This was the first time that I’ve ever been asked to make something based on a picture of a real pet! I ended up purchasing a pattern to use for a French Bulldog, and then adjusted the colours to match the real life dog.

• 1/5 skein Premier Yarns Cotton Fair — a fine weight (2) yarn (colour A: Cream)
• 1/5 skein Premier Yarns Cotton Fair — a fine weight (2) (colour B: Black)
• 10g Loops and Threads Classic FiberFill
• 2 safety eyes (15.00 mm)
• Size E (3.50 mm) hook

Pattern by Keke at YarnSociety

I don’t have a history of using paid patterns on this blog, but I think this one was worth the investment since I wanted to get the details of the breed correct. From the big ears to to the head shape, this pattern did a good job of capturing that. If you have money to buy patterns, it’s definitely a great way to support makers and their small businesses!

I had to sew on the nose for this particular bulldog, as I don’t have any plastic nose pieces yet. I find that having plastic eyes makes a HUGE difference in terms of making the animal looked “finished”, but I haven’t noticed as big of an effect with noses. I might be a little biased, but I think the yarn nose looks pretty darn cute.

Other than that, the only change I made to the pattern was for yarn colour changes, as I wanted to match the real life animal. This is a bit embarrassing, but I definitely I had a hard time keeping my left and right straight as I worked on this dog. I’m not sure what the intended use of this stuffie is, but I love the idea of having a mini version of a pet around. It could be a nice way to keep the memory of a pet alive, or it might be funny to see the way your pet reacts to seeing a little version of itself. Would you consider doing that with your pets?

Until next time, happy crafting!