I’ve been sewing since my mom taught me as a pre-teen, but I really fell back in love with it during COVID - starting with quilts. After making way too many quilts for one household, I wanted something smaller (but still fun), so I tried sewing a plushie.

My very first one was a giraffe and even though it was very ugly, had one ear backwards, and couldn't stand up, I was still amazed by the magic of turning flat fabric into something 3D that could sit on my desk and be carried around.

Within a few months I had about ten giraffes piled up on our living room couch, and my then-boyfriend (now husband) asked, “So what are you going to do with all of this?”

...