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Walrus Pouch We had a bit of a sick day here at home today.  Last night Bryan was feeling really crummy and wasn't able to keep much of anything down.  Then this morning I wasn't feeling so hot either.  We've been switching off feeling good and feeling crummy all day long.  Blah-de-blah.  Luckily the big O seems to have remained healthy as a horse.

Earlier this afternoon when it was Bryan's turn to feel fine and my turn to feel icky he took Olivia out on a walk and left me to relax here at home watching You've Got Mail and working on some embroidery.  It just seemed like a calm, cozy thing to do.  And it was.

One of our friends graduated from college recently.  I had meant to make her a little present in time, but didn't.  So I figured presents are better late than never, and today I made her what I had been meaning to make for her: a walrus pouch of her very own.  I used this wonderfully charming Walrus embroidery pattern from Andrea Zuill's blog (found via One Pretty Thing... I love that all I had to type into the the search engine was "walrus.")  I knew the moment when I saw that pattern quite some time ago that it was destined for this walrus-loving friend of mine.  Last year for Christmas her husband gave her a walrus of her very own.  Or at least as close as you can come living in our tiny apartments.  It was actually a picture of a walrus and an adoption certificate saying that a walrus had been preserved in her name.  She was in love.  So, naturally, a walrus pouch was in order.

I embroidered that sweet little pink tusked friend and a starfish (my own freehand design) to keep him company, and sewed it into a little pouch using this easy method from Noodlehead.  Gotta love easy.

I topped it off with a little self-made tag there on the back.  The scalloped edge (in yellow) and the "kl" (in orange) are two separate stamps I carved a while back.  I like the logo and I love the way it looks on a little sewn-on tag.  I stamped a bunch of tag variations one night a while ago and I only have one left.  I think it's time to stamp some more so I can have them on hand when I sew.  And, despite my secret longing for some lovely gray fabric paint, I love the way the yellow and orange looks on this tag.  So bright and cheery and it coordinates perfectly with the rest of the pouch.  Also, yellow and orange are the only colors of fabric paint I have on hand.  Go figure.

When I dropped off the pouch to the lucky graduate a little while ago it seemed to be a success.  It was a fun, charming, calming little project to make today.  And it was fun to see her smile.  And to see a pink walrus.

Anyway, it's Bryan's turn to feel crummy right now, so I'm writing this while watching Olivia play on the floor.  So I had probably better go.  Congrats if you made it to the end of this post.  Hope you all have a nice evening.
Posted by Katie Lewis at 9:03 PM Labels: amanda, embroidery, gifts 
How did you make the stamps? Potato stamps? I really like that idea for making tags. Will latex paint work, or does it have to be fabric paint?

Haha - when I read the title to the blog, I was thinking like a kangaroo pouch - walruses have pouches? Great project. You are such a smartie.

August 26, 2010 at 9:49 PM 
Absolutely, very cute pouch! I'm also interested in how you did your little stamp. I think a new tutorial may be in order...(unless you've already done it and I missed it....in which case, a link would be great!)

August 26, 2010 at 10:07 PM 
Mom and Dorothy-

You've convinced me! I'll take some pictures of the stamps and the process when I make some more tags in the next day or so (or whenever it happens) and post a little tutorial and some helpful links for any who might be interested in making their own little tags. Thanks for the feedback!


August 26, 2010 at 10:09 PM 
That walrus is adorable! I need to branch out in the embroidery a little more, and this is a great idea!

I would be interested in how you did the stamping too. Right now I embroider my "tags" directly into the stuff I make, but have been thinking a sew in tag would be easier sometimes (like when I forget about the tag until after I sew something together).

I hope you & Bryan feel better soon & Olivia doesn't pick up whatever the two of you are passing back & forth!

August 27, 2010 at 9:22 AM 
I hope you all start feeling better! Yuck. Maybe it was some sort of bug going around.
I LOVE the label! LOVE IT!
Also, I love you!
Love, the future Mrs. Robison.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!! That makes me laugh so much!

August 27, 2010 at 10:30 AM