Ami's Amazing Puzzle Ball

I decided to make Ami's Amazing Puzzle balls for the birthday girl.  This pattern is by Ami Simms and can be found here:
http://www.amisimms.com/puzzleball.html

I have to say this pattern is one of the very best I've followed.  The directions were very clear, with pictures and precise instructions.  Once again, I'm stepping out of my box here and making a three dimensional, non-quilt item!  I was so pleased with the pattern and instructions I think I need to email Ami and tell her what a great job she did :)

This is the first one I made and it is size large.  There are four sizes: small, medium, large and extra-large.  I made two smalls, two larges and three medium sized balls.  I gave the birthday girl one of each size, including this one with the cupcakes on it, kept three for our "toy box" and gave another one to a friend's baby.

They really weren't too difficult to make, just a little time consuming.  The smaller size wasn't any harder to make than the larger sizes either.  I did not make an extra-large ball.  I felt like the large one was big enough for her little hands.  Each ball has 12 triangle parts that you sew by machine, then they are stuffed and sewn shut by hand and put together by hand using embroidery floss.

The day after the party, my husband and I were in a bookstore in Salt Lake and we saw, in the children's section, a ball that looked very much like these!  It did not come apart like a puzzle, however it did have some noise making things inside, such as a bell, some crinkly sounding stuff etc.  so when the baby grabs a triangle it makes a different sound.  Something to keep in mind for the next time I make some!  I think she would really like them to make some noise :)  The one at the bookstore cost $25!  It does not cost that much to make them.

The ball on the left in this picture is all taken apart.  They are pretty easy to take apart and put back together! The older kids and adults were having a good time playing with them too :)

I found out that my daughter made the thumbless mittens (above), which you can see baby can put on all by herself :)

And my daughter was smart and put bells in the blocks she made so the birthday girl loves to shake them and make some noise!

Fun party, great homemade items and adorable little girl :)