Land Ahoy Shipmates!

What's a Pirate's favourite shop to shop at?

Arrrrrrr-gos!

That's my son's favourite joke at the moment, or it's the only one he can remember. But it works well for a pirate mad six year old and he gets a few giggles from it, which is more than can be said for some of his made up jokes...

We recently decided to build him a new bed in his room as he had outgrown his Ikea toddler bed, and as his room was so small, we thought a mid-sleeper might offer him best use of space. So my clever hubbie set to while we went swanning off to visit my parents for a few days over the holidays. When we returned he had a new bed! Ta da! But... he needed some sort of curtain to make the bottom half into a den. This is where I come in...

Now, I thought to myself, what sort of curtain would a pirate crazy little boy like in his room? I know... an applique pirate ship - I'm sure I can do that... how hard can it be? Says me... never having appliqued anything in my life before.

So I toddle down to Hobby Craft and buy a shed load of felt, I google how to make tab tops and I find a old cot sheet that happens to be pretty much the perfect size for the gap we need to cover and then I began.

And I made this little fella...

So proud was I to have made him, I decided to make more, and you know what? I really really enjoyed it. Who knew applique could be such fun? And felt... what a marvel - it doesn't fray so you don't need to worry about sewing some fancy zig zag stitch all the way around. And it is so easy to cut and shape.

I bought some leather looky likey material too for the top edge of the ship - which also does not fray - hurrah!

And some hessian for the ship - which frays like mad... (not so hurrah).

Had great fun buying bits and bobs to make it more textured, like the feather for the parrot's tale and the buttons for the pirates coats, and the polystyrene rings for the portholes.

I learnt a lot making it. And had a lot of fun. And when Louis grows out of Pirates, we can make a new one with a different theme. I hope he wants space or something inspiring, am already thinking up how I could applique spaceships and stars...  might be a little tricky if he gets heavily into tupperware or stamp collecting! 

Here is the finished article... my son is delighted... at last something for him - not just girls dresses for his big sister... ha ha... or should I say....oooo arrr!