I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and have great plans for ringing in the New Year tonight. (Just so you know great plans can include going to bed early and greeting the new year well rested!) Will, Julius and I celebrated “Lancaster Christmas” yesterday. “Lancaster Christmas” is the one in which Santa shows up 6 days late bearing toys for Julius and lottery tickets and way too much half-priced candy for the adults. Boy is Santa running behind (or he was just being frugal)! We had a great time opening presents, despite a small disagreement between Dany and Julius over a stuffed llama that Dany received from Santa. Poor Dany! She pouted the rest of the day. Julius and Dany really are like a pair of siblings!
Speaking of Dany, you may have noticed that she was sporting a fancy new lightsaber toy on the back of our Christmas card! Well I made that lightsaber for her before I took the photo and I think it was a hit! Since the photo shoot it has been torn in half and its insides have been removed. That is the highest praise you can get with a dog toy! If you want to make one yourself the instructions are below. I used all scrap fabric and recycled components for mine, making it effectively free.
Lightsaber Dog Toy
- 1 sq foot of thick grey fabric
- 1/3 yard of 20″ or wider fabric in purple
- 1/3 yard of 20″ or wider iridescent shimmer fabric (optional, but makes it look neat)
- 1 party size potato chip bag
- Squeaker
- Stuffing
- The handle pattern here – note it is zipped, please unzip the .pes file before using.
- Take your thick grey fabric and embroider the handle pattern above using a 5″x8″ hoop.
- Cut around the embroidery to form an 8″x10″ square (the center line will be parallel to the short 8″ edge.
- Fold in half with the right side inside and stitch along the long edge.
- Using the scrap fabric leftover from the handle, cut out a 3″ diameter circle.
- Pin the circle (right side facing in) to end of the handle (closer to the shorter, thicker stripes). Stitch.
- Turn right side out, stuff with stuffing and a squeaker and set aside.
- Take your iridescent fabric and your purple fabric and cut two 20″x5″ piece of each.
- Place the iridescent fabric pieces are sandwiched inside the two pieces of purple fabric.
- Pin along the long end of the rectangle,over the end of the lightsaber and back down the other side, curving at the top. Stitch.
- Turn right side out and stuff with the potato chip bag.
- Hand stitch the handle to the purple saber.
- Remember this is a dog toy that is meant to be destroyed so don’t worry about getting it perfect.
