Sunny D

I have long been obsessed with calico cats. My oldest stuffed animal is a calico cat I named "Fat Louie", which I believe is a reference to the movie "The Princess Diaries" starring Anne Hathaway, but I don't think I knew that when I named it that. My own cat, Caroline, is also a calico cat. Both of these kitties inspired the creation of Sunny D, who was made to be a wonderfully complicated piece that emphasizes sound and texture. 

My favorite part about Fat Louie is the fact that it had this silk or maybe polyester fabric that was always cold to the touch, and inside of its stomach was these little plastic beads that made it very relaxing to kneed with my hands. Over time however, Fat Louie became much less fat as these little plastic beads spilled out slowly through small tears in the fabric. My grandmother patched it for me several times, but it was only a temporary fix. It became impossible to keep Fat Louie in my bed because the texture of the spilled beads in my bed drove me crazy. However, one day I found a similar fabric that was always cold and I used it to reupholster Fat Louie's stomach. 

Sunny D's blue stomach is a direct reference to Fat Louie's, and her noise comes from the fact that my cat Caroline is a very vocal kitty. I wanted Sunny D to be playful, bright, cheery, and a joy to hold, which she is. She is also of course, inspired by Scraps. Her name, like all the other animals, means next to nothing; she just reminds me of the artificial taste of Sunny D.