Aunty Shabby: The sad softie

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What is this??!!

I am not your typical crafty type. I am NOT a crafter's crafter. Even though I do buy lots of wool and fabric and ribbons and things, ooh and aah over handmade scarves and bags and jewellery, enjoy making my own fabulous creations and have a HUGE stash which is threatening to take over the house, I do draw the line at some things. The line was sofites. I had seen them in shops and thought they were awful - too perfect, too cute and not at all warm looking or cuddly the way toys should be. Certainly not the way I remember them!

Something changed my mind recently. I read my sister, greenolive's post, on her attempts at making softies for the Mirabel foundation and was amazed, that she too a former anti-softie, had finally caved. Her words made me laugh and I could relate to the frustration of wanting to make something and visualising it in your head, but it not quite turning out as you hoped. I also admired her charitable intentions, knowing that someone else would benefit from her hard work. I think it was actually seeing them hanging in the window with all the other softies at the Meet Me at Mikes Fitzroy store (and believe me, they are even uglier in person - one of them looks like a cane toad), that cemented it. I felt an overwhelming connection with the other crafters and suddenly wanted to be part of it. I heard myself saying to Pip that I too wanted to make a softie and would have it ready for the Christmas shopping night the next week. Huh??!

The pressure was on. I toyed around with a few ideas. Something simple, as my sewing skills aren't that great. Not too cute. But graphic and stylish. And authentic. Something quintessentially Aunty Shabby. The night before the Christmas shopping event, after some consultation and assistance from my husband (will need to come up with a better name for him, perhaps Uncle Shabby or Mr S? Any suggestions?!) we came up with Blackie. He was perfect. Simple shape, not too much embellishment and in a colour I love - black! What should have then been a pretty straightforward job, was fraught with frustration. My expensive, new-ish Pfaff was playing up again (this will have to be the subject of its own blog post) and after more consultation and assistance from my now cranky and tired husband, Blackie was almost done. Just as I was finishing hand-stitching his leg where I had stuffed him, I turned him over to discover his guts were coming out of his leg - the felt had torn from being too stretched by the stuffing and he was oozing white! I was heartbroken! I couldn't believe it - I thought felt was strong! Was this defective felt? Bloody Lincraft and their declining quality standards. More than two hours spent on my beautiful Blackie and I wouldn't be able to give him to Pip after all! I had no time to make a new one - it was now well after 12am and I had to go to work the next day. Mr S (I'll try that one out) was also upset, but I tried to console myself with the fact that I had actually made a softie and despite the fact that I had killed him (all the while having flashbacks to a book I had read called "Blackie" by Stephen Downes, in which the author claims to have killed a real cat called Blackie by "cooking" him on a heat pad when he was sick - despite this, it is a great book and a must for cat lovers), he was cool, in a slightly wonky way.

When I showed Blackie to greenolive just before we went to Pip's event together, I think she was a little surprised at my efforts, declaring him gorgeous! She was also very supportive, telling me that I could patch him and that it was particularly thin felt (note: don't use that felt again unless I interface it first) and that I should make more, as people would buy him! I was suitably consoled. She also encouraged me to write a blog post about it (which you are obviously reading!) and include pictures of his wounds, I guess for dramatic effect and as a cautionary tale for other amateur softie makers.

I couldn't bring myself to photograph Blackie in that state (it just felt wrong and humiliating for him), so after a quick patch job with a couple of felt hearts (I discovered he was also on the verge of oozing out under his right arm), here he is! (And yes, I apolgised to Pip for not delivering a softie, but will make sure I contribute next time!)

Stay tuned for more softie adventures with new and improved Blackie!