Hi there! You made it to part 11 of our series 31 DAYS of Giving Handmade! You can find links to the entire series, in order, on our Giving Handmade Index Page. I'll add each new link as that day is published.
{hi giraffe soft toy}
I got it into my head to sew up a giraffe toy for my niece Maddie who turned 3 this week. She is really into giraffes and has been since she was tiny. Whenever they went through the animal sounds, they would ask her what a giraffe says, and she'd say in the sweetest baby voice, "Hi, giraffe!"
I also had this great bag hanging around the house--like for a couple years.
I love the colors, and I couldn't stand to get rid of the bag until after I'd done something with it. Hey, how about a giraffe toy for Maddie's birthday?
I went to the thrift store with bag in hand to find some interesting fabrics for the doll. I got these.
Three shirts and a skirt in exactly the right colors. That was the easy part. Then, because I have to do everything the hard way, I went about designing my own giraffe doll. Here are the three prototypes I didn't choose. Don't laugh too hard.
At some point, lots of handmade gifts end up at this stage. But I kept going, and came up with this:
The details are appliqued on before the front and back are sewn together. The little tail is just a piece of one of the shirt hems!
I hope you are in the mood to make stuff, because while I was at it, I made a pattern for you to try.
It requires a little bit of sewing experience, like knowing how to clip curves, but it's pretty straighforward otherwise.
Download Hi giraffe soft toy pattern
Let me know if you try it. I'd love to see your version!
::
Also, if you are not in the mood to make stuff, these extra guys should make it into the shop by the end of the week:
A whole basket full of hi giraffes!
Happy birthday, Maddie!
