Natural Toys

Zebra Felt Toy
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

I've been enjoying creating patterns recently by taking two-dimensional images and making them into three-dimensional toys.

This particular toy came from an image on Flickr. A woman had created felt stuffed animal, but it didn't stand on its own. I wanted to create a small toy that would have four legs and be able to stand up (versus being propped up).

The zebra I made stands about 3 inches tall. It is made with wool felt and hand sewn/embroidered. There are 12 pieces in three different colors of wool that were used to make this toy. It is sewn with cotton embroidery floss, and stuffed with wool from sheep that I use to raise.

Although this one was sent to Italy, I've already had requests from my daughters to make more zebras...one for each of them. They enjoy playing with the natural toys I make, and it's good knowing that the items are all safe for them to play with: wool felt, cotton floss, and sheep wool stuffing.