Last Mouse before Christmas

This is my last mouse before Christmas, she is a Christmas Mouse and was made for a lovely lady in Leyland.

It has been a great few months, all the Christmas dolls have gone, the frogs and the mice. I am going to have a couple of weeks off visiting family and trying new patterns.

This little mouse like all my mice is tiny, just under nine inches and very delicate.  She has the smallest shoes I have ever made and little leather ears and tail.  Her dress is finished with narrow organza ribbon, buttons and a snowflake lavender bag.  Her face is hand embroidered,

I am going to try a make a fox and a hare in the New Year, all good things and very exciting.  I want to thank everyone who visits my blog and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a cracking New Year. 

Nancy, A Folk Art Rag Doll

Nancy is a folk art rag doll made to my Nora pattern. Her body is sewn from vinatge calico, tea stained for age. She has a hand painted, hand embroidered face with wool tops for hair in a rich brunette with just of touch of grey.

She is dressed in Liberty Lawn fabric in a full frock with coordinating underskirts and knickers finished with a lace petticoat. The Liberty fabric is called Thorpe and is reminiscent of a meadow in full bloom just before they fall, with pinks, greys and soft greens. She has a rose quartz heart for love and lavender within her stuffing for a gentle scent. Her dress is finished with tiny buttons, pink organza ribbon and little leather shoes. She sports a lavender sachet embroidered in sampler style to match her dress.

Nancy is fourteen inches tall with a warm heart and a gentle face, a lovely girl to sit on a bed or chair.  I think she makes a gentle hearted companion, all my girls are good listeners!

Tuesday Talent - Lera Sherhoeva

This lady I discovered on Etsy at LerushaShop.  Her little dolls are exquisitely made with lots of lovely details and the most amazing outfits.  You can buy an individual doll or a doll with a whole wardrobe, so special for that little girl who loves dolls.  For this not so little girl also, who still loves dolls.

Her name is Lera Sherhoeva and she comes from Vladivostok, so another very talented Russian maker.  There are so many wonderful Russian doll makers.

Lera also has a great Instagram page at lera_sherhoeva and a website at lerusha.com where you will also find very attractive dresses and blouses for little girls.

If you a looking for something special for a special little girl this winter try the Etsy shop, the dolls are so reasonable and so beautifully made.

The Lace I Use

The lace I use in my doll making is genuinely beautiful, it is bridal lace and comes from South Korea.  I buy it on ebay from a shop called Mioneworld and sometimes from Zettayotta but they both come from the same building in Korea so I think they are the same company.

I like my dolls to have petticoats, a coordinating cotton or silk petticoat to match their knickers and a lace petticoat to finish off.  Since finding this source I use nothing else.  It gives the dolls a lovely final finish and sits well with my scalloped edges.

The turn around is good, they send straight away no hesitation and the parcel arrives in the UK within two weeks - which is great.  They have all kinds of widths and sell tulle as well as crochet laces, cotton laces and lace applique.  I can heartily recommend Mioneworld and the laces they produce.  Have a peep at them on Ebay.

A Most Disdainful Frog

Had a great day at my first craft show, sold so many frogs that I had to share one before they all disappeared.

This is a new pattern I have designed, love frogs and wanted to make a frog doll.  When the first was embroidered I fell in love with her most disdainful expression.  I like the embroidered detail, mostly french knots - which are my favourite stitch for texture.  She has a rose quartz heart for love and lavender in her stuffing for a gentle scent.  I have made some in William Morris fabric but prefer them in Liberty lawn with silk and lace underwear.

This little lady and her sister went to a lovely lady who had come to buy them having seen them on facebook which was such a great feeling and I thank her and her husband very much.

So all in all a really great day, met some charming people, thank you to Joolz for making the day such fun.  So much unpacking to do!

Tuesday Talent - Irina Lemeshinsky

 Irina Lemeshinsky is an Israeli doll maker that sells under the name of Totootse Dolls.  She has a strong presence on Pinterest, Instagram and has a shop on Etsy.

She states that her dolls are an attempt at dialogue with the universe and with her fellow human beings.  They certainly make you pause.  Made from linen, wool, wire and with hypnotic eyes you can almost feel they know more than they are letting on.

I love them all but I am a sucker for a doll with pink hair.  I like the sombre clothes, the dark linen skin and their haunting expressions.  I think I may have to start saving up for one for my own collection.

Not spooky, but knowing maybe just right for Halloween.  My very best wishes to you all on All Hallows Eve.

Art and Craft Fair at Samlesbury Hall

Just to let everyone know I will be showing at Samlesbury Hall on the 5th of November.  The event is run by Hopeful & Glorious so you know the work will be top notch.  If you can, come and say hello, you don't need to buy anything but it would be lovely to see you.

The Best Sewing Machine in the World

I cannot recommend the Bernina 830 Record highly enough, I use it everyday and it runs like a dream.  So much so that if ever it broke and couldn't be repaired I would seek out a replacement rather that buy a new machine. 

