Monday, February 3, 2014

Hands and Feet Keepsake Stuffie


When my boys were little I offered to sew each of them a little stuffie.  I instructed them to draw a simple shape on a piece of paper for the pattern of the body.  We cut it out and then they got to go through my stash for fabric and to the shop and pick out button eyes.  I helped them stuff it and sew up the bottom opening.  Now that my daughter is getting older it seemed about time to allow my daughter the same fun.  Interestingly, all three children have chosen to create a bird. 
When my boys were in preschool they made keepsakes for me tracing their hands.  I still use the Christmas Banner with my oldest boy's hand print every year.  My daughter is not in the kind of school that makes these things so I was inspired to trace her hands and feet to add them to the stuffie template she drew.  Her hands are the wings on this stuffie and her feet make the tail feathers.  I added a little embroidered beak and line around the eyes.
If you want to try a project like this, make sure your child's fingers are splayed out enough to create a small seam allowance, or use felt if you prefer not to sew those fussy fingers.  Toes can be traced with the big toe separate and the rest of the toes just traced along the top.
Now I have a keepsake that I can inherit from my daughter once she grows tired of it.


1 comment:

Rowena Paine said...

That is such an excellent idea! And it turned out great!