Hi everyone!

I can’t believe it! A whole new year and my blog turns 3 years old today! I hope it was the same for everyone else, but my 2015 was fantastic. I got to make a lot of awesome stuff for both myself and my Etsy shop, and overall it just felt like a really productive year.

In 2016 I hope to expand my Etsy shop even more with lots more plushies, hats, and hoodies. And here on the blog I’m going to keep churning out those free patterns that help me use up my fabric stash. I’m nearly down to a manageable level! Then maybe I can make better projects with fresh new fabrics!

But I’m just itching to usher in the new Monthly Crafting Challenge for 2016! We’re in the fourth year now! In 2013 it was sushi plushies, 2014 had Japanese snack foods, and 2015 had punny food animals. In 2015 you all submitted nearly twice as many photos to me as last year! It’s always such a blast to see your work and the ways you modify and made the plushies your own. I can’t thank everyone enough for all your contributions!

Anyway, here’s what I have planned for 2016! A whole set of 12…

Legendary creatures!

That’s right! We’re talking animals and things from fairy tales, scary stories, myths, and legends. In the midst of last year’s silly punny animals, most of the requests I got were for more obscure animals that are harder to find patterns for. I had to do my own special twist on it, of course, so I landed on doing mythical creatures. So be prepared for a year of scary, cute, and strange animals from your favorite myths and legends 😀

I started this year with a Kraken, mwahaha! Not only because it’s a little simpler compared to what’s coming down the road, but because I think it’s so unbelievably cute! It’s a really great pattern for beginners, since there’s only 3 main pattern pieces. It takes a bit of hand-sewing, but it’s nothing that can’t be handled in a few hours. As usual, my projects have a lot of applique, but you can use safety eyes on this guy, or simply iron on all the details with heavy duty fusible web. The pattern comes with options for an angry Kraken face or a happy one 😀

★ So how do you get this pattern? ★
If you’re NEW to this site, this pattern is my one time only FREE gift to you! Just sign up for email updates between now and January 31st (enter your email address in the submission box on the right sidebar above “My Books”). This will earn you the pattern ONE TIME for THIS MONTH ONLY.
Give it about 24 hours for your new pattern to arrive after signing up. But if it doesn’t, or you have other troubles, you can check out more info at the main Monthly Crafting Challenge page, the FAQ, or by emailing me.

★ What if you’re not new to this site? ★
If you’ve already signed up for email updates, that’s where the CHALLENGE comes in. You can also earn 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.

So don’t forget to check back next month for another new legendary creature! And keep sending me photos of your amazing creations!