Mock-Up Ardilla
I have a problem: I can’t bring myself to donate or give away crafting books. What will I do 30 years from now when I retire? Likely spend my days crafting from dawn till dusk like it’s nobody’s business. Or, alternatively, I could follow my dream of moving to Pantelleria and devoting my time to ceramics. But let’s focus on the first option—for the sake of this post.
About a year and a half ago, I came into possession of a small collection of crafting books from the 1970s. Some of the titles include The McCall’s Book of Christmas, The Woman’s Day Book of Knitted Sweaters, The Woman’s Day Book of Gifts to Make, The Patchwork Point of View by Jill Jarnow, and The Woman’s Day Book of Soft Toys & Dolls by Joan Russell—all published by Simon & Schuster. Needless to say, the repeated use of the word “woman” in these titles gave me pause more than once.
Of all these books, the one I’ve spent the most time with is The Woman’s Day Book of Soft Toys & Dolls. After much browsing and deliberation, I decided to try my hand at making the squirrel—or ardilla, en español. But I went back and forth on the design, especially the tail. The original artist used pipe cleaners, which didn’t quite match the vague but artistic vision I had in mind. So I complicated things (as one does) and designed a tail from scratch, which I embroidered by hand.
Now, I’m no squirrel-tail expert, but I do believe in the design principle that calls for prototyping. So I created a mock-up—see image below—and once I was happy with the result, I traced the template onto a worn piece of fabric and started embroidering. It took tiiiime! Somewhere along the way, I also started questioning whether a stuffed squirrel really needs eyes, a mouth, or a nose. (It started to feel a little creepy.) So I opted for a more conceptual approach. If I were aiming for realism, I would have used a furry fabric instead of vichy, right?
All in all, it was a fun and enriching project that pushed me to experiment with new techniques. I’m already working on a second animal, using leftover fabric inherited from a college roommate.
If you’re into crafts—or even just craft-curious—I highly recommend exploring secondhand crafting books. Many cost under $4 and offer timeless, beginner-friendly skills that can lead to surprisingly rewarding creative experiences.
