Dear Liza,
After I had made Elephante’s new tummy, I had to figure out how to get it back in. Some of the seams didn’t seem to match, and there were weird bulges in unexpected places. It took several hours to get it right.
Meanwhile, there was the old stuffing to deal with. Looking on youtube, I discovered that the best way to wash stuffing is to sew it up inside a pillow case and toss it in the washer! So I did, then put it in the dryer on a low setting.
Once it felt dry, we started going through the clumps of clean fluff and pulling them into smaller, fluffier bits of fluff. This took hours (oh my aching Grandma Back!) and filled FIVE grocery sacks! Since some of the fluff was still damp, we put them near the fireplace to finish drying. Mouse kept guard.
Auntie Bridgett suggested putting a heart on Elephante, because you love him. But instead of on his chest, you wanted the heart on his foot. So that is where it is.
Finally, it was time to put the newly built Elephante and his newly washed insides back together. You did a good job making sure all the parts got stuffed just right. It was fun to see our old friend come back to life!
AND, somewhere in the middle of all this, we made a bow tie for our elephantine friend! Since his new tummy looks like a vest, it only seemed fitting.
At last, he was done. He is smoother, way cleaner, and ready for your next big adventure.
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 