A New Addition to the Studio!

by | Apr 19, 2022 | 24 comments

Thanks for dropping by today. It is my day on the Wonderful World of Color Blog Hop, hosted by Joan of Moosestash Quilting.

And since this hop is all about the wonderful world of color, I decided to combine it with my April Island Batik challenge. This month, we are to make a soft toy with our choice of a pattern provided by industry partner Funky Friends Factory! My project is quite colorful!

While Funky Friends Factory has so many cute patterns, when I saw this one, I immediately knew it was THE one!!

Click here to find this pattern

We quilters will occasionally chase wild animals, such as squirrels, or maybe even rabbits! I’ll occasionally go down a rabbit hole, but mostly chase squirrels, myself! At any rate, those little boogers usually strike when we are at our busiest, maybe trying to meet a deadline, or maybe we just need a break from the project du jour. Most of the time, I approach with caution those squirrels sitting by the side of the road daring to play chicken with the car (and we have a LOT of them in our neighborhood!) However, when one happens to run right through the middle of a creative project, eventually I give in and pursue it with reckless abandon! Those are the fun kind of squirrels, unlike those that tend to climb into my attic and wreak havoc! Now without further ado, I would like for you to meet Shirley Sue!

Shirley Sue was such fun to make! I used left over pieces from the Chantilly collection, which is my friend Karen Overton’s (aka The Quilt Rambler) signature collection of Island Batik fabrics, as well as a Schmetz microtex needle, and Aurifil thread to make her! She is stuffed with cotton filling. I just love the bright colors. She definitely helps color my world!

It’s been a minute since I sewed a soft toy, but the directions from Funky Friends Factory were fantastic. There is also a step by step visual should you need to check a step.

I would like to thank Funky Friends Factory, Island Batik, Schmetz needles, and Aurifil for providing the pattern and materials to make this fun project.

My thanks to Joan for hosting this fun blog hop. Please visit other participating bloggers to see what’s in their wonderful world of color today. The entire schedule for the week can be found here.

Tuesday April 19

Just Let Me Quilt
B
eaQuilter
Songbird Designs You are here!
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Purring Cottage 
Stitchin at Home
Time4Stitchn

Also please visit my fellow Island Batik ambassadors and check out their fun Funky Friends Factory characters! There are a few more I will be purchasing!

I answer all comments via email. Please spread the love about my blog!

24 Comments

  1. Carol Andrews

    Brenda your Shirley Sue is adorable! All of us need a pretty squirrel in our sewing space. I’m almost tempted to get the pattern since my inner squirrel, Samantha could then chatter with her instead of me ?

    Reply
  2. Anorina Morris

    Hello Shirley, you are a very glamorous squirrel. Love the bright fabrics you’ve used in your project Brenda 🙂

    Reply
  3. Lj

    Cute, cute squirrel. My husband told ‘squirrel’ stories to our children and then to the grands so I have a special love of squirrels. None in the attic, though.

    Reply
  4. Colette

    Cute squirrel and I love that Shirley Sue is such a willing participant in photo shoots.

    Reply
  5. Beaquilter

    so glad to see you as an IB ambassador, I remember funky friends, I made a few of them- hmm I never got them back….. maybe I didn’t label them with my name on them, oh well. Years ago I made the platypus too with their pattern and I made lots of different versions, for IB I know I made a purple Hippo and I think I gave it a skirt too, almost a tutu like the original fantasia movie! Your squirrel is really cute but it looks HARD! was it?

    Reply
  6. Selina

    Well Shirley Sue sure is a colorful cutie. The Batiks are just perfect for both this hop and your new quilt buddy.

    Reply
  7. Danice G

    What a darling squirrel. Very colorful for sure.

    Reply
  8. Carla

    Aww, Funky Friends are always fun. Such a colorful squirrel with those Island Batik fabrics.

    Reply
  9. MrsV

    Great project! And I love the fabric choices – so bright and fun, just like many of the squirrel projects I end up pursuing.

    Reply
  10. quiltinggail

    Shirley Sue is great! It’s the perfect squirrel to have in your sewing room! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Karen

    Shirely is just sooooo cute. The perfect sewing companion.

    Reply
  12. rl2b2017

    Hi Brenda! Shirley Sue turned out so well, and I just LOVE the fabrics you chose to use. My favorite photo of all is the one with Chloe and Shirley Sue. Chloe just wasn’t so sure, was she?!! I suspect you are correct and they will be fast friends. {{Hugs}} a bunch! SS can be your mascot! ~smile~ Roseanne

    Reply
  13. Debbie

    How cute to make a squirrel from batiks. Well done! We have a family of squirrels in our back yard who “steal” seeds from our bird feeders. Over the years, we have so enjoyed their antics over the seasons.

    Reply
  14. Denise

    OOh it is so cute. Love it.

    Reply
  15. Karrin Hurd

    Shirley Sue is adorable, and what a great project! Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  16. sewswift

    You had me laughing at your squirrelly post about those squirrels. Too funny! They pop up all the time in my sewing room! Chloe doesn’t look too sure about Shirley Sue, but I think she’s adorable. I love her in those bright colors! I haven’t sewn one of those critters from the patterns, but I’ve bought a few. After seeing yours, I should give it a try. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  17. Carol Kussart

    That is one cute squirrel! She is a sweet addition to your studio, helpfully reminding you of your “squirrel” projects. (I have plenty of those myself!) Thanks for sharing Shirley Sue!

    Reply
  18. Kathleen McCormick

    Well, that was not the addition I was thinking of! Shirley Sue is adorable, and the picture with her and Chloe is so sweet. My Percy would tear it apart I am afraid. Can’t wait to see what path she leads you down!

    Reply
  19. Joan

    How do you do, Shirley Sue? She is just too cute and quite the adventurer it looks like. LOL!! I love making Funky Friend patterns. Your post has me wanting to get busy and make a new friend for myself now.

    Reply
  20. Vicki in MN

    Oh boy you made the perfect project, I am sure he will encourage you to follow even more squirrels!

    Reply
  21. Cindy Pieters

    Ahh those squirrels can definitely get in the way when we are going full steam ahead to meet a deadline. Love your cute Shirley Sue!

    Reply
  22. inflorescencedesigns7f538ce9d0

    What a cute squirrel! I love all the photos of the adventures she’s been on! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  23. lynn bourgeois

    Good morning Brenda. I find it can be an interesting journey when I switch from my regular quilting to soft toy making, but it appears as if you and Shirley have made fast friends .That is great. She is a sweet project

    Reply
  24. Gail Beam

    Hi Brenda, your squirrel is adorable! I love the different patterns that you combined for your World of color squirrel. Hope you had a Wonderful Easter weekend

    Reply

Leave a Reply to CarlaCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Me

Subscribe to My Blog!

I’m a Member!

 

AFFILIATE LINKS

 

Fat Quarter Shop

AccuQuilt

Electric Quilt

Shop ElectricQuilt.com

Sulky

Therm O Web

C&T Publishing

SewingMachines Plus

Connecting Threads

Annie’s Craft Store

Challenges/QALs

 

Blog Hops

Favorite Linky Parties

Categories

Discover more from Songbird Designs

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading