Heirloom Upcycles #1: Plushies
Quilts are magical. Born from a labor of love, they are carefully pieced and stitched together from an odd collection of fabrics to create a beautiful work of art. But as long lasting as they are, even the best made quilts will start to fall to the ravages of time. So, what to do when those precious keepsakes start to lose their strength?
One solution: remake them into something completely new.
These blanked have especially precious sentiment behind them. They were made by my grandmother and given to my Aunt (her oldest daughter) a long time ago.
One day over a year ago, my Aunt Norma gave me these quilts to use for whatever I could think of- but with a small suggestion to consider: a stuffed animal for their newest granddaughter.
Well, with Easter quickly approaching (and now that I finally have floor space in the studio again!) I got an idea:
That’s right! We’re going back to bunnies!
This is a pattern I designed myself just for the occasion. My grandmothers both made really adorable stuffed animals, and I wanted to capture that same spirit as I was working on these toys.
It was a special project, after all.
I must admit, I was actually pretty nervous making the first cuts. Since each quilt is totally unique there’s no way I could get more material if I made a wrong cut. But then I remembered that’s the beauty of these kinds of projects: channeling your inner Tim Gunn!
Ultimately, I’m really proud of how they turned out! Not gonna lie, I do think these are two of the cutest things I’ve ever made in my life!
Now you may be wondering why there’s a cat and a bunny instead of two bunnies? Well, the answer is simple: I decided to alter the pattern for my cousin, Jace’s, plushie because cats are his favorite animal.
As someone who has worked a lot with younger children over the years, a good rule of thumb is to always make sure each child gets a toy-especially during the high holidays! No one’s left out, and they know that someone is thinking of them.
Now, for this one I decided to get a little experimental since it’s a break from my normal format. If you’d like to see a more detailed look at the making-of process, check out this short video on my studio’s YouTube channel!
Do you want to see more detailed instructions? A step by step guide to how I made the pattern? Or need some tips about the kind of materials to use? Sound off in the comments below!
As always happy crafting, and have a Happy Easter!