you could use a cutting grid or even just measure with a ruler!) and one 16 x 9″ (40 x 23cm) rectangle for the mouth

From the lining fabric cut a 16 x 9″ (40 x 23cm) rectangle

From white fleece, cut a 16 x 2.5″ (40 x 6 .5 cm) strip for the teeth and notch to look like teeth

Also from white cut two ovals for eyes.  Mine are about 3 x 4.5″ (7.5 x 12.5 cm)

Cut eyeballs from black fleece.

Draw a horn shape about 5″ (12.5 cm)  tall and use it as a template to cut out four horn shapes from fleece.

Step 2:  Sew the Mouth

Place the fleece mouth right-side up on a table.

Place the teeth right-side down on top, lining up the bottom of the teeth with the top of the mouth.

Place the lining piece right-side down on top and pin across the top.

Sew across the top only.

Fold the lining behind the fleece mouth and press.

Place the mouth piece on top of one of the pillow pieces, lining up the bottom and sides, and baste.  (Leave the top, teeth part open.)

Step 3: Sew the Eyes

Sew the eyeballs onto the eye pieces.

Sew the eyes to the front pillow piece as desired.

Step 4: Sew and Stuff the Horns

With right-sides together, sew the horn pieces together.  Trim the seams at the points.

Turn right-side out and stuff.  Only lightly stuff the bottoms so they can be sewn into the pillow.

Position the horns where you would like them on the finished pillow, and baste them to the top of the pillow, lining up the bottom of the horns with the top of the pillow.

**I seem to have misplaced the photos I took of the last several steps.  Hopefully it’s clear enough without the photo help. Sorry!     

Step 5: Sew the Pillow  

Place the front pillow piece (the one with the eyes and mouth) right-side up on a table.

Place the back pillow piece right-side down on top and pin.

Sew around all the sides, leaving an opening for turning.

Step 6: Stuff and Finish

Turn the pillow right side out and stuff.

Sew the opening closed.

Ta da!  Your pillow monster is finished and ready to start devouring some PJs!

If you make a pillow using this tutorial, please share your pictures, I’d love to see them!  Also, I would really appreciate it if you only used this tutorial for your own pillows or for gifts.  Those wishing to purchase a pillow can find them in my shop!  Thanks!  Happy sewing!

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It’s been busy around here as the sewing machine has been humming, my hand-sewing skills have been tested, and I’ve been experimenting with new materials.  16 creatures are almost ready to make the journey to their new homes.  This is the last of the group of 43 that I have been working on for the summer camp.    Here are a few of the creatures ready to meet their new owners:

I love all of the detailed instructions on this one!  I hope I got it just right!

The lovely Dianne Fisher of LittleFishCreations adapted her fabric design just for this fish!

“Like a Boss” was a bit of a theme with some of these campers.  In this case, the lettering on the bear’s shirt was done with fabric paint, to mimic the block letters the artist wanted.

And a challenge – how to make the dragon standing instead of sitting.  I’ll admit this one took a bit of drawing and redrawing to get just right,  but I love how it turned out and I think he’s a nice cross between fierce and friendly.  But then again, I’ve always wanted a pet dragon!

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Although we are somewhat used to strange weather here in the Great White North, it still seems funny to have this much snow this late.  But the birds don’t seem bothered by it.  They are back from their southern vacations and chirping away each morning, despite the white stuff.  I actually captured a few minutes of it on video, because it is rather surreal to have such strong bird chatter against a snowy backdrop!

Happy spring!  (No matter what the weather….)

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This is the laptop sweater my new (to me) MacBook travels in every day.  I’ve had a lot of positive comments on it, and once the sweater is felted, you can whip one up in less than an hour.   So hop on over and learn how to make your own!

It’s been an exciting day!

The post Felted Sweater Laptop Cozy Tutorial – on the Canadian Living Blog! appeared first on Artisan in the Woods.

In the meantime, I had the delight of coming home and bringing this lovely lady to life.  Seriously, is there anything as sweet as these drawings created by the littlest of hands?

Although the crown wasn’t necessarily part of the drawing, we decided that this pink friend deserved to be a princess.  The crown certainly looks like it belongs on her head, doesn’t it?  I personally find her smile and shape irresistible and am pretty sure that she must give wonderful hugs!  She is anxious to be on her way to meet her very best friend, the one who drew her pretty picture.  Bon voyage, sweet princess!

