How the Walrus Came to Be.

This is the story of a walrus. About how he came to be, and the process behind his creation. 

We like to think of ourselves as fun-loving people. I think the best thing about being married is the camaraderie that comes from sharing an infinite number of inside jokes with my husband. And being able to finish his sentences (although, let's be honest, there is a mix of admiration and annoyance on his part when I do that). A few years ago when I released my masked owl ornament line, Sean declared that he would like one for himself, but could it please be a walrus mask?

Every time I saw that little mint chip owl with his walrus mask it just made me smile. I loved his wee plush tusks and cute little freckled face. It was a surprisingly long time before I realized that the walrus awesomeness needed to find a way into the shop.

All of my designs start with doodles. I think in pictures, and I really need to get things down on paper to find potential problems with the design that may turn into huge issues later on for the final product. When it comes to animals I spend quite a bit of time studying photos of the animal from different angles before I even start drawing.

If often takes hours before the basic pattern is ready for a test run. This particular project took at least four hours to get to the point where I was ready to cut into the felt.

Of course before I cut into the felt I have to choose a color! I started with six potential colors, and slowly worked my way down to the one that felt just right.

 
It was so exciting to see his wee face take shape! It's all in the details, and I took a lot of time with each to make sure he was just right and wasn't missing anything.

Even still, it is often right at the very end when a small problem presents itself, and it's back to the drawing board. With the walrus it was his front flippers that gave me a bit of a rough time. I actually had to put him away for a week or two so that I could come back to the pattern with a clear head.

I came through the victor at long last, and I'm just thrilled to pieces with the final product. I certainly hope he makes you smile as much as he does me! The little pudgy fella is just as happy and handsome as can be. 

> If you'd like to give him a good home, he's available in the shop here. <

> For more about me check out my about page. <