Pattern Review: Annie's Penguin (Valentine's Day Version)

Do you know a penguin lover?  Do you need a Valentine's Day gift idea?  I have a pattern for you that you are going to love...

Can you stand these guys?  Soft and cuddly, any penguin lover will appreciate this handmade gift oh so much.

Valentine's day is 2 weeks away, and this little guy may just make that special someone smile a little brighter.

I came up with the idea to make something penguin related for my 8 year old since she is studying penguins in school right now.  I did a search on Google and came across this adorable pattern for Annie's Penguin by Gingercake.

Needless to say I was thrilled when I saw that she was offering a sale on the pattern, and even more delighted when I found out she was offering a Valentine's Day version too!  This version changes the belly to a heart and adds the option of a hat too!

Gingercake offers the modification instructions on her blog HERE.  And the pattern is on sale for $5.00 this week HERE.

I made two of these guys - one for each of my daughters... they are going to squeal with delight when they wake up with these cuties in their bed Valentine's Day morning!

But I digress...I know you want to hear about the pattern.....

WHAT I LOVED:
Honestly, everything about this pattern was a joy.  It was super easy - anyone that is comfortable with their sewing machine and zigzag stitches will enjoy this project.  The directions are well written and the photos are great.

These two guys were completed in a couple of hours.  No stress, no frustration - just a pleasurable sew!

WHAT I DID'T LIKE:
Nothing!  Really - I was very pleased with this pattern purchase!

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Gingercake recommends cotton for the main body and flannel for the belly.  I went with minky for the belly because I find minky softer and just more "lovey" if that makes sense.  Use whatever you like...but know there are options!  I would recommend that you DO NOT make the main body in flannel though.  Some flannels tend to fray more easily than others and with all that zig zagging, you may end up with a penguin who shreds apart with too much handling!

If you choose to make the Valentine's Day version, make sure that you print the pdf correctly... no matter what I tried, mine came out smaller than the original version, and since I wanted a larger penguin I finally decided to make the modification myself.  It was easy enough to do, but just be aware that the Valentine's Day version may print out a tad smaller than the regular version.

I also chose to use buttons for the eyes.  I think it gives the penguins a bit more dimension - but I have older kids, if you are giving this to someone under the age of 4, you will probably want to stick with appliqué eyes.

I wish I had the time to make the hat...I just don't have the luxury of time these days, but maybe I'll get to it before Valentine's day...we'll see....but if you have the time, why not add it on?  It's so cute!

Ok...have I said enough?    You have two weeks to get your sew on!  Go!