Whatnot: Softies (Sea Horse Tutorial)

So, if you read my Family Reunion Post, you will notice that there have been many new babies added to my family in the past two years - well those aren't all the new babies in my life.  I have friends having babies, cousins having babies, people at church having babies... SOOOOOOOOOOOOOMANYYYYYYYYYYYYBABIESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

And of course you always want to get some kind of gift for the baby.  I love it if I can get something off the registry (they registered for it, obviously they need it!).  But when possible, I also love to get or make something personal and special.  I stumbled across the following softie on pinterest.

from:  Sparkle Power/ (CandaceTodd.Blogspot.com)http://candacetodd.blogspot.com/2010/12/soft-baby-rattles.html

Soooooooooooooooo stinkin cute - especially for my little niece whose nursery is an orange and grey giraffe theme-, but sadly there is no tutorial because she had the pattern in a book. Hmmmm - well it looks simple enough - so I free handed a pattern, skipped the rattle element, stuffed it up, and had an adorable little giraffe  to give my niece.

My Cousin and his wife are currently expecting their first child - a little girl - so my family decided to send them a shower in a box (aka: a box of gifts from all of us, since we don't live close enough to go to their shower).  Their nursery is a nautical theme in blues and tans.  What would be better than a cute little sea horse - and I knew I had the perfect fabric to do it in.

This time You are getting a TUTORIAL!!! (this is a simple enough project for anyone to try!!!)

-So the first thing that you need to do is figure out what animal you want to create - I of course am doing a Sea Horse, but you can use this tutorial to create any animal you want.

-Next, pick your fabric and find a template.  You can free hand a template and draw it on paper, or take the easy route and print out an image. (*** Do a google search for coloring pages and you will be amazed by what great images you come up with that are free to download and print)

image found at:  http://www.hellokids.com/c_21392/coloring-page/animal-coloring-pages/sea-coloring-pages/seahorse-coloring-pages/seahorse-online-coloring?print=1

 -Now take a sharpie and simplify or widen any areas of your design that are too complex

 -Cut out the template (following your sharpied lines) and lay it on your fabric

 -Trace your template onto your fabric (add seam allowance) - make sure your fabric is folded over wrong side to wrong side so that you will cut two inverted images at once.

 -Cut with your AMAZING Roto-cutter (wait, you DONT HAVE A ROTO CUTTER?????? - get your keys, run to the store, and buy one - seriously this is the one tool I can't live without, it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE!)

(see the seam allowance left around your template)

-Now pick your embellishments: I like to make some sort of 'Tag' that baby can hold onto or chew on.  For this project I decided to do dorsal fins and a coronet (did you know that means crown).  I had 1.5 inch ribbon on hand, but you can use whatever strikes your fancy.  Cut the ribbon to length (2 fins, 1 coronet) 

 -I decided the ribbon was too wide for the fin, so I folded it in half and liked the look much better.

 

*Top stitch the edges of your ribbon (I did a zig zag to decrease fraying, you could also use fray check)

 -Next, pleat or ruffle your coronet and top stitch so that it will stay put when you sew it into your softie. (there is no right or wrong on the pleating/ruffle, this is your embellishment - customize as you please)

(finished pleated coronet)

 -Now add your fins.  I sewed them down facing the stomach first then folded them back and top stitched twice.  Do one side then repeat on your other piece.

(angled down toward stomach)

(folded back up and top stitched 2x)

 -Now pin the coronet in place:  With fabric right sides together, place your coronet SANDWICHED INSIDE the two.  When the edges of your two pieces ate matched together you should see only the edge of your coronet.  If it is sticking out, it will end up inside your finished softie. (I may have learned this from experience in making my niece's giraffe)

 - Stitch around, make sure to leave a 2 inch opening in the back so that you can turn it inside out and stuff it.

  - Turn it right side out and admire the cuteness.  Now stuff that baby - I used a pen to push the stuffing down into the tail.  Stuff it nice and full!!!

 -AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW  over your creativeness, it is so much cuter stuffed.  Now take a deep breath, we are almost DONE!

 - Hand stitch up that opening in the back

 -I like to bring my needle up from underneath...

 ... so that I can tuck in the tail and knot

-and finally, you are ALL DONE!!!

Now go out and spoil all those little ones in your life!

someone approves of my handiwork!

Shared on: http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/07/30/made-by-you-monday-112/,  http://makingtheworldcuter.com/2012/07/cuter-monday/ , http://diyshowoff.com/2012/07/29/diy-linky-party/, http://www.craft-o-maniac.com/2012/07/link-party-craftomaniac-monday.html, http://www.mommybydaycrafterbynight.com/2012/07/ta-da-tuesday-link-party-49.html, http://todayscreativeblog.net/summer-food/, http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com/2012/07/tutorial-tuesday_31.html, http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/2012/07/sew-cute-tuesday-73112.html, <center><a href="http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy351/jdsmit21/SMAbuttonWDIWscissorsbordercopy.jpg" /></a></center>, http://sarahdawndesigns.blogspot.com/2012/07/pintastic-monday-link-party-2.html#.UBkIlZ1lSjY, http://alderberryhill.blogspot.ca/2012/07/make-scene-monday-33.html, <center><a href="http://733blog.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNTspE5gVibVJaAwaZGae-OJT-LO_H5jvC8BrT8d87b7tH8a1oHHE0m-noJZyR-ElicYKcN9z5HXnxYckGGJdKX3autadYynDK-I3zv9UcsaPiU20kP1NADNShfb05KSCiIzKGcsXSdk/s320/SugarSpice.png" /></a></center>, http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/2012/08/whatever-goes-wednesday-128-plus-chance.html, http://www.the36thavenue.com/2012/08/best-diy-projects-and-link-party-67.html, http://thecsiproject.com/2012/08/22/time-to-link-up-for-the-pinterest-inspired-challenge/