Suddenly I need a ham

I've been sewing long enough to need a real tailor's ham.

I used to use this

ours was the junior size

stuffed globe toy

And it worked pretty well,

And it disappeared.

I have been making do with the front end of the overpadded ironing board, but I needed a real round surface for the hat I am working on.

So I made one.

oooh, custom ham holder!

It's more of an acorn, but it gets the job done. Four pie shapes on one end, four longer pie shapes on the other. Sewing the four pie shapes into a half-hemisphere, sewing the longer pies into another (leaving the middle of one longer seam open for turning/stuffing) then sewing those two shapes  together at their 'equator'. Turning it was a bit of a trick (I had sewn a stiff football here).

Stuffing it was another matter. I am sorry I do not have before and after photos of the sewing garbage can, as I used all the fabric scraps, all the leftover bits and some yarn gauge samples. And some more. And part of a sweater I had felted. And a knitted scarf that was more of a fence post than a cuddly warm friend. And some yarn that made me cry. As long as it didn't melt or wasn't paper, I shoved it in. 

Used some of that masking tape to close it while I slipstitched the open seam shut. Not showing that seam, as I was in a hurry and it looks awful. But the dang thing works, baby!

There's a lot of shame and fail in this acorn. Now made useful.

That's as good a new year's resolution as I can give you.