Tuesday, May 07, 2013

I'm Late! I'm Late for a Very Important Date!

There is a certain greatness to my lateness.

http://sewmamasew.com/Somehow until late, late last night it escaped my attention that the Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day (which is actually running all week until Friday) was starting. Sorry about that!!

Last summer I took a notion into my head that the Baby Boy and Little Toddler man needed a special little companion and set to work making them each a regular sized Waldorf-inspired doll. I was hooked on the doll making. So at Christmas time I made a little flannel friend for our great niece, and suddenly found myself even more hooked! Making them for the boys, and some friends' babies, these little babies were so much fun!

I love the feel of the wool roving I use to make the inner head, it's so soft and fluffy, but quickly becomes a cohesive firm ball with a wee bit of coaxing (and now the aid of a felting needle. I love using a felting needle, especially now that I've stopped inadvertently stabbing myself with it - that was a bit of a steep and painful learning curve! Ha ha!). It seems sort of like magic the way it comes together. Then the outer head goes on, the little body that gets lightly stuffed and then the best part of all - the finishing touches! The hat and sometimes "hair", a jaunty little ribbon bow (that was (BF)G's idea!), and the embroidered face. I adore these little "flannel friends".

They are just the right size for little hands to hold and carry easily. They fit perfectly into your purse or diaper bag for outings. And they make a good bedtime companion as Baby Boy could attest too - he was clutching his in his chubby little toddler fingers as he fell asleep last night.


So now for the nitty gritty of it all! How would you like a flannel friend for a little someone you know?

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
Little Flannel Friend

I'm giving away a handmade flannel friend here on the blog! The flannel friend is approximately 8" tall from bottom to head (not including the hat) and is made with pure wool roving stuffing, cotton interlock and cotton flannel. Flannel friends are best surface washed with gentle soap, but if more thorough cleaning is needed you can give it a "bath" in the sink by hand like you would your favourite hand knit sweater and let it air dry.

The contest is open from today until 5pm (PST), Friday, May 10, 2013. To win please leave a comment letting me know what your favourite toy was as a child (and your email address so I can contact you if you win). Winner will be chosen randomly from all entries. Contest is open to all readers, but one entry per person please! Good luck!

When you're done here you should head back on over to Sew, Mam, Sew! To check out all the other amazing giveaways going on this week!!!

51 comments:

  1. Oh, I would so love this! My favorite toy was my orange dog. I got it on my first birthday and loved it so much that one eyebrow is missing and the pompom nose had to be glued back on. I still have it at almost 37!

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  2. This would be perfect for my granddaughter due in August. My favorite toy as a child was a stuffed monkey- so loved that he has no more fur! Thanks for participating in the Giveaway Day.

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  3. Anonymous11:47 AM

    This is so lovely. It would be perfect for my 4 month old. My favorite toy was a monchichi.
    mcintoshsusan@hotmail dot com

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  4. How cute! My favorite toy growing up was my pound puppy, Rusty. Sawyer now sleeps with it in his bed! You make gorgeous dolls. :)

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  5. I was lucky enough to get Samantha (the American Girl doll - the now-discontinued Victorian one, back when they were all historical rather than the current "just like me" type) the first year they came out, and I got the (at the time) full set (nice grandmother!) -- I still have her all boxed up and waiting for my kidlet to get old enough to play with her. Then again, the kid seems to take after my little sister and like stuffed animals rather than dolls, so we'll see!

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  6. Thank You so much for the giveaway. I LOVE HER...
    I had several favorite toys but I remember playing with my Barbie's the most..
    Big Hugs to you..
    Austina

    facebook link. ( I always check my messages there first)

    Austina Keyes Bosco

    https://www.facebook.com/austina.keyesbosco?ref=tn_tnmn

    Here is also my email addy.
    austina.bosco@verizon.net

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  7. I had 2 large dolls that my mom made for me that I loved~

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  8. My first stuffie was a blue dog I named Fido. Mom bought him with greenstamps. (stamps the grocery would give out depending how much you spent..she saved all year to buy our Christmas gifts..this was back in the 60's.)

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  9. My first toy as a child was a Raggedy Annie doll made by my great grandmother. I still have it, though it does need a bit of repair.

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  10. Adorable! My Pink Bear was my favorite. Went with me everywhere. Thanks for the chance!

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  11. how adorable!
    My favourite toy growing up was light bright! I used to play with it for hours - usually in the bottom of my closet, because that was the only place dark enough to see the lights glow :)

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  12. Aww this would be adorable for my new grand daughter! My grandma made me a humpty dumpty and I loved that guy so much! I have searched high and low for the pattern, but found none like it sadly.

