Thursday 31 December 2015

Slinky fox a la Gretel Parker



I've had Gretal Parker's lovely book for a few months now and have used it for techniques and general tips but not made any of the creatures from it.
I decided over the Christmas break to put some time aside to make a silly monster for my 1 year old nephew but my attempts were too scarey and weird looking. Turns out, monsters aren't that easy.
That's when I reached for Gretel's book, with the idea that I'd make my nephew a new creature for each birthday and Christmas. What I loved about the slinky fox design was how elegant and sinuous it was. I wasn't very confident of my ability to get that result but I got started, following the instructions to the letter...
Adding the feet...
Sorting out the nose and sticking in some black headed pins for eyes to get a sense of a character....
But the body simply didn't have the elongated lines I so liked. It looked like a dinosaur. I had a look for solutions online, how do you re-structure and can you cut bits out/off?
I couldn't find an answer so I just got the scissors out and gave the dinosaur a trim.
Looking foxy but still a bit snouty.
The shape was much better so I tidied it up before adding the layers of fine wool to give a smooth finish. Nearly finished, a little white added to the bushy tail....
...and a nose for him to scent his way about...
..and he's finished!


He's lovely, I adore him.
The end of the year is a good time to count your blessings. Himself and I mostly have our health, each other, a scruffy little dog and a cosy cottage roof over our heads. We have jobs and hobbies we enjoy and friends and family to share it all with.
It's also a time to remember. A few days before Christmas a work friend died. We had grown intensely close for a brief time when work threw us together, although we were very different people. What remains is sadness that her darkness overtook her, that she left before the rest of us could verbalise the arguments that might have persuaded her to stay and she slipped away before we were ready to be without her. Sleep well friend.

1 comment:

  1. Gosh, he turned out fabulously! And you really used the layering technique perfectly to cover up the 'major operation' - I don't think there are any 'rules', just what works best for each person. The most important thing is to produce something you love and you are quite justified in being proud of him! :-)

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