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Creating Rainbow Giraffes were a huge challenge. I have a box of trial giraffes to show for it. When I finally figured out how to color and shape the sewing pattern it had been about 3 weeks of trying. Designing manes so that they follow the gradient of spots is my favorite part. Some of the yarn has to be dyed to get the right hue. One of the fun features of my giraffes is that the design of the sewing pattern allows them to look like individuals. Their nose/mouths and ossicones print in such away that it is only through the hand sculpting that the look comes together. This means I can give each their own personality. As you scroll through my giraffes you can see that each looks like a Mainsail Menagerie giraffe yet they also each look like unique individuals. Some giraffes are tiny, others are life-sized babies and juveniles.
Creating a mane that followed the gradient of her spots was a challenge.
This is how the rainbow giraffe started. These are the pattern pieces that I created to build the giraffe. Experimenting with colors was the most fun. Ultimately I chose this pastel rainbow because I loved how serene she looks.
Fun fact: All of my animals have their eyes closed. I’m not a fan of animal taxidermy. I found that closing their eyes and sculpting their mouths into a smile differentiates them in a way that makes them more like a stuffed toy.
I get very attached to some of my animals. They take so long to draw and then put on the computer for editing, then printing the fabric and waiting for it to arrive from the printer, then sewing, then sculpting. Sometimes in takes multiple pattern and color adjustments. It’s not unusual for me to create many creatures before finally getting in right….. My closet has a box of “almost” giraffes to remind me to keep going even when I think my idea won’t work.
I get a lot of customer photos and this is one of my favorites. She received the Rainbow Giraffe as a gift for her birthday. That big smile and hug are what motivates me, it is exactly the reason I do what I do.