Textile Gifts for my Galleries

 I am so late with this post! I was up at 5am and never had a minute to sit down. I have had a very busy week getting textile gifts ready for my galleries. Everyone has sold up it seems simultaneously, which is great, kerching and all that but requires prompt action.

So I have been making brooches, including a new style that i have not photographed yet, lavender finger mice, key rings and hanging birds. Lots of felt, lots of embroidery and loving every minute, although my hands are now sore. It always amazes me when you schedule a complete week to do this just how much you can get done. By the end of this weekend I should have all of the pieces finished ready for shipping on Monday. Phew!
Just a note to everyone, Folksy is having a Perfectly Imperfect Weekend with some real bargains. Old stock, samples and seconds. I have already sold out and Reuban @impsqueak has one imp left on his shop
https://folksy.com/shops/impsqueak
She is a real sweetie and will not be repeated. Really worth checking out for some lovely work.

Midnight Characters

 

Starting to work on a few midnight characters and finally get to grips with my mole idea. It is the paws with the claws that is slowing my completion. The pattern is so small it is making the claws look effective.
This little girl bunny was Judith from last summer. I have on my table a bunny boy and girl, a fox boy and a mouse. All in lovely midnight fabrics.

Ardusa, A Spring Bloom Mouse

 

A selection of Spring Bloom mice are now in the shop. This little girls is Ardusa, a little harvest mouse with an applique and embroidered dress in a folk art style.With citrine to her heart and chamomile in her stuffing for a gentle fragrance she is a sweet spring mouse. Dressed in coral chambray cotton with Liberty Spring Bloom and white tulle petticoats she sports leather shoes and a sampler pillow. Finished with organza ribbon, tiny buttons and broderie anglais drawers peeping below her dress she is a delicate little mouse.I am working with the three colourways of fabric from the Spring Bloom series, in coral pink, aqua blue and black. Enjoying the harmony and making mice, bunnies, fox boys and hopefully a new mole!

A New Style of Doll for Me

 

This is first share of a new style of doll that I have been quietly working on for a while. Little Abigail is the prototype of a series of little girl and boy dolls I want to make around the themes of fairy tale and fable.
I have been trying to do this forever and failing because the dolls were not young enough. Red Riding Hood is around ten years old in my mind not a young woman.
So I had to start with proportions and went back to the great Suzanna Oroyan and her books to get those altered child sized proportions into my head. I then went on to explore fabrics for the body, abandoning calico, my usual first choice, for a heavy wool felt. Which gives a much smoother finish when stuffing such a larger head. These eyes are not quite right and I want to explore different types of hair but I am happy for a first complete doll. I then needed to work out patterns for clothes and new to me shoes. So again thank you to Barbara Willis and Simone Gooding for showing me how to create a pattern for a fully formed shoe. I now have to work out how to create them in leather.
The first dolls I want to make are Alice, Red Riding Hood and the pair Hansel and Gretel. Just playing, loving the costumes and exploring folk art motif more fully.

A Wooden Elphaba Doll

 

This little girl was my busman's holiday and what a joy she was to make. She is a little wooden doll dressed as Elphaba from Wicked.
The doll base is by Sophie Tilly Dolls found @sophietilleydesigns . At the moment she is selling off her doll bases and they are going fast. Each is hand turned beech wood with beech arms and legs. Coming in two sizes 27 cm and 21cm. This little lady is the larger of the sizes.
Dressed in silk, tulle and felt, her little black ensemble is detailed with beads, lace, charms and tiny emerald green glass beads. She sports an acorn to her hat.
A huge fan of the musical, the books and really enjoyed the film. I received an Elphaba doll for my Christmas present and this little girl is now on my wall as part of my collection. I have quite a few and collected them over many years, currently she is my favourite!