The Gift

As is customary with itty bitty's....the wrapping paper was almost as much fun as the gift!

I did it--I made my FIRST EVER stuffed animal! I have to tell you I almost chickened out and gave up (without even starting) half a dozen times. I figured it would be too hard so I might as well not even start. (Isn't it crazy how we can be our own worst enemy?!)

But I just. couldn't. give. up. Not without TRYING, at least. The monkey was too darn cute!

I used this wonderfully easy (and free!) tutorial here: Molly Monkey by mmmcrafts


And I did it! Without pulling out any of my hair in the process! Although, truth be told, I had to talk myself through the stitching around the whole monkey with limbs inside. That was bit scary.

And the stuffing was a bit...tedious.

But overall, it was not only pretty easy but also rather enjoyable! (Even if I did wait until the day before her birthday to get stitching!)

Some changes I made to the tutorial:

I sewed the face onto the felt first, then sewed the felt to the head: all BEFORE assembling. That was one of the last steps, which seemed like a much more difficult time to be sewing features.

I sewed all the felt pieces on. (The tutorial used fabric glue).

I added jingle bells to the toes. (you know Molly needed twinkle toes!)


And I added a bum tattoo with the year: because I hope that one day, Miss Molly will be all ragged and worn thin and a very old Adele' will hand her off to her grandchild with the story of her mother making it for her first birthday. On a day so far into the future that said great grandchild will look at the year 2009 and wonder if people really lived that long ago.

A girl can dream, can't she?


I used french knots for the nostrils and HAD to add the hair, since Miss Addie Mae has herself quite a headful too.


And YES-those are real buttons even though it is for a baby. I have always thought the whole "no buttons on things for babies" rule was sorta silly.

But maybe that is because I grew up with brothers, who successfully swallowed and passed quarters, dollars, and everything in between. (was that too much information?!)

I went to a lot of work and was super excited about it all, but I tried to rein my excitement in with the reality that babycakes is only a YEAR old and will probably think nothing of it and toss it aside for the wrapping paper.

I worried so wouldn't even take a second glance.

BOY. WAS I WRONG! (which you know thrilled me to pieces!)



I have about 15 more pictures just like this.

If that girl only KNEW how delighted she made her Mama with that reaction!