Magoo finds a home

My good friend H had her second baby on Christmas Day. Her first is a week younger than ours, and needless to say he did not get a handmade gift. So, I was resolved to knock one out this time. The only problem is she is a self-proclaimed "not quilt person". I wasn't in the mood to knit something, so I landed on stuffed toy.

Introducing: Magoo.

I am a long-time reader of Melly & Me and love her stuffed creations, so I was excited when she started publishing patterns.

I retired to the stash to find appropriate fabric for a monkey, and surfaced with some orangey corduroy I bought from a fabric shop that was going out of business a few years ago. A little of this and a little of that, learn to applique and embroider, and presto: Magoo was born. If only it was that easy... I must remember for the future this thing that I have already learned many times before: I hate making stuffed things! This is not meant to be any reflection on this pattern - it is well written, clear, cute and wonderful in every respect. But ugh, stuffed things... all the pieces and the tracing and the turning and the stuffing (oh how I hate the stuffing!). And then after all that the thing sits there with no face for weeks like a stuffed zombie, because I am too afraid to sew it on and create creepy not-cute stuffed animal face (in this instance I am actually pleased with the face, and thank goodness for that).

The only change I made to the pattern was to sew the arms into the side body seams rather than sewing them on to the outside afterwards. It was only a little tricky dealing with them stuffed inside the inside-out body when I was sewing it up, but I liked not having to deal with them afterwards.

Upon unveiling my monkey the husband immediately told me it was "weird looking", and upon further inspection I discovered I had aligned poor Magoo's ears with his cheeks rather than alongside his eyes as intended (hopefully he cannot hear all of this criticism as a result). The husband said I must fix this. I said it was impossible as I could not bear working on this small beast for another moment.

Anyway, I'm glad it's over. And despite the fact that I did not enjoy it, I still have plans for just one more stuffie, but first I have to forget how much I enjoyed (ahem) doing this one.