Can a toy tell a story of a nation? When I made Sunny the Sunflower, I wanted to show the warmth of the Ukrainian sun and our traditions. I wanted to make something big and soft that feels like home.
Sunny was my first own design. He is not just a plush toy. He is a friend. He is 60 cm tall and very soft. I made him bright yellow like the fields in Ukraine. Many people liked him, and I realized he needs a voice. He needed to tell the world where he came from.
That is how I became an author on Amazon. I wrote a book called Sunny’s Vyshyvanka. It is about a sunflower who wants his own traditional embroidered shirt. In Ukraine, we call it Vyshyvanka. It is our lucky charm. Every stitch has a meaning.
The book is bilingual. It has English and Ukrainian text. I know many Ukrainian families live abroad now. This book helps children keep their native language. Parents can read in English and show Ukrainian words. It helps to stay connected to your roots.
You can also make your own Sunny. The crochet pattern is available in my shop. It is a big project but very rewarding. You can find it on Shopify or in my book with 5 patterns on Amazon.