Clover, A Spring Bunny

 I am currently working on a number of commissions and preparing for a show day at Eden Gallery, Newburgh on April 12th.

I will be there with my stall from 10am to 4pm with a range of new dolls and new brooches etc.

Clover is dressed in a lovely fabric by Acufactum called Clover and Dill and little Clover Bunny has both dried red clover and dried thyme in her stuffing along with a rose quartz crystal.

I am making little bunnies, foxes and badgers with hopefully a new cat pattern, all side facing. There will be a few new embroidered mice too!

If you have never been to the Eden Gallery and are local it is a truly lovely space with a delicious tea room and a great range of workshops.

You can just see her tiny bright pink leather shoes in this lovely photograph. The colours of the fabric are carried through the sampler pillow and accented with hand made cord to match the dress and a little silver acorn charm.

Most of the new dolls are dressed in Acufactum fabric. It is both beautiful to look at and wonderful to use. It holds its shape when cut and sewn even for very tiny pattern pieces.

I have carried the secondary fabric through from the underskirt to the lining of the bodice and into the ear lining. I find these tiny details elevate the doll, giving a lovely finish.

Reuba, my trans son and myself are working on a new business called Mausi by Pook and son. It will feature my dolls and their ceramic headed mouse dolls with little pieces of ceramic jewellery, also made by them. Plus lots of tiny pieces worked as a collaboration. They want to learn my textile techniques to make their work mixed media and to learn how the business works. We are really enjoying ourselves!

 

Marcus and Marilla Fox

 

Little vixen Marilla is dressed in a lovely Lewis and Irene print called Pumpkins from the Snuggle Season collection. I particularly like the aqua blues next to the orange of her body. I am loving looking through these older prints and finding treasures.

A few little details to share. I pick up the colours of the fabric on the little sampler pillows. Finished with a tiny acorn and a button I do like the contrast.

Marcus is the little boy of the partnership, again dressed in Snuggle Season Pumpkin with a russet silk cravat and splendid plus fours. A smart chap ready for a walk in the woods.

A Pair of Fairy GodMothers

 

I have been enjoying my fairy godmothers at the moment. Sweet little fae with not a wicked bone in their bodies. This little sweetie is Bluebell (Sold) dressed in the original Bluebell Wood by Lewis and Irene. Her pale lavender hair and lavender chambray underskirts and wings pick up these subtle colours in this joyous fabric.

With amethyst to her heart and lavender in her stuffing she is a sweet little lady.

Just a few little details to show off these fabulous prints, soft pinks, deep purples and a little touch of silver make for very pretty details.

As always each fairy godmother carries a tiny wand with a coordinating sampler pillow.

Another little fae is Lily, dressed in a blush fabric with tiny lily of the valley flowers abounding from the Lewis and Irene Flo's Wildflower collection. This is one of my all time favourite fabrics and so lovely to use.

Lily has rose petals to her stuffing with rose quartz to her heart for love. A confection of pinks with a gentle face she is a sweet girl.

I am working on a midnight fox with a midnight fairy godmother coming in a fabric I just have to use. Sometimes you just need to see a doll and so look forward to making her xx

A Trio of Spring Bunnies

 

Rubia is a little twilight bunny dressed in a lovely fabric called Hannah's Flowers by Lewis and Irene. She is a twilight bunny because her colours are supported with black tulle and black accessories for a slightly different look.

As with all my bunny girls she has a big nose with lots of French knots and a hand painted and hand embroidered face. I do like a big nose.

n the pale rose version of Hannah's

Flowers, Rufus is a bunny boy with a warm wool felt jacket and yarn dyed plus fours. His waistcoat is trimmed with tiny buttons and silk bow. Ready for a brisk walk in the spring sunshine he is a dapper chap.

Rufia completes the trio and is dressed in soft rose spring fabric by Lewis and Irene. The pink in her dress picks up the pinks to her ears and paws making for a lovely fresh spring bunny.

There are fairy godmothers to photograph today. I am working on a trio of foxes with badgers and hopefully a cat pattern to follow. I have been trying to get a cat right for years so fingers crossed I will like this design.

Lots of lovely commissions coming up, so nice and busy for the next few months which I will enjoy. I am also looking forward to getting into the garden, I can feel the spring changes now very firmly. Buds are swelling and my daffodils are starting to flower. All exciting stuff xx

A Trio of Grumpy Frogs

 

This little trio of Grumpy frogs are Vipsania(Sold), Verdi(Sold) and Vibia are dressed in fabrics from the Jardin de Lis collection by Lewis and Irene. Each has rosemary to their stuffing with a piece of malachite to their heart.

They have hand painted and hand embroidered faces with over one hundred French knots to give a lovely detailed texture.

I do love their expressions and Vipsania is extra grumpy which makes me smile. Vibia is a midnight Grumpy Frog with a few black French knots to her embroidery and a black dress with black lace petticoat. The fabric is Heron Lake and I think it is just scrumptious.

Just a few tiny details of the Grumpy Frogs, each has a sampler pillow with blues, golds and blacks to pick up the colours of the fabric with a tiny bronze coloured dragonfly charm for each.

Verdi has lots of tiny buttons on his sleeves, waistcoat and trews with an aqua silk cravat.

The linen used in Verdi's shirt is picked up in the underskirts of both the girls with Vipsania in white tulle and Vibia in black tulle.

Vibia is my first midnight frog and I do like the touch of black in her stitching.

It has been lovely to return to the Grumpy Frog pattern and to visit all the dolls with the hand painted faces. Having my hand back to normal has been such a joy.

These new dolls are mostly dressed in Lewis and Irene fabrics, which I do love working with. They were a gift from the daughter in law of a very kind lady who has had to retire from crafting with arthritis. So a huge thank you to Mrs Jeffries and Clare.

There is such a range of prints that I will be using them for quite a while and some are vintage prints so it is lovely to revisit them. They are in pristine condition and a joy to use. Just like new. People are so kind.

Some of the prints are too large for tiny dolls so they are going to St James' for their craft classes with the children. I do relish that sense of community xx