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And so, as friends who have been out of touch for awhile, let’s get caught up!  Here’s what’s been happening in my neck of the woods:

1.  I am teaching Kindergarten again, which I love.  This year I started a class blog (for parents of students only – sorry) and I love, love, love being able to share all of the crazy, happy, exciting moments of our days together.  One of my favourites from the past few weeks was creating a blizzard in the gym using crumpled up pieces of scrap paper.  One of my students said “This is the best day ever!”  I love hearing that!

Kindergarten Artwork

2.  I have just started reading this book.  I have had a hold on it at the library for so long that I can no longer remember who recommended it to me or why I wanted to read it.  What I’ve read so far makes sense, but the jury is still out…

3.  This song has become one of my favourites.  I love the imagery in it.  Wow.

4.  I have discovered that I love green smoothies.  It’s funny how your tastes change over time.  My current favourite mixture is kale, frozen peaches, spirulina, a little maple syrup, and almond or coconut milk.  It’s very green, but good.

5.  I feel like I have become an expert in Disney World vacations – and I haven’t even been yet!  I read this book and this book cover to cover.  I never knew there was so much attention to detail in the parks, I guess as a kid you don’t really notice or remember those things.  I am looking forward to experiencing it all as an adult.

6.  Truth be told, I really have been spending most of my time sewing creatures, and I love it.  But I am also hoping to take some time to finish up some other projects I started last year (um…yeah..and some I started the year before that.)  This year I have vowed to not buy any new fabric until I finish up old projects – it’s only February and it has already been a hard promise to keep!  But there are several of those old projects that I am really looking forward to finishing and hopefully can share with you soon!  In the meantime, one of my current favourite custom pieces.  I love the ruffles on the dress!

And now it’s your turn!  What’s been happening with you these last few months?  Any exciting books, or songs, or projects on the go?

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These past two days I have been sewing non-stop, and here are the fruits of my labours:

This is definitely one of my new favourites!

This one was fashioned after a real dog!

I love the unicorn horn on top of his head!

And a striped kitty!

I made two others today, but not before the light was gone.  I’ll save those for another day!

The post More Creature Friends appeared first on Artisan in the Woods.

Grief comes in waves.

Days where the sun shines

grass is green

the water as calm as glass.

And then a little thing

a picture

a place

a smell

a word.

And the tsunami breaks over

and we are once again swimming

upstream

wet

tired

forever can not come soon enough.

How does one keep going without the ones we have loved?

The waves pass

days pass

months pass

we know that years will pass

and by a strength larger than ourselves

we put one foot in front of the other

and somehow

we live

and laugh

find joy.

And the days when the waters reach over our heads

and sorrow threatens to drown us

and longing for what we have lost grips our heart

a Strong Hand reaches out and whispers

“be still.”

and though we may never learn to ride the waves

we know the one who stills them.

Grief comes in waves

joy the outbreaks between them

and our love for those we have lost

never wavers.

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Where did that time go?

Well, for one thing I have been busy with custom creatures.  At the moment I am accepting new orders to be started in April!  I have never had a waiting list before which is both exciting and overwhelming.  Sometimes I wish I had the time to tackle every new project right now!

I have still been working my way through orders for the children’s camp, and I finally updated my Flickr page to showcase all of the creatures I have created so far.  It’s become quite a little collection.   I have been enjoying making the little creatures for the camp so much I think I might add this smaller option to the shop this spring – stay tuned for details!

And in between all that I squeezed in a custom baby toy.  This little guy was fashioned after a favourite childhood toy of a woman who is now expecting her first baby.  What a unique and special baby shower gift this will be!  I can see why she must have liked it so much – this inside-at-night photo doesn’t quite do it justice – it’s a pretty cute toy!

In the midst of all of this creature craziness we have also been busy planning a trip to The Happiest Place on Earth.  I haven’t been since I was a young child and my husband has never been, and we are so excited to be sharing in the magic with our very best friends and their two girls.  I’m not sure who is more excited – the adults or the kids, and I think it might be the adults!  In the midst of one of the coldest winters in recent memory, I must admit I am also looking forward to going somewhere warm!

Does anyone else find the time flying by?  What projects are keeping you busy?

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I truly do have a wonderfully fun job!

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