Owl time!

I really have been missing my crafty activities. Ever since I had Julian I put that on the backburner, and happily so. Nothing makes me more happy than spending time with my baby and watching him grow up!

But now that he is older and has a good sleep schedule, I have been feeling the crafty itch again.

It started with all the cupcakes and muffins I have been baking recently, as well as buying some new items to decorate and package my goodies to give away or just to bring to work.

One of my bad habits is that I get obsessed with something and I just have to have it and need to start working on it.

I have been eyeing handmade fabric dolls for a while. They have been popping up everywhere, or I'm sure they have always been there but I just never paid attention.

Looking at them I thought I can surely make some of these... it doesn't look thaaaat hard!

So I bought some scrap fabric from Joann's and started looking at all kinds of pictures of dolls... until I settled on an owl.

Reason one, owls are just too cute, and reason two they looked pretty easy to make based on the easy round shape.

I got my inspiration from all kinds of images online but didn't download any template.

I just made my own template freehand and started sewing - no particular plans.

(Starting to sound familiar yet?? Yep, I'm not a planner! An idea pops into my head, I google it, and then just go and buy stuff and do!)

I am certain there are much easier and more efficient ways of making a fabric owl doll, but this worked for me for now.

Oh yes, I do have one of those machines called Sewing Machine in the closet.

Tucked away somewhere in our guest bedroom closet.

My inlaws gave it to us years ago... I think it was a Christmas gift? At least 5 years ago if not 6 or 7.

Oh the plans I had with that cute little machine.

But I have to admit it still sits in its original box, unopened!

So all of this is completely done by hand. Which takes longer, but that's ok.

For now.

I will break out the sewing machine soon, because now I have gotten midly obsessed with making my own fabric dolls for Julian :)

They are just so cute and surprisingly uncomplicated.

I would definitely need to research on Youtube how to use a sewing machine to sew on an applique (new word I learned this week).

Maybe I'll attend a sewing class at Joanns? If I can convince a friend to come with me :)

I actually like the homemade, not perfect machine kind of look. It has charm to me :)

I love that my own will be a unique once in a lifetime doll.

I didn't use any template... handdrew the shape of the owl on the fabric directly and got a little smarter already when I drew out the wings and feet on paper first, then cut them out and traced them on the fabric. But I threw those away.

I thought about just leaving the owl like this:

Julian was excited when he saw the owl and immediate asked "Mine????" and gave it a big hug.

But then he asked "Arms? Missing!"

So when I asked him if he wanted arms for his owl, he eagerly responded "Yes". And then daddy taught him that birds have wings, not arms.

After Julian went to bed I worked on attaching wings and little feet, and a heart.

Here is the final outcome!

Julian was very happy when he saw his finished owl!

He clapped his hand, jumped up and down yelling "Yay, yay, yay, my owl!!""

And then he happily said "Wings now? Can fly!"

(This was a 3 day process for me)

Oh the possibilities!

I can make him monsters, an owl family, a rabbit for Easter, an elephant, a tiger, etc.!