HOLY COW, IT'STHE END OF JULY

I am totally baffled that it's July already.The back end of July too. Nothing has stopped or slowed down or relented since February and you, dear readers, have gone through so long without some interesting projects!

Truth be told, it's not happening at the moment. After the manic stitch-fest of April I had to swear off 'fun sewing' for May and June. I think it shows. The stash has doubled in size and once again those breezy summer fabrics may go another year unused.

With two weddings, the Edinburgh Fringe and a PhD graduation coming up, I'm forbidden from making any more pretty dresses. But even if the backlog of wishful projects is growing, I have managed to finish this:

 Moo.

I like my highland cow. Actually, it's not just a cow. It's a cow cosy. A tea cosy but big enough to be a kettle cosy should the need arise.

Squatting on a kettle, dangling toes

This guy is a belated birthday present for my grandparents. It's one thing to make a gift for someone else, but when it's for your grandparents you know you've got to get everything spot on.

Of course, with such high stakes (steaks? - beef joke? - no?)I found a model to copy. And then took a teeny bit of artistic licence.

Moo.

 I drafted out a pattern with all of the detail that needed to be included. The useful thing about cosies, much like bags is that the pattern is simple. Just a bunch of different rectangles, wooo.

Most of his guts were nabbed from my stash, but the outer fabric had to be perfect. I was so lucky to find this boucle hidden in the back of the coatings in John Lewis Oxford Circus. £26/m. Yowch. Still, I only needed half a metre. Oh, but he will be such a pretty cow! I sighed

I couldn't not buy it.

The boucle is underlined with some cotton flannel, and there are two layers of batting before you get to the lining. The lining was a gift from JustSewJenna, thank you!

The construction took a whole weekend, and a huuuuuge thank you is due to B's family for letting me annex their sewing dining sewing room. They even let me get my hands on a Bernina for the first time!

The face was the only bit I hadn't planned in detail. Eyes are tough, they can make or break a character like this and it took 4 attempts to get them right. I handstitched all the face, definitely worth it, but still very difficult to get right. Everyone who's seen this guy has immediately cracked a big grin so I think he must be good enough ;)

I chose to leave a gap at the top of the lining and pull the whole thing through, just to keep everything as tidy as possible.

Moo

 K