Bird Note/Photo Holders

These are the first of the projects that I was working on in February as they've arrived to their new owners now. They are a pair of cute little bird note/photo holders. I got the pattern from a recent issue of Stitch Magazine. It's actually my favourite sewing magazine. It has the right combination of fun and useful projects, with full patterns and great instructions and lots of tips and stuff. I'd recommend it highly if you're looking for something different. They come out quarterly and you can get them at bookstores or Joann's - especially good if you wait for a coupon!


I made these for my Mum who's developed a liking for little sewn birdies recently. So when I saw the pattern, I thought of making them right away.

This is the small one. The feet and head swirl are made from those coated paperclips.

I had some neat fabric in two colours that I thought would make a really cute pair.

You're supposed to be able to put photos or notes in the top swirl.
Hopefully my hand stitching will stand up to the test! 

There was a big and a small one, so I tried one of each.

I also lined them with the opposite fabrics to give a nice surprise if you see into them!

Giraffe Stuffed Toys

I love these stuffed giraffes! I've made a total of 6 of them now, and I still love them! Pretty much the hardest part is finding fuzzy giraffe print fabric. The patterns are from Carol's Zoo who makes a whole bunch of easy patterns for various animals. I've also made the penguin, and have the pattern for several others, but haven't gotten to them yet. You can check them all out here: http://www.carolszoo.com/patterns/index.htm.


The last pair I made were especially cute as I found red and blue giraffe print which was perfect as I had a friend and cousin who were both having babies, one boy one girl! For these ones, I simple took a few tight stitches for the eyes so there would be no risk of choking or anything.


This was the original set that I made, I started with one but couldn't stop. They worked out nicely as the print I found was more to scale for the size. I've only made the "Baby" giraffe, but he sits about 12" tall, so he doesn't seem too small. The pattern also comes with a "Mama" version. These ones I bought plastic safety lock eyes in different colours to finish them off since I was giving them to more grown up types.


The patterns are really straight forward and simple to follow. Only two pattern pieces. The sewing is pretty easy. The only trick I've found is to pin alot! Maybe this was just necessary as my fabrics were a bit stretchy. But I found if I took the extra few minutes to pin the heck out of them, then sewing took a fraction of the time. They look kind of funny all pinned up too! Anyways, if you're looking for a cute, easy, fun stuffed animal project, these are a fun place to start!