Orphan Embroidery: Children's Picture Book Characters

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a tendency to make something without a planned outcome. Meaning, I embroider something without a pattern, or project. Many times without even thinking about the size. It's all about the embroidery. Hence I have many pieces, that would be classified by my mom's quilt friends as "orphan blocks." Or they might call them UFOs (UnFinished Objects). LOL

Well, I thought I would share a few of these with you on this hot & muggy, upstate NY, summer day... There is at least a theme for these "orphan blocks", as you may have gleaned from the title of this post: children's picture book characters.

My favorite picture books as a child where the Frances books by Russell & Lillian Hoban (Garth Williams drew the original Frances in the first book, Bedtime for Frances 1960). This is partly because they are great books, with wonderful illustrations, & partly because my middle name is Frances. Other books in the series are A Baby Sister for Frances (1964), Bread and Jam for Frances (1964), A Birthday for Frances (1968), Best Friends for Frances (1969), A Bargain for Frances (1970), Egg Thoughts and Other Frances Songs (1972). They are all still in print (HarperCollins) & can be purchased at any decent children's bookstore.

Frances the badger

The next 2 are both from books by Mo Willems. My daughter loves him! Oh, & there is an exhibit at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art featuring Willems this summer. You should check it out.

Gerald and Piggie 

The embroidered & crayon tinted piece above is based on the beginning reader There's a Bird on Your Head (2007) in which a pair of birds nest on Gerald's (the elephant) head & hatch 3 babies. It is very amusing, especially if you come up with a funny voice for Gerald like I do.


The pigeon below is from the famous Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003) which has fast become a staple in any preschool & public library.If you don't know it, I recommend going to the children's book section & reading it, preferably with a school age child with you or the librarian or bookseller will think you mad... or a teacher.

Pigeon

& finally we have Olivia. She might be upset that I didn't put her as the headliner, but Frances has to be first in my book. Olivia is based on author/ illustrator Ian Falconer's niece of the same name. I love Olivia because she likes clothes, is stubborn, creative, a bit of a daydreamer, & she loves... RED!

Olivia trying on one of her many red dresses

So, now what to do with them? Pillows, wall-hangings, little tote bags? Comment here on on facebook if you have any ideas.