Reconstructing Papa Smurf

Before & After

Today I had intended to sleep all day. When this didn't happen, I had to think about something that would make me happy to get up and start my day. The smurf doll has been on the bookcase opposite my bed since we moved to Brooklyn in November and this morning when I sat up, I decided that nothing would make my day brighter than to reconstruct him. What could be better on a lazy Saturday than re-making smurfs??? What I ask you?!

This smurf has a long history. As many of you know, I grew up with Memere, and she was a constant crafter. She was constantly making stuff, and she taught me how to make stuff. There was a time in the early 80's that she was into toy making, did a bunch of dolls, and did a series of Sesame Street characters as well as some Smurfs. I wanted a Smurf SO BAD. She told me if I wanted one I'd have to make it myself. The pattern is complicated, so I started with a doll, and once I had finished that, I lost interest.

Flash forward 20 years to a couple Christmases ago, when Mem had laid out her whole inventory and told us all to take whatever we wanted. Needless to say, I went for the smurf, and he sat a spell in storage, and he sat a spell on the bookcase until this morning when my project began.

First I cut off his hat, eyes, nose, ears and arms. (I had no need to remove a beard, since my mom had ripped it off that Christmas. She said "I always hated that beard. It looks awful") Memere has 47 grandchildren. She was a toy factory. Needless to say, some of the details fell through the cracks. I had to undo about half of his head in order to get the stuffing out, and found something strange! She had stuffed him with an old cut up quilt! How resourceful that Mem is. So I restuffed him and put him back together, made him a new beard (hopefully mother won't rip it off, though she has already threatened...)

Ahhhh... what a great morning!