Salt & Sand with Mr. Merman

Hi, all!  Thimblechaser here - taking over Quiltscapes' blog!

Look who washed up on shore!  Mr. Merman arrived just in time to join the Salt & Sand Blog Hop hosted by Carol at JustLetMeQuilt! 

My Mom, Deonn, invited me to participate and I had the perfect project in mind!  This sweet little plushie Merman was made with this pattern:  MerPeople Plush Patterns by Choly Knight.  I made one of her plushies for a Christmas gift, and was excited to try this one!  'Specially because it was like a "pick your own adventure" type pattern:  fin styles, hair, clothing options plus an octopus costume!  How cool is that?  You could make an octopus mermaid!  And also, we live on an island in the pacific ocean.  So, I had to make one, because, Hawaii! 

I love all of Choly's patterns and want to make several more.  She has dozens of patterns and embroidery patterns, plus a huge range of Free Patterns.  This one was fun to make, and only needed a few supplies.

Plush fur scraps * Fusible Web (eyes) * Polyester Fiberfill * Crushed Walnuts

Here's what I learned: 
* Working with plush, I had to keep in mind the nap (direction of the fur) and stretch.  The nap should go from top to bottom to make it look smooth, and I intentionally kept all the pieces going the same way.  Also, keep a lint roller handy.

* I try to use only the materials I have on hand while I'm in school.  My family sent a big bin of minky scraps, and this was a great way to start using them.  I also scavenged some crushed walnut shells from an old pincushion to give some weight to his fins. 

* As I sewed the 5th layer of the eyeballs, I realized that the satin stitch was not going to work!  A small zig-zag did the trick.  I also realized that I need to add an embroidery machine to my wish list {life goals}.

Meanwhile, It has been a little rainy lately, and it was a perfect day to head to the beach!  Ooh, and look what else washed up with Mr. Merman?  A Treasure box!

Mr. Merman came to showcase all of his favorite ocean-themed stickers:

These cute stickers are permanent waterproof vinyl in a range of colors.  These can go on your water bottle, paddleboard, back window of your car, laptop cover, anywhere you'd like.  They can be found at Thimblechaser's Etsy shop.  

Each order is shipped in a hand-crafted envelope similar to this!  (It's also available as a .pdf to print and make your own).

So, Momma, thanks for letting Mr. Merman take over Quiltscapes today!  I have a feeling your granddaughter is going to enjoy him! 

I would love to have you follow me on Instagram @thimblechaser.  I'm a huge crafter with interests in many different crafting hobbies. Like my Mom and all my foremothers, I have a huge passion for making things.

Lauren

~~~

Hey, Thimblechaser, I have a feeling you're right - she's going to love him!  And don't I have a darling little granddaughter?  She's growing up too fast, and too far away!  So glad you had a good day at the beach.  Love your Merman and stickers.  She's a lucky kid.  You are so talented and creative, and I'm glad you get a few minutes between studying for your Masters in Library Science and raising a 2-year-old to make stuff.  Wish I lived closer! The last time I was on that beach with you was about two years ago...

~ Momma D.

P.S.  Here's the list of today's amazing hoppers.  You can see a collection of all the projects in this hop at Carol's PINTEREST page.

Quiltscapes

Beaquilter

Stitchin At Home

The Joyful Quilter

Scrapdash

Freckled Fox Quiltery

Quilts Fabric and Thread Tales

Words & Stitches