Hello everyone! I know I haven’t been around much because I’ve been so swamped with work x_x But I would never forget to come and update for the Monthly Crafting Challenge! I got so many people that sent me awesome photos of their work in January! Thank you all for sharing your amazing sewings ^0^ With all that attention I hope that everyone’s been eagerly awaiting the prize for February! I can’t wait to see what everyone makes this month 😀

This is when I’d also usually update everyone about when my next giveaway will be. It will likely end up being when I hit the 100,000 pageview kiriban (milestone) on my DeviantArt. While I am really close at 92,000, it still might be a while before I get to 100k. So I’ll make a bigger fuss about it when I get closer :B

The prize for February is this squishy okonomiyaki plush!

Okonomiyaki are a popular Japanese street food that’s often described as a cross between an omelet and a pizza. The base is made from a batter of eggs and cabbage, with usually some flour and water to bind it together. Then that omelet-like base is filled with all kinds of toppings such as pork, seafood, and vegetables. The batter is then fried up like a pancake and topped with more delicious things like sauces, seaweed flakes, bonito flakes, and whatever have you. The name actually translates to “As you like it;” showcasing how the food can be filled and topped with whatever suits you 😀

This is probably one of my favorite Japanese foods to cook at home ^-^ The recipe I use most frequently is from this blog called Cook, Snap, Repeat. It’s not truly authentic because, try as we might, there are just some ingredients in Japanese food that are nearly impossible to find in the US x_x even at Asian grocery stores. But I think the recipe does an amazing job of creating a delicious taste with Western ingredients.

You can get the pattern for this plush by signing up for email updates (found in the submission box on the right side of the page below the search bar). If you have trouble signing up, you can check out more info at the main Monthly Crafting Challenge page, or by emailing me. Also, bonus! for today only I’m offering both this pattern and the one from January when you sign up. After today though, the prize is just this guy 🙂 Though you can also purchase the older pattern through my Etsy if you’re too late.

If you’ve already signed up for emails, that’s where the challenge comes in. You can get this pattern if you make one of the projects from this blog, my books, or my Etsy then email me or message the finished project to my Facebook where I have a really awesome collection going of your creations! Keep it up every month and you’ll get a new free pattern, so don’t forget to check back during March to see the newest creation!