Interview with Ann of AMP Designs

Fri, October 16 2009

Ann of AMP Designs on Etsy was gracious enough to sponsor a FiddleFoot review and do an interview with me. How cool is that? Of course, she does more than just make FiddleFoots even if that’s the part of her life I fell in love with. ;) Following are some questions I posed, her answers and even a few pictures of FiddleFoots.

I absolutely love your FiddleFoots designs but have to admit they vaguely remind me of something? What was your inspiration for these critters?

I wanted something new in my shop and started with a simple puff ball of fur….too simple and a dime a dozen! I then added a smaller version of feet from the Bonta Kun custom order I had done for a customer. I then would sit and let each plushie inspire me on what “they” wanted to become.

Everyone who has volunteered questions has asked why you named them FiddleFoots, so why did you?

It actually started with an old expression my mother used to say….it always started “Quit your fiddley-fartin’ around….”. One day I said it to my kids out of the blue, which made them roar with laughter! In looking up the origin of that expression, I came across other words, one of which was fiddlefoot. It was then decided that I would use that as the base name, and of course I would make FiddleFarts as part of the family :)

What was your first FiddleFoot like? Why did you make it? (And if you have a picture, I’d love to post it) Do you still have it?

The first FiddleFoot was a standing version in pink and orange. It had beans in its feet. I felt it was too clumsy and immediately changed the design to a sitting version. I do still have it (I will get a picture later and send it if I can find where it is stored). Why did I make it? Sometimes I just need to create something new and will grab whatever material I am working with at the time. Occasionally something such as a TV program will spark an idea (I recently watched a program on box Jellyfish, which inspired my newest line of plush, coming hopefully soon!)

Have you made any improvements/major changes to the FiddleFoots since then?

I am always looking to improve my items. The only real change I made from the original “first” FiddleFoot was to make it able to sit with its feet out in front of it. I am thinking it would be nice to add an applique to the bottom of one or both feet eventually, but haven’t tried it yet.

How many have you made in total?

I have made about 60 FiddleFoot Family friends in total. Sometimes just the color will change, but other times they will be completely different.

What spurred the decision to make each FiddleFoot unique?

I get bored making the same items over and over. I would break up the monotony by creating a new FiddleFoot in between orders for Grumbelly Monsters! It was just the ticket to “reboot my system”.

What is the process, from design to completion, for each FiddleFoot and how long does it take? (If you had a pic of the process, it’d be great)

I tend to work on my items in stacks. I cut out all of the pieces in many colors first. Then I machine sew the parts I can and get them trimmed, turned right-side out, and stuffed. Once I have a box of bodies and a box of feet I start the final assembly. The finishing touches are all done by hand.

Out of all your projects (FiddleFoots, characters, Grumbelly Monsters, etc), is there any which is dearer to your heart?

The Grumbelly Monsters will always be dearest to my heart because I created them for my sons when they were very young. They loved monsters and the stores didn’t seem to have any available back then. I loosely based it on the one from the Bugs Bunny cartoons

Is there anyone who helps you with ideas, making your projects or coming up with descriptions?

My family is always great to bounce ideas off of! When I get particularly busy my kids will help trim, turn and stuff my items, but all of the detail work is done by me alone.

Who do you think is the perfect owner for a FiddleFoot?

I think there is a FiddleFoot Friend to suit just about anyone! The world has such a beautiful variety of people, personalities and styles. I have made FiddleFoots based on school mascots, nationality, color variety, animals….you name it! The FiddleFarts seem to be the favorite of children, though….what child doesn’t think a fart is the funniest and best sound ever?! LOL!

Thank you, once more, for participating in this interview!

Since my original giveaway post, Ann has added more FiddleFoots and Jellyfishes to her Etsy shop. Check them out; there’s a purple bat perfect for Halloween! Check back fora review of one Ferris FiddleFoot in the coming days as well.