Alternative Spring Sampler

I am quite busy at the moment, which is great, mostly with wedding work and I have put many hours in lately. So I decided to have a day away from work and dolls to look around me. The trees are wonderful at the moment and the leaves are just about out, blossom is everywhere and the intensity of the greens is amazing. So I decided to make a little sampler that reflected what I was seeing, it isn't a traditional sampler I wanted to be inspired by my surroundings and not the stitches so I used only straight stitch.  Starting with this photograph by 'Roger' of a spring stream and aspens I painted, stippled & stamped a piece of quaker cloth, tore strips of handmade paper and collected fresh leaves to make a start.  I wanted to capture movement and the contrast of planes, the horizontal movement of the stream and the verticals of the trees but subtly.  I had just one afternoon, about three hours and this is what I made.  I really enjoyed myself, it was good to just let it go rather than the precision of pattern cutting and stitching neatly.  I must try to do this every couple of weeks it is good practice and helps your eye, it's also good fun and gives you a break from the day to day.  I just thought I would share, I hope you all like it.



 

Little Polly and Florrie

These two tiny girls have come about as a wedding request and I have had great fun developing them.  Shopping for tiny handbags has been very satisfying.  They are wanted for a wedding in December this year and at some point I have to develop a bride and groom and five silk skirted bridesmaids.  But these two are the start of this investigation.  They are 11 cm tall and have tiny buttoned coats, crocheted hats and handbags as accessories.  They are brooches and have brooch backs sewn onto the reverse.  They have a tiny felt mouth and beaded & embroidered eyes.  The couple concerned wanted brooches similar to the new pattern dolls but on faces so tiny I have had to compromise and beads provided the answer.  These two little ladies are made from the tiny fragments of Tilda fabric I had left from my stash and the wedding girls are going to be in soft pink and grey as are the wedding guests.  The bride wants the ladies to wear little dolls instead of flowers in their lapels.  I am busily hunting down various handbags of the appropriate size and as many different kinds of tiny pale pink button as I can find.  When you start looking it is amazing what is about - for tiny handbags I would recommend 'Jashasi' on ebay and for tiny buttons of all kinds and colours you can't beat 'saph1re' also on ebay.  Having made several more of these little girls I am going to use net as an underskirt to a single fabric skirt to reduce the bulky look and save time and I am going to play with the jacket to develop various styles.  But all in all I am very pleased with the overall result and it is very gratifying to work so small.  I hope you enjoy them.

 

Annie Sophia, a handmade rag doll

Still working with the same basic body pattern I wanted to try different hair styles and a different outfit.  I like her hair, plaits, buns and ponytails are all options to try and I quite like the skirt and little felt waistcoat.  She looks a little too fairytale and her skirt need to be much shorter.  I am going to try using net as an underskirt.  I have just acquired some offcuts of silk velvet and hope to continue to vary her costume but so busy at the moment - for which I am very grateful but doesn't leave a lot of time to explore.  This pattern is proving very popular and I am very grateful for your comments which are so helpful and supportive, thank you.