Aderyn, A Tiny Bullfinch Lady

 

Little Aderyn is a new tiny bullfinch doll made to the new size, so very dainty. I particularly love her dress fabric, a Liberty Cotton called Vintage Summer from the Riviera Collection. Teamed with a Tilda Chambray Coral the dress picks up the pale orange in the pinks of her embroidery. With the colours of the stitching I am trying to reflect the paler colours of a female bullfinch rather than the strident pinks of the male.

She is listed on the shop and I will be making more birds over the next few weeks. Also currently on the shop is a small summer sale of older dolls and patterns that my dratted hand will no longer let me make. Each doll is £20 or under and all sale dolls are half price or less.

I am so happy to be taking part in The Makers Market of the National Festival of Making next Saturday, the 8th of July at Blackburn Cathedral.

My stall will feature a range of new and sale dolls, and for that day only all dolls will be £30 or less with each mouse being £20 or less. I will also have brooches and keyrings. Each of these will be £7.50 or 3 for £20. As some stock will overlap my Folksy Shop will be closed that weekend.

This is a really lovely event with lots going on in the town centre. Wonderful street food, entertainers, speakers and exhibitions with workshops on top. The atmosphere is lovely and the festival is gaining momentum as this is the fifth year. Really glad to be back and looking forward to it.

Avis, A Tiny Blue Tit Doll in Liberty

 

I have developed a new tiny bird pattern that is only seven inches, making the birds much more dainty and bird-like. Each tiny bird is heavily hand embroidered front and back, on her head, chest and to her wings. With tiny buttons, little leather shoes and a sampler sachet they make a sweet companion.
This little lady is Avis, a blue tit lady with camomile in her stuffing and citrine to her heart. She is dressed in a Liberty Quilting Cotton from the Coastal Walk collection called Wildflower Field. Teamed with a soft butter yellow chambray and bright blue shoes, she has cotton lace bloomers and a lace underskirt.
The larger, older pattern of doll, shown in company in the third photograph is now on sale on my Folksy Shop for £20. The photograph gives you an idea of the scale of the older bigger bird to the new tiny bird. I just love making them and I do hope you like them xx

Juniper, A Badger Lady

 

New for summer are little badger ladies, this little girl is Juniper. There are three to have a peep at. This little lady is dressed in a lovely Liberty cotton called Fireside from the Hesketh Collection. Teamed with sage Tilda Chambray and a gingham ribbon. Finished with little leather shoes, tiny buttons and a sampler sachet.

Her facial details are delicately appliqued and embroidered, I love her big nose!

I thought I would try a different style of photograph and I have to say I like these photographs as they really give dimension to the doll. You get a strong sense of scale which is sometimes lost when the dolls are photographed flat.

The light has been lovely to work with and taking pictures has been a joy.

I am working on little embroidered bird dolls at the moment as I have dramatically reduced the scale to add to their delicate appearance. Thoroughly enjoying myself xx

Eva, A Summer Vixen in Liberty Lawn

 

Eva is a new summer vixen in Liberty lawn called Floral Eve. Teamed with a pink silk ribbon, pink chambray cotton and a pretty tulle lace.

With rose quartz to her heart and rosemary in her stuffing she is a pretty little fox who smells sweet.

Her facial details are hand embroidered and her little black eye is a 4mm glass bead. I love her chunky nose!

I cut the bodice lining a few millimetres longer than the bodice front so that a fine line of the lining fabric, which is the same as the underskirt peeps out at the neck of the bodice. I do enjoy these tiny details.

The sampler sachets are always made individually to sit with their doll. Using counted thread stitches I like the contrast they make with fluidity of the fabric patterns. I have a monster ball of mixed embroidery silks that grows and shrinks as I use it. I never throw any cut embroidered thread away I just add it to the monster thread ball so I can nearly always find the right colours when i need them. I work with only one thread at a time so they last for ages. I began this thread ball monster about twenty years ago!

Judith, A Midnight Bunny

 

Judith is one of a series of summer midnight bunnies in Liberty Lawn. Dressed in a lovely Liberty fabric called Jude's Garden her dress has wildflowers scattered across a black ground. Teamed with a lovely coral chambray cotton and black lace, the coral peaking at her neckline and in her ears.
A sampler sachet, with organza ribbon and a little black pompom tail finishes her look. With smokey quartz to her heart and rosemary in her stuffing she has a gentle fragrance just right for summer.
Her sachet has a variety of counted thread stitches including herringbone, montenegran stitch and finished with a tiny gold acorn. The fabric, Jude's Garden is created in watercolour paints. This botanical print features a variety of British wildflowers in a delicate meadow scene, reminiscent of a typical Liberty floral design. It really is a lovely print and such a joy to use.
It is lovely to be able to surround my dolls with flowers from my garden. Everything is blooming and looking so lovely. The roses are now in full flower and the baskets and perennials are doing well. The veg are getting really big and needing lots of water. We are watering every day, the watering cans never stop but the water butts are getting depleted and we could do with some rain, not something you say often in Lancashire!
Have a lovely weekend, I am making foxes and enjoying myself xx