On the heels of welcoming in 2011, this blog has come up on one year old (celebratory post to come). I’ve got many exciting plans for the blog and for my crafting in general during the coming year, but for a moment I’d like to reflect on how much can be learned in 12 months of experiments and constant Google searches. How many glue stains old carpet can hide, how many fabric scraps one attic can contain, how much sawdust can be made in the living room without the boyfriend flipping out.
This is all a poetic and hand-on-heart way of explaining that this bonus post is an excuse for me to gleefully show off a project I’ve been working on for about a week. It’s something I couldn’t possibly have done a year ago, and thus a great milestone marker of how much I’ve learned in 12 months. And it reminds me how many stitches I’ve pulled out over those months. Probably enough to reach across a province or two, at least.
I’ve recently started making plushies. Some turn out better than others, but it’s always a joy to create cuddly and adorable objects. Unrelated (mostly, but I’m working on that) to crafting, I’ve also been playing a lot of Magic in the last few months. Naturally, I’ve been thinking up ways to bring these two interests together.
Plushies are cute and cuddly. Most creatures in MtG are not (much to my dismay, since I very much want to play a deck full of badgers and water voles and rabbits, and anyone who’s read the Redwall books knows full well that they would kick ass). But Myr… they’re pretty cute. Perilous Myr especially, with their inquisitive faces and little round bodies pumping pollutants into a hazy green atmosphere. Thus:
Introducing the plush Perilous Myr. His stats are as follows:
- Height when standing: 13 inches
- Height when sitting: 10 inches
- Length from nose tip to back of head: 6 inches
- Length (across) of body (round part, not including arms & legs): 6 inches
- Materials: felt, wool, polyfil, thread, wire
- Time required for construction: a lot*
*This took so many days because I kept having to re-do things as I worked out the pattern. I drafted the pattern for his legs 5 separate times, actually made 3 of them before finding one that worked and took two apart with a seam ripper trying to reconfigure them along the way. On the other hand, this made the arms much simpler.
I also had the body sewn and stuffed before realizing I’d forgotten to add the green details on the front. So out came the seam ripper again.
His legs and arms are ball jointed (a technique I learned for this project), but with needle felted wool balls instead of wood or plastic ones. This makes him lighter, as well as softer and more cuddly/squishy.
His fingers are felt wrapped around wire, meaning that they’re bendable, poseable and can actually hold on to things. Like, for example, Magic cards. He plays a Myr deck, naturally.
His back was a bit of a pain since it’s hard to see much of it from the card, or tell exactly what the heck is back there. I basically attached several “pipes” and a halo-like arch, both of which are in evidence on the card. I may add to this in my next Perilous Myr iteration, as I do think it needs to come up a bit higher and look like more of a load.
The next guy will also have green around the base of his neck, something I forgot until I’d already sewn the head on this time round. I may alter the head shape slightly as well, making it a bit more oblong.
All in all, I frankly think he turned out pretty well. I learned a bunch of new stuff about plushie-making from this guy, which I’ll carry forward to my next project. For now, though, he’s pretty anxious to play some Magic.
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Note: I am pleased beyond measure to report that WotC has posted about this little guy on the Daily MtG!
GeekDoc
/ January 17, 2011Beautiful! I want one!
Do you plan to sell these at all?
(I’m a real MTG Timmy)
Mom
/ January 17, 2011Since you forgot the green ring around the neck, why not just make a detachable collar instead? Oh, and about those ball joints: you have now officially sewn something that I do not know how to do. You’ll have to teach me.
Zak
/ January 17, 2011OMG I WANT ONE! I will pay you to make one!!!!!!
Angie
/ January 17, 2011If you end up selling these I def want one!
admin
/ January 17, 2011GeekDoc: I do plan to sell this guy at some near point, as well as others yet to be made, and I hope they’ll find good, Magic-loving homes. I’ll have to warn you, though, that these guys are very labour intensive and the price will be high.
