Book Clubs and Plush Toys
Who wants to join our book club? Who wants handmade stuffed toys?
THIS WEEK:
Reading and sewing
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Getting ready to sew again
WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND? Summer Reading Book Club
BEHIND THE PAY WALL: Summer illustration projects and plushie blueprints when we take you “Back to the Drawing Board”
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In case you’re new here, last summer, I started sewing Buddy plush toys for our paid subscribers. Aside from a few Halloween costumes for our kids in recent years and 8th grade Home Economics, I don’t have much sewing experience.
After fits and starts including taking the sewing machine apart and replacing gears that had been grinded down and inadvertently using embroidery thread in the machine (which apparently is a no-no), it was coming along. I had to put the project aside in September to focus on the new season of our Coffee Lovers’ Christmas greeting card line.
With the recent disappointing news that all JOANN Fabrics locations were being liquidated, it was time to make a decision about whether the in-progress Buddy plush dolls would have a companion.
So on Saturday, I took a trip to JOANN’s and saved 50%-70% off everything.
Here lies my progress thus far on one the Buddy dolls. I’m doing one step at a time in bulk so every doll is at this stage and looks pretty much like this. His pillow is the faux fur that will be used for his beard. The teal fabric options and threads… those are for Romeo.
That’s right. This summer, I’m finishing the Buddy dolls and then making Romeo dolls. Buddy’s design is more complicated so I’m expecting the Romeo dolls to go faster, especially thanks to the sewing experience I’ll have gained once the Buddy dolls are finished. Beyond that, I have ideas for an accessory or two that I’d like to include with each doll that you can then mix or match for play, display, or photography purposes. These dolls will likely begin to monopolize our Instagram account once they’re finished. Scrape that, A.I. Mark.
These dolls will not be for sale. Rather, they will be exclusive to paid subscribers of this Substack. Last summer, I said that only current paid subscribers will have the opportunity to get a Buddy doll. Well, since I didn’t finish and am resuming that work this summer (once the school year has ended), why not maybe do a couple more too? We’re lucky to have gained more subscribers in the past year so we’re extending the offer to you and anyone else who might change their minds.
If you want both a Buddy and a Romeo plush doll, please become a paid subscriber. It’s the only way to get them.
Paid subscriptions are $55 for the year. Given that we post each Wednesday, $55 is $1.06 per weekly post, or $0.15 per day. Another way of looking at it is that you get two unique, individually handmade dolls for about $20 each, $10 for individually handmade accessories, and on top of that, $5 gets you additional weekly bonus comics, commentary, and a look behind the scenes. We hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber and take advantage of this one last opportunity to give your very own Buddy and Romeo stuffed toys a home.
If you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you. Your Buddy dolls are already in progress and your orders for accompanying Romeo dolls are now also in place. I’m excited for more sewing adventures this summer (all of which will be documented here) and to finally see both toys brought to life.
We recommend joining us for the start of a Buddy and Romeo book club this summer!
No, seriously.
The club has nothing to do with Buddy and Romeo. They’re excluded from their own club! How fitting. It would just be amongst us (authors and subscribers - premium paid subscribers and free subscribers alike). Since the poll is anonymous, send us a DM or let us know in the comments if you’re interested in joining and what your book preference may be.
Here’s what we’re looking at for summer reading…
Emma by Jane Austen
Frega has read Emma and this is her well-worn annotated copy. I’ve never read it but am familiar with the plot and characters thanks to film and children’s literature adaptations.
Welcome to Pawnee: | Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation by Jim O’Heir
Parks and Recreation is one of our favorite television comedies and one of our favorite television programs in general. Looking forward to this first person behind-the-scenes narrative by the actor who played Jerry/Larry/Gary.
The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
I got a head start on this one last week. Everyone knows Winnie-the-Pooh and the rest of the Hundred Acre Wood characters and even though this is my sister’s childhood copy and it’s been in my possession for the past 20-odd years, I’ve never read it. I read chapter one aloud to our eldest child one night last week. We were delighted by the humor of Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet’s dialogue. Eeyore was so snarky with everyone! Positively delightful!
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
When we were dating, for our first summer together, we planned to read The Taming of the Shrew together. Frega bought us twin copy editions but for one reason or another, we never got around to it.
Thirteen years later, we’re going to read the play. First we have to find our books though! She thinks hers is in her library (I couldn’t find it) and I thought mine was on my bookshelf (I couldn’t find that either). Maybe it’s in storage someplace. The photo for this post was taken from Frega’s 2,364 page copy of The GLOBE Illustrated Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Annotated edited by Howard Staunton.
Join us behind the paywall for another comic, summer plans and a look behind the scenes our our blueprint drawings for both plushie dolls. If you want both dolls, please consider becoming a paid subscriber as the toys are exclusive to paid subscribers.
If you’re enjoying yourself at Buddy and Romeo’s expense so far, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. You’ll get exclusive comics and commentaries; behind-the-scenes drawings and project developments; and access to this entire Substack archive. Plus, the more coffee we drink, the more we’ll create.
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