a turtle

While planning out the smock I made for the swap, I was flipping through Bend the Rules Sewing.  I had forgotten how good a book this really is, both for actual patterns and just plain inspiration.  I really wanted to make the tea cozy, but we are not a teapot family (we boil water in mugs in the microwave and then use tea bags, which I'm sure is incredibly declasse).

Instead I made the little turtle softie.  Joseph seems pretty fond of it.  I used scraps of a felted sweater (left over from making a diaper cover), some tweed of mysterious origin, and some fabric left over from the skirt I made myself this winter.  I am making an effort to use up fabric I have instead of buying more, and it is very satisfying when this results in non-ugly projects.