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  13. I had (and still have actually) a baby doll named Theresa that I brought EVERYWHERE! We had matching outfits that my grandma made us, it was amazing!

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  14. A big teddy bear. Thanks for the great giveaway!

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  15. Oh, I love it! I have a few friends having babies very soon, I'm sure they would love these too.

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  16. Sweet. I had a Thumbelina doll that I loved. I still have it even though it's tearing apart. Thanks for the chance.

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  17. FrolickingTurtle9:46 PM

    I love your dollies! I had many favorite toys, but the ultimate, Teddy Bear, was more of a companion. I called him my "hubband" and always always needed him to sleep. I still keep him in my room and he comes to sleep with me when Christopher is traveling.

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  18. My favourite doll as a kid was a small pink teddy bear, named Pinky. Now my daughter is equally smitten with her.

    I love your little flannel friend!

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  19. My favorite toy was a stuffed elephant named... Elephant! :-)

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  20. Aww!! I had a doll named Christy (because I got her for Christmas) and my stepmom made matching jammies for us (Christy and me). She was my little pal.

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  21. I had a baby doll with short blonde hair and its plastic face was covered a suede-like material. I loved it because its face was soft and I could brush its hair. I could also pretend it was a boy OR girl. I just didn't get into bald babies! (thankfully, mine have all had hair when they were born! ;) )

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  22. My favorite was my American girl doll, Samantha. I saved up all my money and bought her when I was 8 years old. She was very special and I still have her today, although she is put away in a safe place for now.

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  23. I had a teddy bear named Merriweather (after the fairy from Sleeping Beauty) who was definitely my favorite. Thanks for hosting!

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  24. I don't remember having a favourite toy as a little, but all of my kids did and still have them now as grown ups. my youngest had a pink rabbit - it is no longer pink and my eldest had a rag doll named polly. my middle daughter had a bear named redmond.
    thanks for the offer - it is soooo sweet.

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  25. How cute! My favorite toy was my dolls..

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  26. A rag doll that my great grandmother made for me. It was (and still is) more rag than doll when I finally "outgrew" it.

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  27. Oh my word! That doll is so sweet! My favorite toy growing up was probably the doll my mother made for me. I named her Deborah and dressed her in my baby sister's cast-offs. :-)

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  28. I had a pink rabbit that was my comfort snuggle toy but for playing I loved Legos!

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  29. A dollhouse my dad and grandpa made.
    sntbosch(at)me(dot)com

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  30. I had my Lassie dog that I told all my secrets too..

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  31. I had a special teddy named cappy bear

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  32. I loved my big stuffed orangutang. But I didn't know much about monkeys and named him Chimpy, as in chimpanzee. :)
    peachstateme (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  33. My daughters would love this! My favorite toy was my stuffed bunny, that I still have! atabanana29(at)gmail(dot)com

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  34. I had a stuffed monkey when I was little that I loved. It had a hard face with an open mouth so it could suck its thumb.
    I got a little boy who could use a doll of his own and I think he would really go for one like this.

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  35. Stella would love this!
    My favourite childhood toy was a knitted(by mum!) mouse with a long yellow tail and a red jacket!

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  36. I loved dolls. I sewed for em dressed & undressed them played house with them nonstop. This little doll is amazeing.Thank you for the chance to enter such a wonderful giveaway. conn_and_vans_mom(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  37. Such a cute doll. My favorite toy was a teddy bear.

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  38. I think my siblings and my bike were my favorite "toys" :)
    krdrop(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  39. Anonymous10:27 PM

    I had two bears I loved- "Uncle Bear" and "Grandpa Bear". Although Mom says they were both given to me by an uncle.

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  40. Anonymous10:47 PM

    I loved baby dolls, I named them all pumpkin
    Ms_margaux{at)Hotmail(dot)com (all lowercase)

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  41. I had a panda bear made by my grandmother and although I loved him I disliked his orange goggly eyes.

    freyabrehaut(at)yahoo(dot)ca

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  42. adorable! I always loved my dolls...

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  43. I had a doll I named sandy who was just the right size I played with constantly!

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  44. My favorite was a pound puppy named fudgie.

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  45. Betty R12:14 PM

    I had a monkey named cookie

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  46. My favorite toy was this raggedy Rainbow Bright doll...I went everywhere with this doll!

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  47. I had a set of twin dolls that I played with for years. I still have them and my daughter loves them too.

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  48. My favorite was a little Woodstock stuffed animal. I loved him and he was stolen from my dad's truck when I was 5!

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  49. I had a well-loved teddy bear named Wuzzy :)

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  50. Well it's 5 o'clock somewhere... Anywhere in the pacific standard time zone that is, so the contest is now closed. I will be getting back to you with our winner soon! :)

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