There aren’t really a whole lot of fun road-sign-themed toys around, are there? So when I was asked to create a special birthday gift Beastie for a boy who loves road signs, I wanted to make sure I crammed as many of his favourite motifs into the design as possible!
As it turns out, road signs make great embellishments for Beastie accessories – they have it all! Their bright colours and simple, striking shapes are designed to be noticed, and those bold, clean lines lend themselves well to being cut out of felt or embroidered in miniature.
But how do you choose which signs to include? Well, fortunately I had help. Our Beastie’s new human friend likes the railroad crossing sign the best, so it got top billing! I cut the distinctive cross and “R”s from black felt, and appliquéd the shapes onto a yellow handknitted sweater.
Then the backpack provided a great surface to display a few more!
Each teeny sign is created from wool felt, with details added in either appliqué or hand embroidery. The initial “S” adds a little extra personalisation, too.
And of course, if there’s a backpack, it’s probably holding some cool accessories! What have you got in there, Beastie?
Aha! Some adventuring essentials – a sandwich, a cookie, a storybook and a pen.
A Beastie after my own heart, he appears to have skipped straight to dessert while we weren’t looking. Yum!
Choosing which storybook to include was also pretty easy. As a kid, I loved Dr Seuss, and he’s at least partially responsible for making me the monster enthusiast I am today. “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” seemed fitting reading for a Beastie heading out to see the world!
Finally, some bright felt boots will protect his paws on adventures, and help him to stand upright unsupported.
I think he’s ready for his first adventure…
Yes, it looks like he’s settling in very well!
Beastie Vital Statistics:
- Yarn: Merino and wool blend in Bright Blue and Scarlet.
- Hair: Fun fur
- Clothing: Sweater handknitted from 100% merino in Bright Yellow, with wool felt appliquéd details
- Accessories: Felt backpack with appliquéd and embroidered road signs, felt cookie, felt sandwich, felt pen, hand-embroidered felt book, hand-sewn felt boots.
