Custom Bunny

I just finished the sweetest little custom bunny... if you are interested in a custom critter, please feel free to email me!

I am loving doing these fluffy little tails...

I have a few more critters in various stages of completion... please check back later for a pic of what's on my table to get a peek at what is coming up next!

xo - Debra

Saoirse Sweetheart

Today I finished the sweetest little bunny that I have decided to call Saoirse Sweetheart...

Saorise Sweetheart has the most incredible fur.  It is longer than I usually do, and a bit wavy so she is super fluffy.  It is the softest cream color and it is tipped with lavender purple, which matches the beautiful Matilda Jane fabric that I used for her ears.  Also, I gave her a special little white furry tail. 

She will be in my Etsy shop at 7 pm EST tonight.  She will be $98 USD, a little more than the bunnies usually are, as the longer curly mohair fur fabric is quite a bit pricier.   I am getting ready to place another fur fabric order and am seriously thinking about getting some more longer fur, I really like how she turned out!

xo - Debra

March Madness

March has been full of all kinds of madness... the weather has been crazy (winter coats one day, short sleeved shirts the next), the kids are tiring of their home school routine as the end of the school year looms,  and the fun madness of knowing that spring will truly be here soon... the flowers will be blooming and the trees and grass will be gloriously green again. 

There has been some fur flying around here too :)

Both of these little elephants are made from high quality Heimbold brand mohair fur fabric,  are five way jointed, and have exquisite Liberty of London fabric from my dear friend Anouk's shop Fabrique Romantique on Etsy lining their ears.  I do adore Liberty of London.... I wish I could have sheets made from their luxurious cotton lawn fabrics.  They are $98 USD each (plus shipping) and will go into my Etsy shop tonight around 10 pm EST.  They are ready to go and will ship the same business day by USPS Priority mail.  


I also recently finished two sweet little custom critters, both pink:

They were so much fun to make!  If you are interested in a custom elephant or bunny, please feel free to email me at honeydotz (at) yahoo (d0t) com for more information. 

Thanks for visiting!

xo Debra

The Nuts And Bolts Of It (or All About Joints)

I have had a lot of questions about the jointing process and my labeling so I thought I would take a moment and explain how it all works. There are many different ways to joint a stuffed animal.  These are some of the most commonly used components:

These simple wooden buttons are what I use on the corduroy and velveteen animals.  Along with a combination of very strong string, they provide a nice mobility and give the critter a fun, rustic look.  It is fairly sturdy and any repairs are simple to make. 

These are plastic safety joints.  They are just what the name implies... plastic and safe.  This is supposed to be kid friendly and safe.  Not much more that I can add to this lol

These are the parts that make up a cotter pin joint.   This is one of the most old fashioned ways to joint a furry critter.  I like to use this method of jointing for the animal's head as it is super sturdy and the head has full mobility.  If done correctly, cotter pin joints will last practically forever (think Steiff brand animals).  These are super tough to do right, there is a certain amount of still in turning the pins to make them secure, but the end results are worth it. 

These are the parts for bolt and lock nut joints.  This is my favorite way to joint the limbs on the animals, it is incredibly sturdy, doesn't make pulls on the fabric, and will not come apart.  From all the research I have done and from the animals I have experimented with, I can safely tell you that is not going to come apart. I have to use some special tools to lock it all down and they do not come apart on their own, that is the nature of the lock nut. 

For now, I plan to do the furry critters with a cotter pin joint at the neck and lock nut joints on their limbs.  I really like the results, they are super sturdy.  I am still working things out for the fabric critters so there will not be many available until I am sure I am offering the absolute best of what I can create.   I am sure my faithful followers have noticed that all of my listings contain the admonition that the animals are for collectors.  There are a lot of safety laws that are in place now and it is getting practically impossible to legally sell things that are designed for small children, especially those at the age where things go into their mouths.  I can assure you that I take every precaution with all of the things that I make to ensure that they are sturdy and will last a very long time.   

I hope this was able to clear some things up for those of you that had questions... if you have any more questions, please feel free to comment here and I will be sure to reply! 

xo Debra

Upload 2/7/13

It's time for another herd to find their way home!  I have 3 corduroy elephants and one fur elephant ready to go this week.... here's a couple of pics:

The corduroy elephants are all stuffed with wool and have wooden button joints and black safety eyes.  One of them has some Matilda Jane Clothing fabric lining her ears!   They are $50 each plus shipping.

The mohair fur elephant is 5 way cotter pin jointed and fully pose able.  Her fur is a peanut color and her ears are lined with Matilda Jane fabric as well.  She has German black glass eyes and is firmly stuffed with poly.  She will be $98 plus shipping.

And don't forget about Crispin.... he is still waiting for his special home :)

Just a reminder.... because of the CPSIA laws, I have to recommend that these not go to kids who put things in their mouths.  They are made sturdy, but there are some small pieces that can be choking hazards.

The upload will be in my Etsy Shop at 8:30 pm EST.... see you then!

xo Debra

What's On My Table

Four corduroy elephants that need their tails attached and one mohair furry gal getting put together. If all goes according to plan there will be an upload tomorrow evening.

Upload 1/24/13

Happy Upload Day!  The upload will be at 9 pm EST in my Etsy shop...
please click on the "Shop" tab above to get there.

First up, we have Crispin.  I had the hardest time coming up with a name for this little guy... I asked for suggestions on my Facebook Fan Page and got so many wonderful ideas.  One suggestion was Honey Crisp (one of my favorite varieties of apple!) and that got me to Crispin,   It means "curly haired", and that seemed perfect as he is made from a sparse mohair with a curly finish!   His fur is the most interesting color... you can see the blue backing of the fabric under the green fibers.  I am really happy with the way he came out!  I used a Japanese linen-cotton blend fabric for his ears and they are so soft. 

