May - meet Lorenzo 🐸

Lorenzo is a cute frog, but he's not very photogenic. He is sensitive and sympathetic, likes bathing and prolonging in the sun. He must be taken out at least once a day to breathe fresh air, but can very well be satisfied with a ballad in a pocket.

I loved developing Lorenzo. The process took me through a lot of detours, from the most complicated and difficult to sew pattern to this simplified version. It's a pattern that I find ingenious, a little different from the others. I played with the shapes by sewing by hand and it allowed me to feel right away when my idea didn't work. I love to sew by hand, but I rarely do it for a toy, I save my needle for mending and embroidery. Actually creating an object with my two hands, without a machine, felt really good. In the photo above, the blue frog was entirely sewn by hand, isn't it just as beautiful as the other one?

Fabric

The fabric I found at a designer sale is perfect for making this frog, but I also experimented to make sure you could make one with what you have at home. Lorenzo is sewn in a knit, not in a woven. The best knits are those that have a certain hold and not too much stretch, I am thinking here of a double knit or a sweatshirt fleece. You could also try french terry, or minky. I finally did the test with a very soft jersey and although it was more difficult for my machine, Lorenzo came out just as cute. You can choose a woven for Lorenzo's belly, it can help you especially if the green fabric is more difficult to handle.

Eyes

Plastic eyes are widely used in toy making. And it was definitely a good option to make Lorenzo's eyes. I used black plastic safety eyes with a diameter of about 8mm. Slightly smaller or larger eyes can also do, or any other models. As always, I encourage you to use what you already have.

If you want to buy some I advise you to do a little visit on etsy. You may be able to find some at your favorite craft store but I can't guarantee anything.

If you don't have any on hand, a satin stitch with embroidery thread, or even 2 small firmly sewn pom poms will do the trick.

Note that although safe, in this case I do not recommend the use of plastic or pompom eyes for a child under 3 years old. If your frog will be handled by someone small, embroider its face.

News

May will see some changes around here. I'm still playing around with the Tiny Sewing Club concept and trying to simplify my life. Keep an eye out for a newsletter with important information.

I'm always open to comments and suggestions, don't hesitate to write to me at any time.

Happy spring 🌷