Mom, that’s very gratifying to hear. :D It’s pretty simple and I’m sure you could work it out yourself from the pictures, but sure, I’ll take the opportunity to actually teach my own mother something about crafting.
Noah
/ January 17, 2011I’ve been thinking for a long time of designing and making plushies/beenbag toys in chibi/simplified versions of some of the more recognized planeswalkers. Would you be interested in possibly designing some of these? (e-mail me)
Fox
/ January 17, 2011i must say kudos! i also want to give one to my girlfriend and prove to her that magic can be cute and cuddly ^_^
BlastFusion
/ January 17, 2011I would love to have a Myr made for me. Perhaps not a Perilous one but maybe another one. Keep me posted as prices become more apparent.
Luvrobeer
/ January 17, 2011when you do plan on making these please send me a email with the price and if you have any other designs… I’ll pay good money for one of these bad ass cutsies… Yes I just used a semi made up word.
Luvrobeer
/ January 17, 2011Also you can just Email me a I_know_u73@hotmail
Chris Angelico
/ January 17, 2011Of all the Myr to make cute and cuddly, you picked Perilous. That says something… but I’m not sure what.
This is somewhat epic. I lol’d. :) Great rendition!
Tegan
/ January 17, 2011Unbelievably adorable- I’m a fan of Myrs and this was the first one I pulled :) Your talents amaze me once again!
I hope he goes to a very loving home too ^^
admin
/ January 18, 2011Fox: Of course Magic stuff can be cuddly! Just, y’know, also deadly. :)
BlastFusion and Luvrobeer: I will certainly keep you posted. Also check back here or follow me on Twitter (@Tally_LRR or @TallysTreasury) for the most current updates.
Jamie
/ January 18, 2011i would also pay for one! email me at [email protected] when u have it all figured out :)
Jason Felix
/ January 18, 2011This came out great and really flattered you liked the Perilous Myr illustration to create the plush. Well done!
-J
Greg
/ January 18, 2011So cute! Now, make a Myr Battlesphere with individually detachable Myr. :)
And very cool to see the card’s artist comment.
admin
/ January 18, 2011Thanks Jason! Glad you like the plushie and thanks so much for coming by to comment! Your illustration really is adorable. But, um, in a dark and badass way, of course.
Greg: Uh huh. I’ll get right on that. Give me several months, ok? ;)
It would be pretty neat, though…
Dex
/ January 18, 2011I had a good giggle with you commenting on how much you can get away with with your boyfriend.
he is adorable! I do not play magic but if you can make characters like him cute and adorable I may get into it just to get creative.
Naomi
/ January 18, 2011Do you happen to have any patterns/more detailed instructions for making it? This would be the cutest thing to make ever :D
Pedro Guazzelli
/ January 18, 2011I want one!
Shannon (aka thelollipopdragon)
/ January 18, 2011You my dear have some crazy awesome talent. I bow down before your awesome awesomeness.
Jon
/ January 18, 2011I love it!! If you plan on making and selling more, I would suggest selling the patterns. I for one would love to purchase them. :)
Guerdon
/ January 18, 2011loved the comments as well as the blog — and of course, the plushie itself. I can imagine a collectible line of myr plushies — with the giant battleshpere as the biggest of them all. :) thanks for posting. great work. :)
David Brannon
/ January 18, 2011Cool, I must say that I think you have found your vocation. Clearly there is a market for plush magic, its like Pokemon but oif course much much better.
Again, once you have a price let me know by posting on a site. My car is need of something funky :)
TA
/ January 19, 2011This is really cool :) ill take a playset plz lol!
admin
/ January 19, 2011Thanks everyone for your kind words!
To answer a couple of questions: I will certainly inform people when any of my Myr plushies go up for sale.
