Issue 29 of Sew Hip magazine contained a bunch of projects that appealed to me, including a couple by local designers. Having recently inherited some fun fur which had been languishing in my Mum’s fabric stash since the 1980’s, the Plush bear toy by Sian Wheatcroft (aka Strawberry Kitten) was an immediate draw. I’m really pleased with how he turned out- probably the favourite toy I’ve made so far (fun fur makes for a much cuddlier toy than wool). The only problem I had with the pattern was attaching the paws. I don’t know if it’s that I incorporated too much of a seam allowance into the arms (there was no indication on the pattern), but I just couldn’t get the paws to fit their corresponding holes. I got round this by simply trimming them down to an appropriate size, and I’m happy with the result. I guess my only slight niggle with the design is the raw edges of fabric around Mr Bear’s snout- but my poor little brain struggled to find a solution to this. After heading over to Strawberry Kitten’s Flickr site for inspiration, I decided Mr Bear would look even more dashing in a little scarf. Here he is challenging gender stereotypes in a fetching pink number:
Berry Crafts 