And a cluck cluck here...

And a cluck cluck there...

I am happy to report I have cleaned my art room and rearranged the furniture to better reflect my current emphasis on sewing versus paper crafts. I also got started on the stuffed hen and baby chickies I am making for my own baby chicky's first birthday. It was a satisfying weekend in the creative realm!

the mermaid dolls

My apologies for the lack of posts lately. I was frantically trying to finish those mermaids in the sliver of time after the kiddos were in bed but before I was too tired to sew. I ended up finishing them at 10 pm the night before the birthday!

One of the few steps done on the machine:

The thrill of making a toy! They already look like mermaids:

Things I was forced to get better at:
1. sewing curves on the machine
2. sewing teeny tiny things
3. handsewing of all kinds
4. improvising – I deviated from the instructions in several places!

The completed project:

You'll recall that I posted about making these mermaids and some Easter bunnies and some chickens. Well, friends, the reality is that we are going to skip right over those bunnies and move onto the chickens for my other daughter's birthday gift. There's only so much sewing I can fit in and I refuse to be stressed out about stuffed Easter bunnies!

spring craft gifts

Things I will be sewing up for my girls in the near future. Hold me to it!

1. Mermaids for the older daughter's birthday
She's having a bit of an obsession right now. We are decorating with a mermaid theme for the birthday party too. It won't be too elaborate, mostly just doing up the table and the cupcakes. We've got a stack of mermaid books checked out of the library for inspiration. I am excited about it! The book, Fleecie Dolls, was a treasure discovered on the shelves at my husband's grandmother's house over the holidays. It is always a bonus to have fellow crafters in the family!

2. Stuffed bunnies for Easter baskets
Pattern from CraftSanity Magazine Issue 2 from artist and blogger Abby Glassenberg. There's even a pattern for a matching stuffed carrot. Awww!

3. Henny Penny and Chicks for the younger daughter's birthday
This adorable stuffed chicken and her babies are found in fabric designer and artist Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby. I determined that I have enough fun scrap fabric stashed away that I did not actually purchase anything for this project beyond velcro. I have actually been wanting to make this chicken for years now!