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!