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.

Tuesday Talent - Cloth +Thread

Cloth + Thread is the business name of Jenni from Melbourne who has been making dolls since 2011.  She has always had a strong Pinterest presence and there you can see how her dolls have changed over that time. Look for dolls Made by Jenni for more variety.

I really enjoy her style of dolls, they are quite unusual and unique, using delicate fabrics and subtle colours they make a most sophisticated play doll.  Jenni makes her dolls with children in mind, for gentle play and all their clothes can be changed with a range of outfits also available. Lovely dresses and little jackets with the odd scarf, very pretty.

For a closer look at Jenni's dolls visit her website at clothandthread.com where there are nearly always dolls for sale. Cats, mice and even the odd elephant grace her pages, well worth a peep.  A lovely touch is that for every sale she makes she donates to Save the Children - the tally runs at the top of the site.

Book Recommendation - Sew Your Own Dolls by Louise Kelly

Had this little gem about a fortnight and was so impressed have decided to share.  The book title is Sew Your Own Dolls by a bonnie Irish lass called Louise Kelly.  The ISBN number is 978-1782494249. Louise also has a blog at loulovesthis.blogspot.co.uk for further information about her and her work.

I must admit I don't make dolls from other people's books I just look at the pictures and enjoy, however the patterns are easy to follow and straightforward.  There are three styles of doll to make with endless combinations of genuinely attractive outfits to choose from.  The book has good photographs that are clear and show the dolls to the best possible effect.

Have a peep, I think this is a must for any dollaholic's library. It is currently selling on Amazon Marketplace for just over £5, a real bargain.

My favourite is below, a little lilac witch called Maeve with a super outfit and the best lilac hair.

The Fabric I Use - Part 2

 In 1875 Arthur Lazenby Liberty opened his unique shop in Regent Street in London, selling up market products for discerning clients.

By 1884 Liberty was working with Costume Society founder Edward William Godwin designing apparel and fabric to rival the dominance of Paris couture.

In the 1920's Liberty introduced their classic cotton fabric Liberty Tana Lawn and it is still a best seller today.  Predominantly small floral prints, Liberty Tana Lawn is a tight woven light cotton fabric that is a delight to use.

Much finer than standard quilting cotton often with tiny prints it is often my fabric of choice when making my dolls.  You have to be careful with tiny seams but take you time and the results speak for themselves.  A little more expensive than quilting cotton running at around £5 per fat quarter but the seemingly never ending pattern choices more than make up for that.  I would recommend AliceCaroline.co.uk for online purchase, she has a very good range and a fast turn around, she also has a shop on Etsy.

There is something quintessentially English about a Liberty print, that long English summer we are always chasing.  You will find that patterns from the 20's are still available as well as prints from every decade since.  They have guest designers and a new range spring/summer, autumn/winter but I must warn you they can become addictive for any fabric lover!

Tabitha, A Tabby Cat in William Morris

I am introducing my new cat dolls to everyone, this is Tabitha a tabby cat in a Moda fabric range designed by Barbara Brackman called Earthly Paradise based on the prints of William Morris.

I have to confess I love making animal dolls, including frogs, foxes, hares and of course my birds - my favourite.  I need to share them but am always reluctant, I think it is a confidence thing.

Anyhow, my current clouder of cats are all in William Morris, it makes a very pretty Victorian miss.  I like the fact they are so serious, my own cats look at me like this, so serious especially when there is chicken about.

Well the cats come as tabby, black or ginger and I will try to get pictures of them to share.  I hope you like them.

Tuesday Talent - Eszterda

Eszterda is the brand of Eszter Dobo, a very talented lady from Gyor by the Danube in Hungary.  She makes wonderful dolls, creatures and the best cats.

I love embroidery and the embroidery on these kitties is just so pretty, I like the style and the way she catches that cat look you get when they are planning something. All the facial detail is embroidered and the eyes are embroidered applique. Her cats have either a pretty skirt and shirt combo often with a little collar or they have an embroidered body with a little skirt.  I find them very appealing.

Her shop is on Etsy at 'ESZTERDAdesign' and there are lots of creatures and little dolls all featuring her embroidery - sadly no cats.  She has a strong presence on Pinterest if you want more cats and her pretty cat & doll combinations with matching embroidery. All well worth a look.

The Fabrics I Use, Part One

Flo's Garden Daisies

 I find that my choice of fabric drives the design of the doll, quite often the fabric choices come together before hair or eye colour.  So it is very important to me.

I love fabric, I really do and seldom a week goes past that I don't purchase a new pattern.  As you can imagine I go through a lot of fabric. I use mostly quilting cottons because I like the patterns and plains you can buy.  They are so versatile. Last year I made a conscious choice to try to buy British or a least British based design.   Particularly heritage designs or inspired designs from the Victorian and Edwardian periods.  For modern patterns there are some wonderful British designers out there and their fabrics leave me spoilt for choice. I like quirky and British design quite often delivers that.

Two of my go to companies of choice are Lewis and Irene, shown here, they are based in Hampshire and design original, quirky fabrics with floral motifs and motifs inspired by the British countryside.  Their colours are often muted and each design theme has enough interest to make beautiful dolls that have lovely combinations of pattern.

The second company I would recommend is Makower fabric, again a British design group based in Maidenhead and they supply interesting fabric with a twist that often makes me smile.  Again a good range but not as consistent as Lewis and Irene.  There are amazing quilting cotton designers out there and I love Kaffe Fassett, Tom Holtz or particularly Moda and sometimes I cannot resist their pull but I am trying to fly the flag and support home grown talent.  If you don't know Lewis and Irene or Makower have a peep at their range, you may be surprised.

Flo's Garden Lily of the Valley

Flo's Garden Bluebells