whileshenaps.com

Sewing, blogging, and creative business.

Coming Soon: Plush Taxidermy Patterns

I got the following very exciting email on January 16 from the Design Director for the Craft Department at Simplicity:

“Hi Abby- Happy New Year! Hope all is well with you. I’ve been seeing several versions of stuffed animal heads mounted on plaques, a funny take on trophy heads, and wondered whether you would be interested in creating a pattern for us on the topic? I would probably want a deer, but other choices up to you, maybe even some silly ones or even a one-eyed monster! Let me know if you are interested. I’m thinking of it for our Holiday 2014 issue where samples will be due by April 22nd.”

My response? Absolutely! I immediately started a faux taxidermy Pinterest board and my goodness are there a lot of plush mounted heads out there, especially in nurseries right over the crib.

I’m just about halfway through the assignment and wanted to share my unicorn and deer. I’m not totally sure which animals will come next, but they might be from the jungle.

Unicorn 3

Unicorn 2

Unicorn 1

It’s always a push and pull for me when I accept a design commission like this. I value my creative freedom and never feel like I’m out of ideas. It’s the opposite, really. I have so many ideas for toys I’d like to design it’s like an overflowing fountain. Every day I feel like, “If only I had more time!”

And yet, sometimes I do sit at my desk in a sort of creative paralysis. What should I work on now?

Deer 1

Deer 2

Deer 3

An assignment provides the answer to that question. Work on this now. It’s due in a few weeks and there’s a paycheck at the end. Awesome! Now I know how to spend my time. But then I find myself wishing I could just do what I want. All those other neat ideas have to wait because I have to finish this first.

I go back and forth.

Either way, I’m enjoying taking these weeks to make four taxidermy heads, something I may never have done if I hadn’t been asked. I will release these patterns as PDFs at the end of next week, so look out for them then.

Everyone needs a unicorn over their bed.

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Do you work best with an assignment or would you rather be left to come up with your next project entirely on your own?

Comments

  2. Anu says

    Ubercool,Abby! I love that Unicorn!I have the same push and pull mentality and the creative paralysis where I simply WASTE time trying to figure out what to work one…Thats when I really want to kick myself

  4. Lina says

    Oh man, I can’t wait for these to come out. My daughters will love the unicorn especially. Vegan taxidermy! 🙂

  5. Jane says

    Love the unicorn, just lovely.
    Think I am best when given free rein to do what I like, not so good with a brief.

  6. cucicucicoo says

    Oh my gosh, those are AWESOME! I especially like the unicorn, as an even more whimsical, fantasy version. Nice job and congrats! 🙂 Lisa

  7. Melissa H says

    I love the idea of jungle animals. Maybe check out Cabelas online–they are a sporting goods store (in the West at least) and I have never seen so much (real) taxidermy as in one of their stores. Lots of big game and perhaps some ideas…

  8. Jody Herbert says

    Elephant or giraffe could be good or an alien head (great in a little boys room). They look really good – very clever. Would you then expand on these designs to make them into toys (with body and all)? I was thinking the Unicorn would be great as a big squishy floor cushion for kids to sit on. Just an idea.

  9. JesseeM says

    You just made my day!!!!!!
    I have been collecting faux and plush taxidermy for a little more than a decade now. I’ve always wanted to see my own!!!!!!! I’m so excited!

  10. Michelle says

    Wow! Congratulations! These designs are very cool.
    I really like how you have made the unicorn horn.
    Totally with you on the creative paralysis front.
    In my head, my ideas are like a bright rainbow of colours, but sometimes when I start to work on something it’s like they have suddenly turned into a muddy mushy mess.
    It’s blogs like yours that help give me encouragement and inspiration.
    Thank you for sharing. 🙂

  12. Abby Glassenberg says

    Totally! It’s like I wait and wait for a few moments to myself to create, and then when they come I just sit there not knowing what to do! For me it’s just a matter of getting through it and starting on something, even something silly. Then I can usually buckle down and get some real work done.

  15. Abby Glassenberg says

    I never took custom orders when I used to sell handmade fabric birds. I did it a few times and I always felt so stifled! I think now an assignment every now and again is probably good for me, but I do love total creative freedom.

  18. Abby Glassenberg says

    I love the idea of squishy floor cushions. Have you seen Squishables? They are a line of manufactured plush that are totally adorable and the big ones are like floor cushions. My oldest daughter has the peacock and it’s so great. Actually, a peacock taxidermy would be cool!

  20. Abby Glassenberg says

    Hah! A muddy mushy mess is truly right. It’s a matter of working through that horrible part until you get to the awesomeness that’s waiting on the other side. It can be torturous, though. I hear you!

  21. Jeifner says

    I like working with both. Sometimes it’s good to work creatively within restraints. As for heads, real life ones that are striking are elephants, lions and hippopotamus-mouth open 🙂

  22. Lowena says

    These are adorable! I really like seeing fantasy animals being taxidermied like that.
    I could relate to having a creative paralysis or burnout, but a break and a walk around the park really helped me get back into the groove.

  23. Caroline B says

    These are awesome! You beat me to it on the unicorn – I’ve been making teeny tiny knitted hunting trophies for a while and wondered if a unicorn was possible. I’d love to see your take on a giraffe! Sometimes someone else’s ideas are just what’s needed for a push in a different direction, although I am totally with you on also wanting to get on with your own stuff. I had to make a mini trophy for someone recently with a rabbit’s head on it – much cuter than I thought when finished, and I’d like to explore the theme more but have other paid work that needs doing instead. Family’s gotta eat….

  24. Esther says

    Vegan taxidermy is the only way to go! Let the animals live and make Abby’s trophies! 🙂
    I love custom orders, I learn always something from them!

  27. Deanna {sewmccool} says

    I’ve seen thee faux taxidermy for a few years and it’s so adorable. At the last “work outside of the home” job I had the owner had a mounted deer head in his office, and another gal in the office and I used to joke that we would replace it with a faux one made of fleece. Somehow I don’t think he would have been as amused as we would have been….but these would have looked so cute in *our* offices. That unicorn is so dang precious – congratulations!

  28. Shelly Freeman says

    I love the unicorn! My daughter would love one! I grew up in South Africa with way too many real heads on the wall and I was never comfortable with that. I hated that such a beautiful living thing had to be killed for that trophy. This is a great alternative! I like the idea of a monster head: “Mom and Dad took care of it for you honey, see- he won’t bother you again…”
    I am with you on the paralysis at the desk- I wake up with tons of ideas but by the time I can actually get into the studio I seem to have lost impetus. I do love getting requests from customers as that pushes me to try new things I might never have done on my own.

  29. justine says

    I know this was a long time ago. But I think a sea monster taxidermy would be awesome. There are lots of undersea and pirate themed rooms. Or a dragon.

  30. Emma says

    Hey,
    How would you recommend attaching the animal heads to a wooden board. I can’t work out what would be the best way to attach them.