Week: 12
Challenge/New Experience: Make a sock monkey
This week I decided to stretch my craft skills a little bit and take on a sewing project. I have not sewed since I was in a home ec class in the fifth grade, so I decided it would be best to start off really simple. What could be simpler than a sock monkey? A much-beloved classic toy, and one that’s always been a little bit of an inside joke here with me, myself & I.
They’re pretty simple to make. I found lots of instructions online. The first step is getting the right pair of socks, namely Rockford Red-Heeled Socks, which you can get right here at AmazingSocks.com.
The socks come with instructions for making the sock monkey, so I got myself a little sewing kit and I went to town. More instructions and pictures after the jump.
You need one pair of socks to make the sock monkey. I hedged my bets and bought two pairs, but I didn’t need the extra. First step, make a cut in the sock where the legs will go:
Then you turn it inside out and sew it up, leaving a little hole in the monkey’s crotch, which will allow you to turn it right-side in again. The other sock can be used to cut out the arms, tail and mouth, and then those need to be sewed up also:
And then the stuffing begins. Now, at this point, I was pretty rock solid. My sewing was a little on the pathetic side (I don’t have a sewing machine, so this is all hand-stitched), but since it was all inside seams, it didn’t matter much. Here’s all the stuffed pieces, prior to assembly:
Then it was time for the assembly, and here’s where things got a little ragged. As you can see from the finished product, I didn’t measure anything. This is all “by eye” only. So he’s a little uneven:
I spent a lot of my “Early Riser” morning time to finish him up. This morning I stabbed myself about 80 times with the needle and decided I was all done with sewing. So I just glued on his eyes and ears:
As I said — a little ragged. But he’s all hand made! Not everyone has a hand-sewn sock monkey!
Related posts:
The last picture isn’t showing up. But I think he looks great!
Whoops! Fixed.
That is just wonderful. Who cares if he’s a little ragged, he’s home-made! Have you given him a name? Or – is it a girl monkey? (oh, no, you said “he” above.)
Anyway, well done, nice surprise, my favorite so far.
Three Hucklebug mascots now!!
Yikes ! the sock monkey is surely getting around now….Is it alive?????