And then we have Shy Violet... Her fur is really amazing.  It is alpaca and it is soft and has a wonderful feel to it.  I am not sure how many I will do in this fabric as it was VERY expensive and a little harder to get.  Her ears are lined with a Liberty of London fabric that you can get from Anouk at Fabrique Romantique.  She has such a lovely selection of high end fabrics and trims... I will be doing some shopping later this evening after the kids are in bed.

I was hoping to have a third little gal done in time for the upload, but thanks to the 6, 7, and 8 multiplication tables taking up the lion's share of my day (one of the joys of homeschooling!) she will have to go in the next upload along with some of the fabric guys.   Please remember that these fur elephants are pin jointed and have glass eyes, so I am legally required to list them as being collectibles.

Also, since the last upload went lightening fast (thank you so very much!!!) I respectfully request that everyone please just go for one per upload for now to help spread the love a bit.

Thank you... xoxo Debra

Eleven

I just realized that I never introduced my first elephant. Well, actually, she wasn't my first, she was my ELEVENTH. No, not a typo. It took many, many tries to get my pattern just the way I wanted it. Fifteen to be exact. Just when I was ready to give up and try a different species, I took another look at each head I had created (the trunk was the hard part so I made lots of heads) and realized I had gotten the look I was after a few tries earlier.

I just love the upturned trunk and big ears.

This gal was my first attempt at the pattern made out of an entirely different fabric, a mohair fur. This stuff is tricky to work with and very expensive, averaging over $100 per yard, but the results are so worth the cost and efforts! I am planning an upload Thursday evening, time to be announced, of fur elephants.




The fur elephants are fully jointed and have glass eyes. Because of this , I am legally required to list them as being suitable for adult collectors. They will be priced at $98 to start while I get the hang of things.

I will have preview pics of the elephants for the shop tomorrow, please check back around lunch time... If all goes well they will be done by then  :)

xoxo Debra

Elephants!

I know it has been quiet around here.... but boy have I ever been busy!  I have been working super hard on something I think is extremely cute, and I hope you find them cute too :)

I just love elephants.... these three are on their way home. 

Each elephant is about 9 inches tall and made from cotton corduroy and stuffed with wool.  They have black safety eyes but are button jointed so I don't recommend them for small kids to play with... but they sure would be sweet sitting on a shelf as part of the decor!  I have several more cut out and am working on some variations as well.  Can't wait for the rest of the fabrics to arrive! 

Please remember to subscribe to these posts to stay up to date, Facebook is rolling out more changes and it may get even harder to see my posts there.  My plan is to use the blog as my main source of letting everyone know what is on my worktable, then to tweet about it (I am @Honeydotz if you are on Twitter) and the tweet will generate a post on my page.... I think.... assuming I have it all set up correctly.  Anyway, the blog posts will be brief for a bit as I will be working hard on sewing up a whole herd of these little guys. 

I am off to watch some Charlie Chaplin movie shorts with my kids.... love Charlie Chaplin!

xo Debra

Last Dolls of 2012

Finale

I just finished putting the final touches on 2 very special little dolls...

Kara

and Sadie...

These dolls will always hold a very special place in my heart for so many reasons.  First off, they each come with a set full of wonderful accessories.  Not only are they each wearing fabulous outfits by The Melamoose Co. , Melanie made them each a few extra outfits:  Kara has 2, Sadie has 3.  Each gal also has a very special little elephant friend I made from a pattern designed by my new friend Shelly of Gingermelon.  The little elephants were so much fun to make.  I have been longing to create a couple of sets for a while now.  I always love the idea of getting a doll with a complete wardrobe and a special friend.  And a suitcase.  You have to love a pink suitcase!

The other reason these dolls will always be special to me is they are most likely the last dolls I will make under the Apple Tree House name.  Don't worry, I will still be making dolls!  I will just be doing them all under my Honeydotz brand name.  I am registering with the CSPIA to make sure I am in compliance with all laws governing things made for children and it will be much easier to keep track of things if it is all in one place.  Please take a moment and "Like" the Honeydotz Facebook Fan Page and check out the Honeydotz Web Site.  I am planning a lot of fun stuff, including a giveaway (or 2!!) and some free stuff as well.

For now, both dolls are available in my Apple Tree House Etsy Shop.  I will copied this post from my AppleTreeHouse blog so everyone would know what was in store :)

As always, thank you so much for your continued support on this fun adventure!

xo Debra

Waldorf Doll Making Kits

I have been having so much fun making these new rag dolls and seeing what people are making with my patterns.  I thought it would be fun to go ahead and offer some Waldorf doll making kits again as well for people who prefer that style.  The dolls will bear the AppleTreeHouse name but be sold in the Honeydotz Shop as it is easier for me to keep up with just one for now and that is where I have been listing my yarns.  The kits are limited quantities for the moment but pretty much ready to ship.  Here's a couple of pics of the colors I have available:

  Peachy

  Fair

Tan

The kits are specially priced at $55 and include:

♥ a pre-made head with a cute little nose
♥ a pre-sewn body
♥ eco-wool for stuffing
♥ easy to follow, pre-printed instructions
♥ a simple doll tunic and underpants pattern

♥ ♥ Plus your choice of color of crochet cap and 100 yards of one of the mohair yarns in my shop! ♥ ♥

You will need some sewing needles and other basic items easily obtained at most craft style stores.

I am currently working on a new rag pattern.... for a softie.... I will share more soon!

xo Debra