introducing: Papa the Lion

Today is my due date for Lucy to be born and altho she is not here yet in celebration of it just being a special day and Chloe's birthday, i would like to introduce to you another new member of our Morykon family: Papa the Lion.

I have had this plan to create a stuffed animal for Lucy for a very long time. Maybe since Hawaii, it's been in my head. Since then i've been working it over in my mind, how i would do it, how to make the legs and the head etc. I've only made one other stuffy Natasha the Wee Bunny. So i wasn't sure if i would be able to make a bigger one. I chose a lion of course, because of my slight obsession with the Chronicles of Narnia. She certainly won't have a shortage of Lions in her room :)

I think i decided even b4 it was to be a lion that i would make him out of my father's cloths. I can't believe February will be 3 years since he's been gone. Just like the bag i made mom for her birthday last September, I used his favorite sport coat and a navy blue shirt they got on their 25th wedding anniversary cruise to Alaska. Inside i also used a piece of his ties. The one he wore on our wedding day and other favorites of his. Here's what the bag looks like:




I actually used the Wee Bunny body pattern, with out cutting out the curve for the head. I made his head separately after trying 2 heads with other fabric. More pictures of how i made him here I knew i only had a certain amount of fabric from my dad's coat so i didn't want to waste any. Then decided how i would make the legs bell out at the bottom with circle pieces of dad's ties for the bottoms. I also filled the legs and arms with cous cous first, then stuffing (an old pillow) to give them a little weight and rice in the bottom of the body also before the stuffing. It makes him heavier and more substantial.

I sewed the ties together and ruffled them before i attached the ears and mane to the head. I stuffed both the head and the body before i made his face. I used some felt for the eyes and nose. Also made him a tie too, long enough to actually "tie on". I was a little confused at how i was going to attach the head but, did an invisible stitch all the way around and stuffed his neck a little more. I'm sure i'll have to do that again one day since she'll be holding him by the neck i'm sure. I can just see her in my mind holding him by the arm just dragging him around everywhere and sleeping with him.

I can't believe i had so much of his sport coat left over to make papa. The blue tie one is the one he wore on our wedding day and the other one was his favorite. Here's a picture of him in the wedding tie. He walked me down the isle and performed most of the wedding. What a special memory of him. Man he was such a good looking man! This was 2 years before he got Cancer.



It breaks my heart to think he won't be here when Lucy is born, but i wanted her to have a part of him close to her. So here he is. My Papa the Lion. He's a missionary Lion :) I'm so crazy about him. He was worth the wait, and staying up till 1:30am Thursday night to finish him. He's not perfect and kinda quirky looking but, endearing. I'm so excited for Lucy to meet him.

I just found out that whipup is having a alternative craft contest. Thought i'd go ahead and enter papa. I think he deserves a chance.