Posted on

All eyed and hearted

Zigzagging fabric edgesThis is what I’ve been up to for the past two weeks. I picked up more batiks, feeling inspired after going to a trunk show that featured colorful paper-pieced quilts by Deb Karasik.

Batik fabricsI started with greens. I finished the edges of my fabric and prewashed it before I cut and sewed a batch of Hug Me Slugs and Hug Me Bugs.

Batik Hug Me Slugs and Hug Me Bugs, original art toys by Elizabeth RuffingThe batik toys, and cotton toys in general, take more time to make and are a fussier to work with than the fleece toys, with so many curves to clip and Fray Check on the inside.

Batik Hug Me Slugs and Hug Me Bugs, original art toys by Elizabeth RuffingAfter the machine sewing and the stuffing are done, the hand sewing begins. Their bottoms are sewn on by hand. I embroidered their smiles and attached the whites of their eyes with a blanket stitch and floss. They looked like zombies. Then I moved on to the hearts and pupils. Now they can see!

Batik Hug Me Slugs and Hug Me Bugs, original art toys by Elizabeth RuffingI still have to photograph them individually, and post them in my Etsy toy shop.

My dad holding me when I was a babyHope everyone enjoyed Father’s Day. This is my dad holding me when I was new to the world.

Yard full of dandelionsOur lawn was covered with and abundance of pretty dandelions this week, and the butterfly bushes and the shoal creek chaste tree have been in bloom.

Butterfly bush and shoal creek chaste treeThe bees and butterflies love them, and they are such beautiful shades of lavender, blue, and purple.

Shoal creek chaste treeThe one above is the shoal creek chaste tree, and below are the two, the butterfly bush arching over the other.

Butterfly bush and shoal creek chaste treeAnd this is a special sleepy cat flower.

Sleepy kitty cat under the bushes