Bear embryos

Five years ago I made Stuffy Bear for my great-niece, Olivia. Stuffy was one of my first stuffed animals. While I was making him, I had no faith that he would turn out well. In the embryo stage he looked like an eggplant. Then I put a face on him and he sort of looked like a baby harp seal. In the end he turned out pretty cute. Olivia loved him and slept with him every night until his stuffing just collapsed and he turned into a flat pillow with a face.

Now Olivia has a baby sister, Cecilia, and I would be a bad Aunt if I didn't make a bear for her too. I tried to use fluffy yarn (similar to what I used for Stuffy Bear) and it was impossible to work with. I couldn't see the stitches, and the bear ended up with a large bulge in an unfortunate location - totally inappropriate for a baby! I went out and bought some Baby's First yarn by Lion Brand. It's not fuzzy like stuffy bear, but it's soft and pink.

As I worked with the yarn, I realized that the new bear was going to be larger than Stuffy. She's also rather lumpy looking. I began to despair as the bear developed a lumpy belly and a pointy head. I was ready to give up, but my husband told me to go on. I frogged the top of the head, reshaped it to be a bit more round, and sewed on the snout. I still wasn't thrilled, so I decided to give her her face. Tada! Now she's cute! All she needed was a face!

I have to still make her arms legs and ears, and I'm out of stuffing. I hope to buy some more stuffing tomorrow and get this bear done in the next few days.

Then, if all goes as planned, I can go visit Olivia and meet Cecilia and deliver this bear in person!