I'm Feeling A Bit Sheepish

I think I am still a bit stuck on the farmyard theme this year, or at least this week. I have always wanted to try my hand at making a little sheep and so I set myself the task of figuring out just what type of sheep I wanted. You can get all kinds of idea's from looking at sheep online and their are innumerable versions in ever shape, color, and style. None of them quite fit what I was looking for tho, so I decided I would have to come up with a little sheep of my own.

Now I will admit the long funny face of Shawn the Sheep was a source for my inspiration, which is the same shaped face as the Serta Sheep too. I just didn't want it to be the same ol' black and white that everyone else does, so I thought I would use the same method as I used on my Mouseberry's. I think she came out very nicely, even if she did take me the better part of a day to figure her pattern out exactly.

 Here is my selection of novelty prints I had to chose from. I like going to the fabric store and buying fat quarters for my quick projects. This particular batch was lovely in that they all could be mixed and matched, and were a nice small print.

 I gave my sheep the name of, Hammish Ewe, which is a sheep's way of saying, "I miss you!" Doesn't he look sorta sad and sheepish?! When I first showed him to my husband he said he looked like a dog. A DOG?! How could you mistake this for a dog?! I was flummoxed! This I told him is a sheep! Notice the long face, floppy ears, and the sheep printed very clearly on his chest and back?! Maybe if I had remembered the very last detail he wouldn't have been so confused?!

 After looking Hammish over closer he had to admit, it could be a sheep. Be-roth-er! Have you ever seen a dog with a fat tail like that?!

 I actually patterned Hammish Ewe after the Awassi fat tailed sheep of Saudi Arabia. One, I've always thought the breed rather interesting, and two, it enables Hammish to be able to sit up.

Hammish was very easy to make for the most part, just stuffing his skinny little legs was a challenge. I think the bamboo chopstick worked really well for that, as well as a pair of my long blunt tipped scissors.

 I padded everything but his ears, as I wanted them to just lay flat. I used a bit of white felt to accent his eyes and used the tiny felt balls, like I had with the Mouseberry's.

Here's Hammish Ewe with the rest of the gang. As I saw him sitting there, I thought, "Maybe I've forgotten something?!" You know, sometimes making something cute, is even better if you don't forget the fine details. Can you think what I may have forgotten?! If you did you are brilliant!

It was hooves! I forgot his hooves! What is a sheep without little black hooves?! Right?! If I had thought of this sooner, I would have marked his hooves before sewing his legs, as it would have been much easier. As it was I used an indelible marker, which worked, but a fabric pen would have been nicer. If I had put on his hooves before showing my husband, he probably wouldn't have thought Hammish was a dog either, because dogs obviously don't have hooves.

Hammish was pretty happy to have hooves and kicked up his heels and danced a little jig. He is delighted to hang out with the gang on my Christmas tree this year too.