Hot Air Balloon

I think this is going to be my last make for this year and I cannot be more happier with it. Some projects are very addictive, once you start, you simply cannot stop until it's done. This Hot Air Balloon by Louise Papas (that is available at Cosy Project) is just that. When I saw this pattern, I knew I had to make it for my Little One and I was so right. He could not wait for me to finish it and kept asking me over and over again if it was ready yet.

He patiently waited until the end of the day and once it was finished, we had an adventure. Our Hot Air Balloon went all around the world from room to room and our little travellers the Bunny and the Mouse had so much fun exploring the world from high above. "Whoosh! Whoosh!" went my Little One swinging the balloon from side to side and navigating through the clouds.

Then some other animals and little people wanted to get onboard, but the balloon was too high and there was no way they could get in. So using bamboo skewers and some hemp cord, we made a rope ladder in pretty much no time at all. It can be easily taken off, there is a small button hidden inside the basket, so now anyone can climb aboard of our balloon.

This pattern is meant to be a mobile, but it also makes a wonderful soft toy for a child of any age. Ours is hanging on the back of a chair next to the dining table at the moment and it looks adorable. The instructions call for a foam ball to be placed inside the balloon, but I unexpectedly got so excited making it that I simply did not have time to run to the craft store. I used soft fill and it's absolutely fine, it is nice to cuddle and carry around and also it is light enough to be hung. I used three wonderful prints from the Greatest Adventures collection by Natalie Lymer for the balloon and for the basket I used one of the prints from the Storybook collection by Kate & Birdie.

The only problem I have with this toy is that it is quite tricky to take a photo of. :-) I spent so much time trying to do it with the big camera, but the light, the angle and the background were just not good enough and since I was under the pressure of my Little One wanting to have his toy back, I decided to use my phone instead. So the photos are not that great, but I absolutely love this Hot Air Balloon! It really is a fun make suitable even for a beginner sewist.

You can find the pattern for the Hot Air Balloon on the Cosy Project website that has a wonderful collection of patterns featuring different techniques and suitable for makers of all levels.

Wishing you all, my Dear Friends, a wonderful last few days of this year and a very Happy, Healthy and Creative New 2018 Year! With lots of love and warm wishes, Larisa xox