I will also see about doing a blog post on how to make your own, for those with the patience. :) That may take a while though, as I have several other posts planned first, and I need to perfect the pattern before posting a tutorial for it.
ichi ichi
/ January 19, 2011Cute! Maybe I play Plush Magic after this! :-D
Alexander
/ January 20, 2011Hey there Tally,
I rediscovered your blog via MagicTheGathering.com, having previously found it via LRR. The myr plushie is delightful, and I burned through the archives too.
Your crafts really add to the videos, I’m glad you are willing to groan and put up with it when your time is claimed.
I’d love a cycle of the mana myr (e.g. Iron Myr) though I think the original art would be better suited.
Also, I’m going to try my hand at the book handbag, and the Magic card baubles look fun too.
Travis Froggatt
/ January 20, 2011There’s an even cuter & moar adorable Myr:
Brass Squire
http://www.wizards.com/magic/tcg/article.aspx?x=mtg/tcg/mirrodinbesieged/spoiler#
I’d love to have one of those!
admin
/ January 21, 2011Good call! I will definitely be trying my hand at one of those.
Doug S.
/ January 22, 2011That is adorable!
trebane
/ January 22, 2011Niiiice. I hope you develop more MtG-related plushies. Whilst the perilous myr isn’t exactly my favorite, I’d probably snatch up a plush Nissa or a squirrel. http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29979
Manta
/ January 23, 2011This is the cutest mtg-related thing I’ve ever seen. I wish I could get into making plushies but I already have too many hobbies haha
I’d totally pay for one :)
Jessan
/ January 28, 2011hey i was wondering if i could pay you for one or if you could make me a template of it please and that you :)
MTGirl
/ February 13, 2011Wow! You made that cute myr?! I’d love to have one. Do you sell it on your online store? Or would you send me one for free. Hehe. Just a wishful thinking. :D
Griffin
/ February 16, 2011I absolutely love this. please keep me informed when you are to put these on sale i would love to be a shopper of these plushies.
Thomas
/ March 1, 2011I will buy one from you just name your price! $30-60 tops. And can you like make me a Myr Battlesphere? I would pay more for that but I really want this one.
most amazing idea ever
/ March 27, 2011most amazing idea ever
Corrine
/ May 21, 2011I hope you make one of the alloy myr now, he’s even cuter!
anymous
/ July 7, 2011Hyalopterous Lemure cute fuzzy should be a plush toy!
Cymbaoth
/ July 25, 2011I am more than willing to buy some. If you make these for sale, I want a full set (4).
Seth Pine
/ March 8, 2012Hello. I was curious about the Perilous Myr. Idk how much you know about MtG but I’m using a deck which has x4 of him and he never dies because he is resummoned from the graveyard. I read the articles and acknowledge the labor required for it. I know this is a slim shot but figured it was worth making an inquiry. Thanks for reading.
Tally
/ March 9, 2012Sorry Seth, I’m not certain what you’re asking exactly. I do know about the Perilous Myr’s functionality, which is part of why I like him so much – I ran 4 of him in a fun artifact deck I built once that used used Voltaic Key, Mirrorworks and Steel Overseer to create armies of artifact tokens and then pump the bajeezus out of them, though of course Perilous is good pretty much anywhere. But anyway, I digress.
If your question is whether there are any Perilous Myr up for sale, the answer is not at the moment, but I do have another one partially made that I will at some point finish and list in my Etsy store, and of course special orders for such things can be made. I charge $150 plus shipping for a plush Perilous Myr like this (well, almost like this – I made a slightly updated and improved version which you can see here: http://nheilke.com/blog/2011/03/the-new-improved-perilous-myr-plushie-bonus-post/).
If your question is whether the pattern is available so that you can make your own, the answer is no, not at the moment. I did say at one point that I would post the pattern and tutorial, and I haven’t entirely given up on that idea but it’s a lot of work that I simply haven’t had time for between everything else. It may still happen someday, though.
If your question is neither of those things, then I have failed utterly to understand it, and I ask you to ask it again in some other way that I will grasp.
:) Thanks!