Frogs of the Rainbow

Long-Leggity Froggies are finally up on Etsy!

 

 They were all so eager to have their pictures taken in their brand new bow ties.

They should be up on The Toy Cove's website in one or two days.

Owl Picnic

The owls have been so cooped up these last few days, that when the sun finally came out, I took them out on a picnic.
They were so excited I could hardly keep them from flapping out of their basket.

They all wore their sun bonnets.

Once we picked out a spot, they became very curious about lunch.

And so the cream-colored barn owls had their first day out.

Patchwork Owls are made from Eco-Fi felt, and constructed from all US-made materials. The cream-colored owls are shown here, but the blue, brown, and pink owls will pop up soon.

They'll all be available on the website in a few weeks. If you can't wait that long to take one of these little darlings home, email me [contact {at} thetoycove.com] and I'll be happy to set up a private listing for you on Etsy.

Sewing Machine Repairs

Sorry for the delay; the sewing machine was broken.

A bit of backstory:
I bought my current machine about nine or ten months ago, used, from someone on Craigslist. It was very inexpensive, but it was exactly what I wanted--an older model Singer (most modern machines, even the Singer brand, are cheap pieces of plastic, and definitely wouldn't stand up to the constant usage I'd put them through).

I've been quite satisfied with it so far, having very few problems...

Until now.

One of the gears, which I later learned had already been on its last leg, died completely, leaving me totally stuck. I'd never had to have  sewing machine repaired before (it was too challenging of a repair for me to attempt on my own with a show less than three weeks away). So I googled, and found a shop.

Thankfully, the repair person was sympathetic, and fixed it very quickly. So now it's back home where it belongs. :)

Kawaii Pocket Pig welcomes back his mother sewing machine.

While the machine was still at the shop, I used the spare time to cut out about a billion more frog bodies (well, at least another 18).

Mountains of frog pieces! Mountains!

Expect an owl update on Friday. :)

Of care tags and unsewn owls.

Several months ago, I came across an Etsy listing for care tags by JennifersJewels. I bought a sample quantity (60 tags), and as soon as I got them in the mail, I knew I'd be ordering more. The quality of these tags is really impressive, especially given the reasonable price.
And I swear no one paid me to write this. I just really love these tags. If you're a soft toy maker (or a clothing designer), you should check them out.

Tonight, after sewing lots of frog eyes, I pinned tags on the owl pattern pieces.
There's nothing left to do now but to feed them through the sewing machine and watch as more and more soft owls begin to roost in the studio.

I can't wait to show you the finished product.

For now, Prototype Owl looks at her future friends longingly...

Long-Leggity Froggie

I'm pleased to present one of The Toy Cove's most cheerful critters: the long-leggity frog. :)

Like most of my plushies, he's made from eco-fi felt (US-made fabric constructed from recycled plastic bottles), and he proudly wears the "All new, US-made materials" tag. The eyes and mouth are hand sewn (and believe me, it isn't easy to find US-made thread these days) for maximum cuteness.

He's got many more brothers and sisters on the way. For the moment, they're still in tadpole form, if you know what I mean. ;)

They'll all be available soon through The Toy Cove on Etsy.

Introducing the Rag Dolls

When I was little, somebody gave me a rag doll. Her name was Rag Doll. Her rustic dress was a very simple fold-and-cut pattern, and her hair was a tangle of knotted rags. She was absolutely beautiful. Her face consisted only of two small eyes, but you could look into those little yarn knots and see exactly what she wanted to say.

Years later, when I decided to start a toy-making business, I knew I had to make rag dolls. Using my old doll (yes, she's still around and well) as a template, I drafted their pattern on newsprint and set to cutting and sewing.

...and stuffing.

If I say so myself, I was quite pleased with the results.

 Isobel, looking very reflective.

 Anne, playing in the school yard.

Adelaide, relaxing in an apple tree.

I make toys because I love them. Each one of these dolls is an individual, an artisan doll with her own history, hoping to share her future with a loving owner.

(These dolls, and others like them, are available through my Etsy page)

Here we go!

With The Toy Cove's first big craft show coming up, it seemed the perfect time to start a blog.

In the next few weeks I'll be sharing lots of pictures of the preparations (hundreds of unsewn frog's legs...), and tracking our goals. This is going to be an exciting adventure for me (and for all the toys as well), and I hope it'll be fun for you too!