Spring has fully arrived. We are sleeping with the window open, so Abe and I both are having wicked-intense dreams. Just lots of them. Because we can hear the coyotes and every other weird thing. And in the day, the red-winged blackbirds are out. Their call is when I know spring has truly begun. (At the very bottom here are some spring-y photos by Abe.)
I released the Tapirus cutieus pattern a while ago, but now there is an updated, rebranded PDF. But I just released the Tapirus vellus pattern.
It was a very fun process. I drew up patterns by hand to start and couldn’t figure out the changes I needed to make, so I made one out of foil, covered it in tape (blue and washi), and then cut it apart to see how it fit together.
I started sewing them with cloth rather than felt. The very first one I made for a craft-group secret Santa, and the recipient sent me this delightful photo in situ.
The first guy’s legs were a little too small for my taste, so I tried a bit bigger. But then their wee little legs looked like fins rather than legs (because they splayed out to the sides). Hence, you will find a tiny little dart on the belly at each leg.
Once I figured it out, some crafty friends came over to test the pattern. They gave me great notes, including adding photo instructions. So you can thank my delightful friends.
The first “realistic” tapir (T. vellus in vibrant blue below)—wowee, those legs were toooooo thin. It has wire in the legs so it will stand up. But the pipe cleaner barely fit in those scrawny gams. So they got thicker, and I added a gusset to the head and back, but then the back was too wide. The mint green fella below has a pipe cleaner in his nose so it’s posable.
And here’s my absolute favorite tapir I made. Winged! The flower is based on one native to Brazil because, as you might know, my favorite tapir is the Brazilian tapir.
My next Class at the Jansen in Lynden is another curio class on making bones (May 17). Same day Abe’s Fundamentals of Photography class starts. Then feathers and fur curious on May 24, along with Abe’s class on taking better cellphone pics. On May 31, it’s making eyes for curios, and June 7 for plant curious.
June 24 to 26, I am teaching at the kids’ summer art camp! I’ll be doing a daily class on drawing animals, with different kids each day.
Then we get to the new stuff. Embroidered Watercolor Poppies on July 9 at the same time as Abe’s still photography. (Can you tell we are commuting together?) July 23, I’m teaching pieced block stamps like my bloberry totes and Abe’s teaching photography of moving subjects. August 6, I’m teaching inking with a nib and Abe’s teaching how to take pictures of people. Finally, August 20, I’m teaching how to embroider photos and Abe’s teaching macro photography.
You know what’s sad? I am almost done with Cozy Grove. Time to find something else to procrastinate with, I suppose. These are not recommendations unless you are super desperate like me (for something that you don’t need to really pay attention to). I watched Murder City (British and ’90s) and am now watching Murder Call (Australian and ’90s). They . . . occupy my brain while working on things that don’t take full brain power. Though if you enjoyed the more spazzy detective on Death in Paradise, he is in Murder City. Not quite so spazzy, but you can see hints at it.
I hope your day gets better from here!
-Angela
P.S. Wally greets you from a morning walk with Abe. As do the friends they met on the way: a song sparrow in full-throated screech and one of the Three Muskadeers.
