Where'd the Funky Monkeys go?

We've been going a bit crazy around here: new fridge, no AC (STILL), and several hat orders.

Really, did you think these guys were fun or what? Well, truthfully, I was in love with mine. He spent many a sleepless night wrapped up next to my little neck. We shared a few bike rides with his tail knotted around my handlebars too.

A customer of mine decided, having been a sock monkey owner once herself, she should spread the love and asked for a blanket and bib set.

OK, so I should have used the same white fabric for the bib as I did the blanket but I just thought the fluffy fleece was SO comfy for a blanket and the chenille, so... washable for the drools.

I had fun with this set.
The weather is still amazingly hot, I am still pregnant and I am still wearing water balloons around the ankles to entertain my other children.
I am very disappointed I haven't received any snow balls in the over night delivery from any of you! LOL !

Work in Progress- More than what's on the craft table

I know I've been bad about posting, not a good start for a newby, but really I have REASONS...
Last week I received a request for a hat to match a ready made jacket.


"SURE! What fun!" said I. Immediately images of hat designs sketched onto my brain's whiteboard. I was pretty much given generous free reign too, "Feel free to go wild. Make it whimsical." I usually get a bit leary when I read these words from customers. There have been times in the past when I've had more ideas than my customers could handle and they back out after I've already spent much time and effort planning their request. But this customer has been an absolute dream! I can't believe how nice she is! I went ahead , started templates and this is the week I've had.
I made a template out some thinner, lower quality fleece I've been saving for just this purpose. It turned out so cute, I decided to make it into its own project (ya know ya never have enough of those hangin' around.) I then plunged into some white, velourish fleece that was OH! SO SOFT. I mean this stuff was just indescribably plush. I knew she'd have to love this stuff!
Weeeeelllll, I should have realized right then I was going to need to alter the thin fleece's pattern for this "poke-me-in-belly-HeeHee" thick marshmallow fabric.
That dern hat came out like a helmet. I couldn't decide where to go from there. My creative muses left along with our AC. It shook me out of bed in the morning. I just knew one of those black hawk military helicopters we see had landed on the roof. Nope, just an AC fan off its mount. How timely, what with us being in the middle of a heat wave with temps over a 100 each day. My eggs were fried. (Remember, I am just soooo pregnant at the moment??? Not good to have fried egg temps.) My son who is my four year old model for all outfits male or female (the therapy I'll have to pay for later...) was not pleased with me smacking this muffy helmet on his burred head and telling him, "Now don't move or you'll sweat in it!"
He dealt with the hot humiliation by making faces for the camera as I played with various layouts for the "hat." He had to make it clear for all time how much he did not volunteer, in all his boyhood, to go along with this.
I emailed my sister back and forth furiously getting her opinion on various layouts.

I gathered up what female cajones I could muster and cut through the fleecy layers to make the darn thing less appealing to NASA. Two serger needles later, we began to see the light as the cap evolved (no pics, too hot.) But it was happening.

Tassles from the ear flaps and crown, flowers to match those of the jacket and some hand stitched embellishing... we are homeward bound.
I will post a finished picture later, but right now I've got to go find the window unit somewhere in the barn. It's 8:30am and the fridge has decided it needed to joined the AC and complete its dying process; its been working on it for a few months. Its voiding all over the floor again. Guess we'll just have to keep cool with the frozen turnips.
If anyone has any snowballs left in their freezers, could you overnite them this way????
Update: finished photos, think I'll leave the forehead of it blank? I love it as it is!