Donna Says

On her blog Donna says

I make stuff. All kinds of stuff, but always something fun. I take pictures, I sew soft toys, I make buttons...you never know just what I'm gonna come up with next....

This month the EtsyBlogger team is featuring the work and blog of Donna Pool. From hand stitched plush to digital photography this shop has an amazing range of things for you to enjoy.

My favorite photo?


For this girl with Kansas roots it is her windmill photos that remind me of Grandma's farm outside of Dodge City. Take a look at her shop and find your own favorite.

Puzzling Fun

Think of my shop as a place where you can find something traditional...with a twist! All my soft toys and Christmas ornaments are very child-safe and every stitch is made by hand (I don't use a sewing machine).

As a knitter, crocheter and hand quilter I enjoy the peacefulness of stitches coming from my hands one after another. I admire and feel connected to others who create fabric or fiber arts the same way. This kind of work, done without machines is what you find in the puzzle balls that come from the shop of Donna Pool.

As you can see here the process starts with the hand sewing of the triangular pieces. Part of the fun must be designing the color scheme for each ball.

The three sections above make up the ball.

At the end you have a colorful, washable piece of fun crafted completely by hand. By going to Donna's shop you can see more of these puzzle balls. As I write this there are a couple of these done as Christmas ornaments you may want to snap up for next year. Larger ones can be made as toys for children. The littlest ones I am sure would just love chewing on them and the older ones can be proud of themselves for mastering the puzzle.