Kaitlyn, Mrs. Pecos Bill and the Far Side of the Moon

In a previous post I wrote about how Mrs. Pecos Bill ended up on the Far Side of the Moon.  Above is a picture of my three year old granddaughter, Kaitlyn, between the cut and sew projects, "Mrs. Pecos Bill and the Monster Tornado" and "The Far Side of the Moon."  These cut and sew projects are simple to make.  A coordinating fabric is required for the back side of the pillows.  These projects and coordinating fabrics can be seen in my shop on Spoonflower.

Mrs. Pecos Bill, the Monster Tornado, and the Far Side of the Moon or My Version of a Spoonflower Mythical Creature Plushie!

Mrs. Pecos Bill Inside the Monster Tornado with her flock of rainbow sheep.

The Far Side of the Moon (only poor Mrs. Pecos Bill's hat is left) and on the right, Mrs. Pecos Bill inside the Monster Tornado

The Far Side of the Moon and Bluebonnets!

I always learn something doing these Spoonflower contests and the important thing I learned during the “Mythical Creature Plushie” contest is that my beloved Pecos Bill, popular in the 1950s, is part of fakelore, rather than folklore!!!  He is not even as big a myth as Paul Bunyan.  He is believed to have been invented in a series of short stories by Edward S. O’Reilly a little over 100 years ago. And also, after I did all this work, I realized I didn't really create a mythical creature! Nevertheless, I forged ahead and created a cut-n-sew about a wife of Pecos Bill’s.

Now Bill, who was raised by a pack of coyotes (really!!) managed somehow to grow up to be a cowboy.  His first love interest was Slue-Foot Sue but this isn’t about Slue-Foot Sue.

No, this is about a sweet innocent young girl who was taken with Pecos Bill’s bad boy image – after all, he used a rattlesnake as a lasso and rode a horse named Widow-Maker.  What girl wouldn’t be attracted to a man such as Pecos Bill!

One day a great storm came up as great storms do in the Great Plains of the United States.  A tornado touched down.  Pecos Bill saw that tornado, lassoed it with his rattlesnake and rode that tornado until the tornado was no more.  What he didn’t realize was that there was an even more powerful tornado right behind the first.  That monster twister swooped up Mrs. Pecos Bill and the flock of rainbow sheep she was watching at the time. 

When Pecos Bill realized what had happened, he leaped on his horse, Widow-Maker, and rode as fast as he could, trying to lasso the tornado that had taken his beloved wife, but it was for naught. Mrs. Pecos Bill was flung into the far reaches of space by that gigantic twister, and hit the Far Side of the Moon, leaving only her hat and a single bluebonnet.

Check out my version of a Mythical Creature Plushie.  Designs featured above are printed on Spoonflower linen-cotton canvas.

Large Mermaid Dollie Doll Plushie

A few weeks ago, I posted an entry featuring a mermaid dollie doll plushie I'd made for my youngest granddaughter.  The design is by Amy_G on Spoonflower.  I liked that design so much and my granddaughter loved her new dollie.  I asked Amy if she could size the mermaid to a yard's worth of fabric so that I could make a larger mermaid for my five year old granddaughter.  Amy did!  Here's a picture of the Large Mermaid Dollie Doll Plushie along with the original Mermaid Dollie Doll Plushie. (I bought another fat quarter with the original design. I'm going to tell my granddaughter that they are sisters.)

 A wonderful thing about Spoonflower is that the designers that you will find there are willing to resize a design if you ask.   There are links to both of the doll patterns posted above.  You need to look at Amy's pictures of the mermaids she has made with these patterns.  She really glams them up.

I also would like to point out that one of the reasons I felt okay about giving a mermaid to my youngest granddaughter who is one and still puts everything in her mouth is that all the design is on the doll itself.  There is nothing extra added -- no small pieces -- it's all in the art work.  The fabric is organic and the ink is water-based and eco friendly.  No added chemicals.

So original artwork printed on organic fabric with water based, eco friendly inks and dyes.  Doesn't get better than that.  Spoonflower . . . check it out!

Little Toy Airplanes

During Spoonflower's recent 2 for 1 fat quarter sale, I  kind of went nuts buying fat quarters of some of my favorite designs on Spoonflower.  One design I purchased a fat quarter of was "Little Toy Airplanes."  This design was created by a Spoonflower designer by the name of Tara McGowan.  She has many wonderful designs in her Spoonflower shop, artreedesigns. 

In addition to her fabric designs, Tara also writes and illustrates children's books.  One of her books, "It's a Full Moon Tonight," is illustrated with illustrations from Tara's fabric design.  It's a wonderful children's book.  My youngest grandson is going to receive a pillow made with "Little Toy Airplanes" printed on Spoonflower Kona cotton and the book, "It's a Full Moon Tonight," as a holiday gift.

Here are a couple of pictures of the pillow and the book:

The reverse side of the pillow is a section of a baby blanket of my youngest grandson's.  The colors coordinated with "Little Toy Airplanes" which was a happy accident.

The Mermaid and the Grumpy Old Moon

Sometimes when I'm photographing a finished project or fabric or wallpaper swatches, a story will start building as I click, click, click, focusing on the images.  That very thing happened this afternoon when I was photographing Ms. Mermaid Dollie Doll, a cut and sew fabric design by Amy_G on Spoonflower.

So, here's the story about the Mermaid and the Grumpy Old Moon.


Every month, when the moon was in his waning phase, he would grow sad and grumpy because soon he knew no one would notice him.  To human eyes, he disappeared from the night sky.  Really it was the Earth's fault, blocking him like that.  The humans noticed him shrinking smaller and smaller until he seemed to have disappeared.

To make  him feel better, Ms Mermaid Dollie Doll would wave to the moon and he would reach down and pick her up and place her in the night sky next to him and they would talk the night away.

Ms. Mermaid Dollie Doll would tell the moon about the latest news from the depths of the oceans. And the moon would tell Ms. Mermaid Dollie Doll about the odd things he had witnessed from the night sky and there were plenty.

After the visit was over, the moon would gently place Ms. Mermaid Dollie Doll back in the ocean and she would swim away.  And the moon would rise back into the night sky knowing that at least someone would remember him when he did his monthly disappearance.