finally!

I can show you some of what I was working on at the end of summer. With the economy tanking, I've been trying to reassure myself that family and friends might actually enjoy (even, want?) a more personal gift from me this year, particularly as they mostly seem to have everything they NEED, per se, and so what do you end up getting people, other than just more STUFF? So here we go:

This little kitsune (Japanese fox spirit) is the newest addition to the menagerie I've been making for E. I only gave it five tails, so that it would be easier to keep in line. Designed/drafted/made by me, from recycled fulled wool double knit fabric (the salmon), leftover corduroy (ivory) from former projects, and scrap leather and buttons taken from a sweater before it was recycled into cleaning rags (eyes and nose).

The black paws, white tail tips, and fluffy ears and chest are needle-felted wool fiber over the body of the kitsune. Oh, and so's this feature, which I had to add for cuteness:

After taking these photos, I made a little greek fisherman's sweater out of a navy sweater of mine that Boyfriend washed (!!!) and completely shrank/fulled. Don't have pics of that, though.

the holidays are off to a bright start at chez pacific rain! How about you? What are you doing, making this year? Anyone else sick of stores and hunting and only ever turning up something mass-produced for the most important people in our lives?