Little Bo Peep

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep 
And doesn't know where to find them

She turned away quick and, for half a tick
Left no watchful eye to mind them.

They darted and ducked, then sidled and snuck
With Little Bo Peep none the wiser.

"Let's play hide-and-seek! We'll watch and we'll peek
Then pop out at her and surprise her!


But where can we hide? This vast countryside-
Our wide sprawling pasture of green-

Boasts no rock or tree, where cunningly we
Might huddle together, unseen!


Unless- if we dare - and she unaware,
Her petticoats we let conceal us

And therein remain, while she search in vain

Until come the time to reveal us!"

"Oh fie! There you hid! While frantically did
I call out to you to come hither!





Such mischievous lambs! And how cross I am!"
And under her glare they did wither.





Yet fierce though it burned, her anger soon turned
To joy and, relieved, she forgave them.





Because - safe and sound - her lambs had been found
And she never needed to save them!


Then, thankful, she led her charges ahead
To grasslands far greener, to dine them.





And when they were filled, they skipped down the hill,
Wagging their tails behind them.





Ah, sheep. So much like children, aren't they?


This was such an odd project - it was very, very, very much harder to make than it looks. I started out intending to do a tutorial for it. Then after several days of working on it, I thought I'd turn it into a pattern-for-sale because it was so involved. After several more days, I decided against that, too. The sheep are quite easy - especially if you find the right fuzzy fabric. 

Eeee! So Wallace-and-Grommit-ish, no?

But Bo Peep was tough. Hers was the zipper I struggled with for the longest time, that I mentioned in this post.

It was the potent combination of facing it completely, a thick layer of batting and interfacing, and working inside out of a narrowing cone. Quite ridiculous. It was like this spectacle case I made for mum last year: tiny, fully-lined, unmanoeuvrable - very, very difficult. You wouldn't think it, to look at it. 


So I'm sorry, friends - no tutorial and no pattern. I am, however, selling her, and her twin sister, for the Japan Quake Relief. 

Lots of details:

 and that cute hidey-hole in back for sheep.

There is no plastic canvas or anything hard and icky in them, so they are cuddly-safe even for bedtime. My girls love them, but they know they might be going away to help the people in Japan.

"Will you make more?" they ask.

I stare at them, wild-eyed. 

"Say! Tell me how school went today!" 

Good save, Mum.

So check them out here if you'd like to help out the folks in Japan. All proceeds from the sale of these two doll sets will go to the relief efforts via Samaritan's Purse (our family's adopted charity). I'm throwing in free shipping for US addresses and discounted shipping to international destinations.

Update: (3+ hours later): Both doll sets have been sold. Thank you! I will get them out in the mail to their new owners early next week.