Last Plushie Post, Promise (at least for a while)

Just saw this image from the latest IKEA catalog:

I just wanted to say that before IKEA's TORVA came along, I already had the idea of making a giant carrot friend. For some reason, the last summer before college was designated as the summer of carrot obsession. Friends gave me carrot pens and scissors; while in China with my mom I got a bunch of carrot magnets...all of it culminating in my making a giant stuffed carrot.

With Walnut, for an idea of the scale.

I didn't really know what I was doing at the time, so I cut a rough carrot shape out of cheap orange acrylic felt and sewed it together. After stuffing it, I had no idea how to attach the greens. I ran to my mom, who very patiently hand-sewed the top on invisibly. I'm ever so grateful to her, because I'm sure that as a very busy mom with three kids and full-time job, she had better things to do than attach a carrot top for her don't-you-have-better-things-to-do-considering-you're-going-to-college-in-a-few-weeks daughter. Anyway, Giant Carrot Guy was my body pillow all throughout college, and now he's relegated to modeling my failed Sorbetto in the corner of the sewing room.

I really do love IKEA's designs (I actually have quite a few things from them, and an inordinate amount from the kid's section, considering my age), and they can't be blamed for copying my idea of a large carrot friend, considering that this is his premiere online! I have a soft spot for their fabrics (even if my main fabric source of choice is thrifted bedsheets), and my current dressmaking project is actually using the GRONSKA BLOM from a couple years ago.

One more plushie picture, just because Walnut is adorable:

Fortunately, he won't fit into the whale shark's mouth pouch.