One of my many hobbies that I cranked to eleven during the pandemic was sewing. I have rudimentary knowledge, my mom gave me some lessons and I used to sew Barbie clothes by hand when I was in grade school and even high school for 4-H. My aunt is a professional seamstress in Texas and she sends me the most amazing remnants from her jobs (shout out to you Aunt Cyndi) and sometimes I get a print that is so bizarre that I’m like, what on earth will I make with this. Well, this Christmas I decided to make a stuffed animal for my dear friend’s daughter. I asked what her favorite animals were and she gave me a short list. When I looked up Octopus Adorabilis (scientifically known as Opisthoteuthis californiana - Look them up, your day will be made) I knew exactly what to do. You don’t often find them in plush form, so I went for it and pulled out my flaming pink upholstery fabric and orange leopard print.
Leopard print makes for good suckers.
I made the pattern from scratch and sewed the head and base separately, the little top fins, eyes, and attachment of head to base was hand sewn. This was a challenge because I forgot how much poly you have to stuff in these things to make sure they stay firm and not floppy. I wanted this thing to hold up to a lot of hugs.
The finished product.
I was so pleased with the finished product. It turned out large and substantial and is currently making a habitat in a little girl’s bedroom. She was named Adora, I’m told, and I couldn’t be more delighted. I may try some more experimental stuffed animals as I have a gargantuan bag of poly left over! What strange animal would you like to see made into a plush?