A customer lost her husband last November and asked me to make pillow cases from his shirts. She is going to give them to family members. Several grandchildren are young, so she asked me to make some type of stuffed animals. I searched patterns and we agreed that the penguin pillows would be a good fit.
I created these adorable penguin pillows using the fantastic sewing pattern from Gingercake, also known as ginia18 on Etsy. I can imagine a young child squeezing it tight! The plaid shirts add a unique and fun look to the penguins. My customer even wanted one for herself. I was able to create the penguins using the long sleeves of the shirts she sent. In addition, I used white flannel and a little bit of wool felt. The pattern suggested underlining cotton fabrics with some flannel to keep the body soft and free of lumps.
I have not sewn a lot of stuffed animals. And the stuffing is always a challenge. Thanks to Stacy for the advice to keep stuffing!
It is always an honor to work with someone’s treasured memory clothes. It may seem like such a simple thing, but I know it carries meaning for my customers.
I’ve added the penguin pillow to my Etsy shop. Of course, it doesn’t have to be created only as a memory item. I can make one out of any fabric. As always, feel free to contact me regarding questions or large orders.
The penguins are adorable! Such a special treasure!
Those penguins are both adorable & touching. Nice job Jane!