Friday, June 22, 2012

TravelWees pattern available!


Say cheese! *chk-zzh* 

The new TravelWees pattern is now available via download in my Etsy shop!

Did you notice these TravelWees look a lot like my Travel Bugs? Yes, I renamed them because there is a cool geocaching dogtag on the market with the same name. I like the name TravelWee better anyway! It makes them seem maybe Scottish. That blue one looks like he could be a Nac Mac Feegle.


The pattern includes instructions to make what you see, including the poseable TravelWee doll, teeny tiny camera with strap, salad-to-go, and tin liner. It also includes a printable tag for the inside of the tin lid. All designed to fit inside an Altoids® Curiously Strong Mints tin, so young travelers can stow them in pockets and backpacks.

This pattern is for a toy with very small parts and may pose a choking hazard. I would not recommend making it for any globe trotter who is under the age of three.


You can make them seem more girly or more manly depending on the color and thickness of the synthetic shag fur you use. It is pretty fun to style their hair. Jetsam's bright blue hair is very thick, and Flotsam's hair is more wispy.

I recommend using cotton pipe cleaners for their arms and legs. They are available at cigar/pipe shops and also online. They are so soft, have a shorter nap, and seem to be stronger than regular craft pipe cleaners. Though admittedly the color choice is more limited. I did manage to snag a box of IDEAL rainbow assortment off of ebay. But there's always white!


You can use an old map or road atlas to line the Altoid tin. Maybe your hometown or destination city. If you don't have any recyclable maps, decorative paper is also an option.


Here's a closeup of the printable tags, leaves and cameras. I'd love to get shots of TravelWees in exotic locales. I hope you enjoy the pattern!

22 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for sharing this pattern with us! I've been looking forward to it every day since you said you were working on it. It looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. TravelWees in exotic locations? On it! If only they had their cameras... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. These little... um... critters are just too cute!! I can imagine them making a road trip go by a lot faster for any child! I'd love to hear the conversations that might accompany them! :)

    Curiosity got to me, and I had to do a little searching and learned a lot about 'the other' Travel Bugs... interesting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can also see the video on YouTube called DIY travelwee with akasha! She made one just like this and a closet!

      Delete
  4. Oh my! So cute and so much personality! l love them so much!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Flotsam & Jetsam, I love it...have you been reading The Borrowers? These are definitely on the list to make for the next road trip. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh they are wonderful! What a great way to bring even more excitement to a journey to a new location!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Robyn, good thing you have your big one. One by the big statue would be great. Can you have Robert Pattison in there too? Looking really tortured.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Y'all, thanks for your enthusiasm! So glad you like them.

    Candy, made me want to buy a Travel Bug and give it to some stranger at the airport and have them give it to another stranger at an airport and so on and so on. Just to see where it ended up.

    Ann, no haven't been reading the Borrowers. Should I be? I'll look it up!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Travel Wees are cute little fellows to come along on a trip.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is one of the cutest things I have EVER seen! Such a great idea! My little boy goes on a father/son camping trip next week- I think he needs a little mate for the trip!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love these little creatures! Just a thought- if you use cotton pipe cleaners, couldn't you dye them different colors? I wonder...

    ReplyDelete
  12. AAndersen...hmmm...what an intriguing idea. I don't see why not! Hey, test it out and lemme know your results. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  13. Just wanted to share with you all the amazing Wees the girls came up with the day we made them. Your project was a huge success - even though we didn't follow your instructions to a T! Thank you!!!

    http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3841603482000.2151219.1335460844&type=3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I left you a message on facebook. Your TravelWees are very cute.

      Delete
  14. Christel, oh my stars those are so cute! I especially love all the tiny accessories they came up with! The guitar! the balloon! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. So I did a test drive of the Wee pattern today and am thrilled. He is pretty adorable. When all was said and done I realized I skipped the step to tack his arms/legs into place. Just curious...was glue alone not enough? Hoping this little guy stays intact without his stitches.

    Second question...did you try stitching mouth before putting the pieces together? Seems it would work. Hmmmm, I figure you tested it and there is some good reason.

    Now to dress up my tin. Scored a bagful at a garage sale for FREE so this could become a real addiction.

    Thanks so much for offering up the idea for this little cutie!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BchRatz, I certainly hope I got back to you via email. I never tried it with just glue, but I figured the arms and legs would get a good bit of tugging and positioning, so it would be better to tack them in place.
      I preferred to make the mouth afterward because the expression changes when you stuff them, but I'm super picky about that. You could totally do it before you sew him together.
      Thanks a bunch for the great feedback, and *score* on the bag of tins!

      Delete
    2. Where do I find 5mm pony beads???

      Delete
    3. Hey there, I found them at my local craft store (not sure if it was Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or JoAnn. It's been a few years). If you can't find them, sub in 4 mm or 6 mm. :-)

      Delete
  16. I really enjoyed doing this project for 5 out of my 11 grandchildren.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my goodness! Lucky grandkids. So nice to hear that. :-)

      Delete

Hello. Enough about me. Let's hear from you! If you post a question, I answer with a reply comment, so be sure to click the 'notify me' box as you post your question to receive the answer via email. Thanks!