Eadlin, A Peapod Mouse

 

This little pea green mohair mouse is Eadlin. She is dressed in an unusual vintage Liberty print covered in peapods and pea vines. I have only seen this fabric once and snapped it up because it is so beautiful. Teamed with a gentle green shot cotton and black tulle she makes a very pretty mohair mouse.

Eadlin has rosemary in her stuffing with a tiny piece of malachite at her heart. Malachite is used for intuition and for finding your way, it sits well with Eadlin's energy. Which is so positive.

Finished with tiny leather shoes and a black ground sampler pillow she is onw of my favourites of the mohair mice.

This little quintet of midnight mice made for a lovely image of all the different colours and fabrics. I think they look great together. I do love the midnight fabrics, the dark colours really sing to me. When I find a vintage piece it is extra special but sometimes the piece is so small you are on pins to make sure that there are no mistakes as you have no more fabric. With Eadlin, there is just a piece 5cm x 8cm left!

We have a few new back drops from Blueberry Backdrops, which are lovely to use. @blueberrybackdrops. Such a range to choose from and well worth the price. The infinity curve Reuban has is huge and takes an age to erect but these are only 70cm just perfect for evening photoshoots.

I am busy embroidering mouse dresses and making tiny felt embroidered finger mice filled with lavender. Thoroughly enjoying myself, have a lovely Friday and enjoy the weekend xx

Esme, A Little Mohair Mouse

 

Little Esme is one a current quintet of midnight mice, mostly with mohair fur. At the moment it is mice, mice, mice and I have really missed them making other dolls for galleries and commissions.

As all my dolls have, Little Esme has a crystal to her heart. In this case carnelian for health and well being. With chamomile in her stuffing with a few drops of roman chamomile oil. She has golden brown sparse mohair fur with a deep brown eye and fawn leather ears. Dressed in a Liberty Tana Lawn midnight print called Antonia Bloom she has late summer vibes with burnt orange underskirts in shot cotton and black tulle. Her drawers are a cream broderie Anglais cotton.

Loving the midnight feeling I have also added a kitten, vixen and rabbit to the shop.

One more mohair midnight mouse and then lots of embroidered mice to follow.

Little Esme's tiny pillow has lots of oranges and yellows to pick up the colour in her dress fabric. She is finished with tiny leather shoes which have orange laces, organza ribbon and tiny buttons.

Antonia Bloom is an older print by Liberty Tana Lawn but so lovely for a tiny mouse. I love the vibrant colours in contrast to the black ground, truly one of my favourites.

Now I am used to working with the mohair I love it. Really enjoy the texture plays with the fur and the super fine tana lawn. I do think of the dolls as three dimensional illustrated texture palettes. That sounds rather grand but I really enjoy having something to hold in my hand rather than behind glass.

In a previous incarnation I worked as a technical botanical illustrator and grew so weary of everything being flat. When the market changed with the advent of computers I embraced the move into textiles wholeheartedly and I have never looked back.

I feel really privileged to love what I do so much xx

A Tale of Tails

 

A tale of tails, Gustav has gone to his new home and we have galleries interested. So very exciting.
We are loving working together and new Imp Squeaks are on the way. Reuban has loved looking at fabrics and planning new designs. They are coming on leaps and bounds with the sewing side of things and has amazed both themselves and me too at how adept their use of the sewing machine is.
Getting used to keeping receipts and keeping accurate records of purchases and sales. They are really getting to grips with the business side of things too.
If you could, give them a boost and please follow us at @impsqueak

Little Lily on Sale

 

Little Lily is a tiny spring fairy godmother who is now on sale in my Folksy shop. Dressed in a pretty Lewis and Irene Lily of the Valley print on a soft pink ground. With rose quartz to her heart and a tiny pink star wand she is a gentle fae, who would be a great companion.
With pink leather shoes and finished with a sampler pillow, organza ribbon and tiny buttons. Her powder puff pink hair sports a silver tiara and is hand styled. Her face is hand painted with hand embroidery details. I am starting to look at autumn colours and even some Christmas fabrics!

Having a Sale of Spring Stock

 

Can we just a huge thank you to the Hopeful and Glorious team and Blackburn Cathedral for a truly great day. We sold lots of work and met lots of lovely folk. Thank you!
I am having a sale of all my spring stock and then having a short break before restocking for late summer and early autumn.
We are not going away but having days out and I want to make my Sophie Tilley wooden doll kit after only having her for four years! @sophietilleydesigns
Have a lovely week and my warmest wishes xx

Midnight Mohair Mouse

 

Little Giria is one of the midnight mohair mice I will be taking to Blackburn on Saturday 6th of July for the National Festival of Making Makers Market.

We will have quite a few midnight creatures as well as a range of dolls and small gifts. Our Imp Squeaks will be making their debut and all dolls will be at a special price just for the day.

The Market will run from 11am to 5pm with a talk from Patrick Grant and Esme Young from 3pm to 4pm. It will be a lovely day with lots of stalls and activities in the town. Come and say hello it will be lovely to see you.

This tiny pink mohair mouse with a pale pink eye and pink ears is wearing a lovely Liberty Tana Lawn called FairyTale Forest. The brilliant cerise underskirt with the paleness of the mohair makes the fabric pop with life.

This little mouse has rose quartz to her heart with rose petals in her stuffing. A midnight mouse with a rose tinted heart. She forms one of a trio of mohair mice that will be at the show. With little black leather shoes that have cerise stitching and laces her outfit is complete with a sampler pillow, organza ribbon and tiny buttons. I do so love making them. I am working on more embroidered mice for after the show and loving the work.

The roses in the photographs are from the garden. Big blousy garden roses are a delight to me and the garden is full of them at the moment. I am always torn between wanting to cut them and bring them indoors and leaving them to bloom outside. We have a new one this year called Alpine Sunrise and the flowers are huge with the most enchanting scent. The colder, wetter weather seems to be helping the garden glow. Everything is just bursting with blooms and flowers. We have planted lots of new perennials for the pollinators and we have seen so many different types of bees. Sometimes you can hear the buzz in the garden, it is so lovely. We haven't grown a lot of veg this year, turning the space over to flowers for the insects and we have been rewarded by so much colour.

Have a lovely weekend and it would be lovely to see you at the Festival if you can make it

Makers' Market at the Festival of Making

 

I'm taking part in the National Festival of Making in Blackburn Lancashire, a unique celebration of UK making from the kitchen table to the factory floor. They commission international and national artists to create world-class works, a year-round programme and a participatory FREE FAMILY festival for all to enjoy.
As part of the Festival, find me at Blackburn Cathedral on Saturday 6th July for the Hopeful and Glorious Makers Market from 11am to 5pm.
Just to let everyone know we will be at The Makers Market of the Festival of Making in Blackburn on Saturday 6th July from 11am until 5pm.
The dolls will be at a special price just for the show day and there will be lots of little embroidered gifts. I will also have a selection of sale dolls. It is a lovely day with lots of stalls all at Blackburn Cathedral. Come along and say hello it will be lovely to see you there xx