Hey everyone!
Wow! Half of the year has already gone! I can’t believe we’re halfway through the Monthly Crafting Challenge for 2016. It feels so short and yet there I have so many awesome things to show for it thanks to all your amazing submissions! I hope the next half of the year goes just as well as this first half 😀
This month’s creature is another more obscure one. But it should still be pretty recognizable 🙂

It’s a kitsune!

That is, it’s just the Japanese word for fox 😀 But of course in Japanese culture it means much more than that. From old folk tales to current pop culture, foxes are thought to have mystical powers and the ability to shapeshift into humans. As a fox grows past 100 years it becomes wiser and more powerful. Its tail will split in two and even more as time goes on. Once a fox attains nine tails, it turns white or gold and is the most powerful of all. You can definitely see how this motif has leaked its way into popular anime over the years.

So the pattern includes both variations; a traditional looking fox with orange, white, and black coloring and one big plush tail. The ninetails has solid coloring and nine full tails. The pattern takes a few shortcuts so you don’t actually have to sew nine separate tails, but the finished product gives the illusion 🙂 It’s still more time consuming, but if you want the full effect it’s a nice way to go! The faces are inspired by traditional Japanese fox masks, so they have cute smiling eyes and round eyebrows.

As for difficulty, the traditional fox has a lot of little pieces due to the black accents, so you have to keep track of those. The tails for the ninetails are also a little daunting. Aside from that it’s similar to my other patterns, with some darts, hand-sewing, applique, and other basic skills. I gave it a 4/10 in difficulty for all that 🙂

★ 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 submit your email address to subscribe to my blog between now and July 31st (found 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.
★ What if there’s no way you can participate this month? ★
If you think you can’t make anything this month, I also have the pattern ready for purchase on my Etsy for a very low price. And you can use coupon code MCC2016 for an extra $1 off.
So don’t forget to check back next month for another new legendary creature! And keep sending me photos of your amazing creations!