Mommy-made baby toys

We have no shortage of baby toys.  Raina was the first grandchild on both sides, and has been spoiled pretty well by all grand-people, aunties, honorary aunties, and relatives from distant corners of the earth.  So Lucca doesn't really *need* much of anything.  Still, I wanted her to have some special things that were just for her.  So I got together a few patterns, in my head and on paper, and made her a few softie friends of her own!

Mr Turtle 

(I believe you've already met...)

The Jovial Giraffe

(from Lotta Jansdotter's book)

Squishy Bunny

(adapted from this tutorial)

The Happy Sun

 

Every one of these was fun and easy to make :)  The giraffe was made from a scrap of fabric from an old tshirt I've been trying my hardest to NOT part with for years.  Yearsandyearsandyears.  An embarassing amount of years.  For the tags, I used pieces of ribbon that I end up with at the end of a roll - too short for a hairbow or for a tag on a blanket... but still long enough that I can't throw it away.  (Are you noticing a trend?  I swear I'm not a hoarder!!)  The original directions say you can add a bell or crinkles, but I didn't have any within arms reach, and on the night I made it I wasn't in the mood to get up out of my chair I guess :).

Squishy bunny is also made from a recycled piece of clothing!  This one, though, I'm not emotionally attached to!  It's from a baby cardigan we got in a bag of hand-me-downs.  Cute bright rainbowy fabric, so soft... but the piece of clothing wasn't really my style so I tossed it in the "do something with this" pile!  I mostly like this pattern.  Next time, though, I'd keep the ears as part of the big pattern, and not add them on separately.  They're just a little too floppy for my liking.  Also, bunny's face.  It creeps me out a little.  I'm a novice at embroidery, and embroidering on jersey is tricky.  It's cute enough, though.  And not totally creepy, right?  I added the heart on, too... I wanted to decorate a little, and I also wanted to use more of the pretty fabric!  I like the stripes runny the opposite way of the body, and I like the look of the stitching around it, too.  I almost machine sewed it on, but I like the handpieced look of it this way.  I have a few baby showers coming up, and I'm thinking of making more of these from recycled sweaters.  

The sun taggie is my favorite.  It can attach with links to a stroller or carseat, or to a playmat.  His face came out cute, and I got to reuse an outgrown sleeper! 

 I tried not to OVERstuff any of these to keep them cuddly and squishy!  Next time around, I'll be trying out adding bells and crinkles, and using different textures of fabric.  

In the end, though, no toy is as good as playtime with big sister!  :)