This basketful of fun was (were?) the end-of year presents for Brendan's teachers & school staff members this past Spring. Brendan had attended this school since 1st grade, so we were about as entrenched as you could have been at this school. It was a wonderful school, full of wonderful people, and as this was Brendan's final year there, we wanted something special to give to those special folks.
I'd started making amigurumi (the Japanese word for knitted or crocheted, stuffed toys) back in February, when my friend Momo brought a book of amigurumi masukotto (needlework mascots) patterns from Japan.
I wasn't very confident at first, because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to put the bodies together right, or the faces would look weird. But from the first, it all seemed to flow. I started with a teddy for my purse, & then made mascots for friends. I made a rabbit holding a carrot for Brendan's Easter basket (which later became the character in a book he wrote- more on that another time) & he really liked it. So when I suggested mascots for his teachers, as a little bit of Brendan to keep with them after he left, he liked the idea. I just made different ones that caught my fancy, & when we had enough he assigned them to each person. I found cute, little gift bags at JoAnn's to package them in, & I just wrote on the bags (the To~From part) with sharpies & tied them with fun ribbons.
I think the giftees enjoyed receiving them (& hopefully still are enjoying them :). Brendan had fun giving them, for sure. And- most of them have gemstone hearts, an idea that hit me as I was creating them, based on an idea from "Gakuen Alice" (see the manga & anime sidebar). So- even though that basket is empty now, they are keeping other folks company, carrying precious memories. 'Nuff said!
I'd started making amigurumi (the Japanese word for knitted or crocheted, stuffed toys) back in February, when my friend Momo brought a book of amigurumi masukotto (needlework mascots) patterns from Japan.
I wasn't very confident at first, because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to put the bodies together right, or the faces would look weird. But from the first, it all seemed to flow. I started with a teddy for my purse, & then made mascots for friends. I made a rabbit holding a carrot for Brendan's Easter basket (which later became the character in a book he wrote- more on that another time) & he really liked it. So when I suggested mascots for his teachers, as a little bit of Brendan to keep with them after he left, he liked the idea. I just made different ones that caught my fancy, & when we had enough he assigned them to each person. I found cute, little gift bags at JoAnn's to package them in, & I just wrote on the bags (the To~From part) with sharpies & tied them with fun ribbons.
I think the giftees enjoyed receiving them (& hopefully still are enjoying them :). Brendan had fun giving them, for sure. And- most of them have gemstone hearts, an idea that hit me as I was creating them, based on an idea from "Gakuen Alice" (see the manga & anime sidebar). So- even though that basket is empty now, they are keeping other folks company, carrying precious memories. 'Nuff said!
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