The ease of which you can go from one stitch to another, the simple way you drop the teeth and machine embroider all make this a dream machine.  They were produced by Bernina between 1971 and 1982, they beat more modern machines hands down.  There is a neat buttonhole facility, multiple decorative stitches and the bobbin is easy to fit and clean.  It is fast, although working on such tiny pieces of fabric I don't go that fast but not as fast as its x40 flatbed cousins.  The worst thing about this machine is that over time the plastic parts of the casing have yellowed while the metal remains cream - not such a big deal. 

If you are looking for a real workhorse you couldn't do any better.  You can tell I am an enthusiast! I have had my Record for fifteen years and I love it.  So if you are looking for a new machine and don't need to program it think vintage.

Eve, An Autumn Wren

Eve is a wren in autumn colours with a beautiful fabric by Liberty called Lola Weisselberg designed by Sholto Drumlanrig for Autumn 2011, strong florals in rich colours. Lovely fabric.

She is, as always, hand embroidered to both her wings and head with fly stitch, chain stitch, running stitch and whipped back stitch.  She has a rose quartz crystal at her heart and her stuffing has lavender and rose petals in it for a gentle scent. She has an embroidered lavender sachet and is finished with tiny buttons, leather shoes and a rich burgundy organza ribbon & bow.

To her back she has a brass ring to hang but she sits well on her cushion also.  The fabric teamed with her striking orange underskirt and lace petticoat and matched with the burgundy ribbon make for a very Autumnal wren. She seems quite stern and that makes me smile.

Tuesday Talent - Annie Montgomerie

 Annie Montgomerie is a wonderful doll maker from Dorchester in the south of England.  She is well known for her animal dolls, little anthropomorphic characters with stunning detail and intriguing personalities.  She upcycles lots of materials and her dolls are choc full of individual quirks and details.

Recently however I came across her rather lovely cloth dolls featuring lots of embroidery, applique and hand stitching.  Annie has a website at anniemontgomerie.co.uk, she has a Facebook page also, but to find these stunning fabric dolls you need to go to Pinterest.  There you will find so many different versions of these long ladies you won't be able to stop pinning.  I love these dolls.

You will find the whole world in these dolls - there are seaside dolls, piggy dolls or pastoral field - so many variations.  Sadly she does not seem to make them anymore, even her Esty shop does not stock them but I wanted to share them for the sheer joy they bring - really lovely.

The Fabric I Use - Part 3

I love all things William Morris and collect Morris prints and reproduction Morris inspired prints for my stash.

Original Morris fabric tends to be expensive and heavy weight but Moda, for the last few years, have run a series of quilting cottons inspired by Morris and designed by Barbara Brackman. They include most recently Earthly Paradise, as well Morris Tapestry, Morris Jewels, Best of Morris and Morris Apprentice which looked at the patterns of CFA Voysey

They are a lovely weight and a pleasure to work with. They deviate from my buy British thing but they are originally English prints and Moda make quality fabric. The earlier prints are now hard to find but the more recent ones are readily available and being from 2016 are quite often discounted.  Moda are producing a new range of Morris inspired prints this October 2017 in association with the V&A, so they will be worth a look.

I find I like them best teamed with black and grey stripy fabric and antique lace to give a doll that weighty Victorian feel.  My cats are all in William Morris by Moda and the fabric works well.
 

A Grand Day Out, Flora at Ruthin

Jan Beaney

 A lovely day at Ruthin on friday, my first trip out in quite a while so a real treat.  The current exhibition, Narratives in Making, covers a truly beautiful collection of work by Irish craftsmen and women, with wood, metal and ceramics being shown.  The second gallery features the third in the series of Language in Clay and here Anne Gibbs shows her eclectic ceramic pieces.

Flora, in Gallery 3, was wonderful.  All the work was inspired by flowers and contained prints, jewellery, stitch, clay and glass, as well the textile treasure of Jan Beaney. The work of Alison Stockmarr was a real find, her books are just so appealing and delicate.

The exhibition runs until the 24th September and makes for an enjoyable afternoon if you are in the area.

Alison Stockmarr

Vanessa Hogge

Vanessa Hogge

Tamaris, A Tabby Cat all in William Morris

 This is another little tabby cat, she is called Tamaris.  She is a pretty puss all dressed in a William Morris fabric 'Pimpernel' that has been edited by Barbara Brackman for Moda 'Best of Morris'.  This is an ongoing series of designs that varies year by year from 2010 to last year with Moda 'Earthly Paradise'.  They are lovely fabrics, rich in colour and a delight to use.  The older series of fabrics are not easy to find in the UK but worth it if you like Morris prints.

Tamaris sports stripy legs with tonal underskirts in lace and cotton. She is stuffed with lavender in her stuffing and has a rose quartz heart for love. She is finished with organza ribbon, beads and buttons with a little lavender sachet to complete her outfit.  Lovely girls that are all going to my first craft stall in November.