Squid 3: The Reckoning

I made another squid. I'm sort of wishing I hadn't, because these things are a bastard to do (although hopefully now I've made a couple of pattern modifications, future ones might not be)

This was a commission for a friend of a friend as a present for his wife, so the first drama was working out what to charge (I didn't want it to be too cheap because that devalues the work of other people, but at the same time, I didn't want to over charge); in the end we agreed on £40 + fabric.

The fleece is from Calico Laine, who were excellent when I rang them about 15 minutes before they closed on a Saturday because for some reason their website doesn't have a button to order a sample of their red fleece. I'd ordered samples from them and Minerva, because I had a sneaking suspicion that both stores were selling the same colour (although the Minerva orange was up on the website as a paler peach colour, and that was what had been requested). Turns out I was right (another case of the dodgy photography on Minerva at times) but thankfully the brighter orange was acceptable.

It was cut without hassle, and then I confess it sat in a dishwasher tablet tub for about 3 weeks because I got distracted by other projects. (I had been given about 3 months to get it made, so it wasn't a massive hurry)

Squid in a tub!

The tentacles, as ever, were a pain in the backside, the first pair I made wouldn't even turn right side out at the narrowest point, so I ended up cutting a second pair with an extra half an inch on them. They don't have quite the same definition on them, but they turned and were stuffable without issue.
I spent a pleasant evening stuffing them and watching TV.

The fins are a pain only in as much as you stuff them and then stitch them closed, which is a bit fiddly.
The other issue I had was that once again I ended up with the contrast colour of the tentacles facing out. This is an issue with the way I read and understand the instructions, and so I've changed the instructions.
I unpicked the tentacles and redid them correctly, attached the two main parts together, and then took it to work for a couple of days while I hand stitched the tentacles neatly down.

Super neat tentacles

Then I ladder stitched the plug piece in, and sewed the eyes on, and voila. Squid three was done.

Squid auditioning for a role in Evangelion

I meant to pose it at my desk, but lunch break is never long enough

Squid in a bag!

People at work were muchly impressed, and it was handed over on Friday to much joy. And facebook pictures of it eating the cat's brains.

I'm not doing another of these any time soon. And my sewing machine badly needs a service now.