elephant in progress
April 16th, 2008
I’m still working on the animals I was talking about a while back. There has been more unnecessary law & order watching than sewing, but there is some progress. I’ve never actually drafted a pattern for one of my toys before and it’s pretty time consuming–especially when you have an anal retentive side. I wanted the elephant to have a big head gusset that would extend down to his trunk and I couldn’t just whip this up. This is my first attempt and though it looked the way I imagined, his trunk stuck out straight–Pinocchio style–when I stuffed him. I made a few more and could have kept on making a little muslin menagerie, but I’m trying to make my toys less straight and narrow and more folky and improvised (strangely it’s the latter that needs a pattern).
So I cut into this amazing sparkley striped linen I got from namolio’s shop. I was going to make all the animals from thrifted outfits, and some still will be, but I was trying to cram too many ideas into one toy: stripes or patterned faces, moustached, thrifted outfit transformed into plush toy. Besides this grey linen was a little wrinkly just like a naked elephant.
Here he is almost done. He (ah! no name! any suggestions?) is sporting this fantastic fake moustache sent to my by Melinda (thank you again!). And after seeing little elephante sporting this polka dot moustache, I don’t know if I should use a completely different print for the moustache or make it out of the denim I used for his pants or the grey linen again, or embroider a big fluffy one. I need feed back from all of you who have made it to the end of this post.
Personally I like the fake moustache but it would probably be a nightmare to try and put through the post. But I really like that style on your elephant, it gives him the circus strong man look you wanted. Fake fur would give you the big fluffy look. He just looks fab. Well done!!
hi meg! (thanks for all the mr. mustachieo love)
I think you’re going to be happier with some sort of “puffy” mustache, as opposed to a “flat” embroidered one…the puffy one makes the trunk stand up all cute like! I’m not sure it really matters beyond that, tho’ I agree with Anna, I do like the “strong man” look. Based on my own experience, fake fur with all its bulk will probaly be a nightmare to “turn inside out” and then stuff, but it would be cool…
I love the way this one looks on him. I think it’s nice that it is not so realistic looking. He’s adorable.
fantastic!! he definitely looks like a circus strong man! (hope that’s what you were going for?)love the fake moustache, not sure if a fluffy one would look as good, maybe a little out of place? think either denim (pant’s colour) or something different – bright & colourful like this spotted one works.. you are amazing – making something from your “to do list” come alive & into fruition!!
He is great. I love seeing other people’s process of makinf , particularly toys..
I think I’d like to see how a black moustache looked.
Maybe you could enter him in the Softies awards – they have an elephant category this year.
with a handlebar mustache like that, I’d name him Gunther or Uli or something like that, sort of like a big, german, sausage-maker.
Thanks for the German sausage-maker – made me laugh. Especially since the butcher in our town is a long, slender man …
… but I have to admit Gunther really sounds great.
I like the fake mustache, it gives him the magiclike, circus look you wanted!
Hubert. And I like the fake moustache in a contrasting print – more humorous.
he is wonderful…The spotty mo is whimsical – a good trait for a circus performer. I think he looks a bit Elfonso.
i love the polkadot mustache! it’s very fun. going with the german strongman theme i vote for klaus. ;)
I love him, I love him, I love him. Gunther does sound great. He also seems a bit sophisticated—like a professor on his day off. Maybe Edmund? I always like the name Edmund. As for the mustache, I think it would be quirkily wonderful to try it out of denim.
I absolutely sympathize with the patterning. My goal of late is to create finished objects that look simple in form, but for some reason this translates to drafting extremely complicated patterns.
I love that mustache on him, so I vote for something similar. I like his muted elephantness with the fun and bright print mustache! I’m voting for Hans or Oskar.
I think a denim mustache would be fabulous.
Holy shit, I love it ! Great job.
great elephant!
i am from africa, so of course my mind turns to african names..mandla(means strong)kakulu(big)
but the german ones are also cool.
the name uri also conjures up the whole strongman theme.
You are indeed a clever cookie Meg. I love the way you create your 3D objects…it’s like textile sculpture!
Thanks for the message re apartment therapy..woo hoo for both of us :) I vote for Gunther with the puffy contrasting fabric moustache.
Simply Wonderful!
For an elephant like that, he needs to be called a ‘Sir’.