I have been wanting to take my Squat Creature pattern and turn it into a dino-style plush for a while, and I finally did it. It was one of those rare and very enjoyable times that I make a pattern and it works out on the first try!

I also used a face/mouth style that I haven’t used on any of the creatures that I’ve sold yet–this is my “beaky” style that I’ve done for several plush that I kept for myself. It is near and dear to my heart as those particular creatures have gotten played with and provided much enrichment in my home and for my daughter. I love the smiley, innocent expression.

I’m not normally drawn to pastels. I recently ordered some fabric and sometimes I like to get low-quantity/last-chance types of fabrics because in some ways it narrows the range that I have to choose from. This forces me to work with colors or textures that I normally wouldn’t choose (this is the same reason I enjoy shopping at used clothing stores or on eBay). Combined with the fact that I’m no longer making plush that *has* to look just like something in the real world, this can lead to fun and unexpected results.

I ended up with these pastel colors and came up with the idea to combine them in this way, and I love it. Actually, this palette reminds me a lot of vintage (I was tempted to say “retro,” until I realized that anything from the time period I was a child is, in fact, now considered vintage!) baby and children’s clothing and gear, and I love that. I have very nostalgic feelings for toys and gear from that time period.