Triceratops

About a year and a half ago, or longer, Alex asked me to make him a Triceratops.  A stuffed animal version, not a real one.  I’d made Julia some dolls, and my son, understandably, wanting something less frou-frouey.  I sketched out parts, and got some of it pieced together, but I wasn’t really…feeling it.  I don’t know how to explain that, but for whatever reason, I just kept putting it off.  Lack of confidence?  Probably.  I’m sure I expected perfection from myself.  I wanted my soft sculpture to look real, at least from a distance.  Children would scream in fear:  “MOMMY!  LOOK!  A TRICERATOPS AT ALEX’S HOUSE!  RUN!  RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!”

So I took the bits and pieces of it out every now and again and quietly put them back.

This morning I was up very early, and I decided to start over.  I just finished it a little while ago, and so here’s what it looks like…

Rather than going for life-like, I opted for simple and basic. 

It’s standing on my closed laptop, and I put a coffee mug nearby to give you an idea of the size.

The fabric is from an old pair of capri pants I used to wear – a kind of greenish khaki color. 

The eyes are a couple of acrylic beads.  It’s stuffed with polyfil and stitched with cotton thread. 

And that’s about all there is to it.

Oh – and yes, Alex likes his little long-overdue dinosaur. 

I wonder if he’d like another one.  Maybe a Stegosaurus…or a T-Rex…or…

Comments

[tracey]

Fabulous, Jayne! I love it!

(PS: I mentioned in a meme on my blog that I'm waiting for your cookbook. Seriously. I am.)

[Beth]

Jayne,
Love the triceratop!!

[judith]

That is just precious!

[Jayne]

Youre so kind, Tracey. I toy with the idea, though. Ill let you know.

[OtherAsian]

Wow, I'm really impressed by this. If I hadn't read the text then I could have sworn that it was shop bought! How on earth did you figure out the template for it?

[Jayne]

I just drew a profile view on some graph paper - in pencil! - and once I was happy with that, I traced the lower part of the triceratops body on another piece and doubled that to make the underside of the body and the insides of the legs. The two upper horns and the bony plate above them were drawn separately as well. Then I just cut everything out, traced it onto the fabric, pinned and stitched.

I think I need to tweak it a bit for next time, but basically I like how it came out.

Glad you liked it!

[Maryssa R.]

Behold the mighty dinosaur and fear his dino-might! The plush horns are ideal for combat against fellow stuffed creations, and the ability to free-stand gives him a distinct advantage over more floppy toys. Meanwhile, his soft skin and stuffing making him safer than plastic dinosaurs to throw at annoying siblings, without fear of parental disipline ... At least so long as he doesn't knock Great-great-grandma's candleholders off the china cabinet.

(Note that commentor does not actually endorse stuffed animal combat or the throwing of toys at siblings.)

[Dawn J]

I am in need of some instruction to make a stuffed triceratops (preferably lying down) Did you use a pattern? I have little sewing experience.