It was Otley Show last weekend, I decided to enter two soft toys. Now I knew from bitter experience that ‘soft toy’ actually means ‘soft toy suitable for a child under three,’ well they should say that, shouldn’t they!! A couple of years ago I entered a Vogue Pattern teddy bear. Anyone remember that pattern, I must have had it 25 years!! I made the teddy and his outfit of tweed dungarees with little leather buttons, a check shirt with collar, button placket and cuffs (well it was vogue!!) and a little bow tie, he’s very cute…he was disqualified as being unsuitable for a small child!! He sits on a chair in our guest bedroom now.

I wasn’t going to make that mistake this year! On GBSB a few of the entrants had large animal pincushions, I decided to make a soft toy that could afterwards be used as a pincushion! I found a gorgeous Scottie dog pattern on Red Ted Art, it’s ostensibly a doorstop, but same difference, doorstop, pincushion, soft toy…

The pattern went together really easily. I used a tartan print, it’s actually like a cotton sateen, I love the colours in it. I cut it out carefully to try and match the patterns, I’m really pleased as it matches pretty much perfectly across the back, bottom and under the belly.

The only bit I would change if I made it again is that the instructions leave a gap in the bottom for stuffing, which is then slip-stitched afterwards. I would prefer to stuff from a hole in the belly; on a practical level it’s a long way from the bottom to the nose! On an aesthetic level I would prefer to have a perfect bottom on view rather than a perfect belly that’s hidden out of sight underneath!!!

As Scottie was ‘for a small child’ I stitched circles of felt for the eyes and nose, though I think beady eyes would look great. He needed a bow to finish him off, so I bought some double satin ribbon, I was going to tie it but I wasn’t sure about the rules with small children and lengths of ribbon. To avoid a repeat of the previous experience I cut the ribbon and stitched it into a bow. I’m really pleased with my Scottie dog, he won second prize at the show too!! I’m using him for my posh pins, though I did feel a bit mean sticking them in his back!

My other soft toy was Dilby the Duckling, I have to confess he is the only thing I made that was purely for the show, in that I have no idea what I’m going to do with him now! The fabrics were from my stash, I used a fleece for the main body and quilting cotton for the wings, feet and beak. The pattern is from the Funky Friends Factory website. He was surprising easy to make, the instructions have tick boxes next to each section which made things easier when working through them. Just got to find him a home now!