New Mice for the Eden Gallery

 

This little collection of seven mice is based around the Liberty Fabric The Strawberry Thief by William Morris. There are so many variations of this fabric and each brings something different to the work.

A perennial Liberty favourite since 1979, this classic Arts and Crafts design was originally created by William Morris in 1883. Liberty Fabrics first produced Strawberry Thief as a furnishing fabric in 1979 and it has since been redrawn for Tana Lawn on a smaller scale. Strawberry Thief appeared on Classic Tana since 1955.

I love the history of this fabric and it is so lovely to work with.

These guys are now on sale at the Eden Gallery in Newburgh. There are seven mice available with some brooches and keyrings. The new exhibition is stunning with amazing paintings and sculptures - well worth a visit. The title of the exhibition is Rhythmic Representation and the artists show have really embraced this.

I do love this new blue mohair. I think it is probably a Marmite colour and you will either love or loathe it!

It sits so well with the blue and red version of the Strawberry Thief. The other mice are two grey mice, a boy and girl in this wonderful blue and red fabric and two brown harvest mice in the green and red colours. Again a boy and a girl. I love the fact that the gallery has a strawberry table with strawberry themed craft items, a nod to the origins of the gallery as a strawberry farm.

Still working on my pattern and really starting to get there now. It is a larger and simpler mouse pattern with the key features of a Pook Mouse. I never realised how much goes into the instructions of a how to pattern.

A Trio of Strawberry Mice

 

Aromel is a little strawberry mouse names after an English strawberry variety. Her dress is green Essex linen with appliqued and embroidered strawberry flowers and fruits. The pattern runs around her dress.

She has strawberry leaves and a piece of garnet to her stuffing and is finished with a strawberry sachet.

I loved the strawberry motif so much I wanted to make for the shop now the exhibition is over. Strawberry Nostalgia was a lovely exhibition to be a part of and a big thank you to The Eden Gallery, Newburgh for such a lovely show and for all those sales!

Elsanta mouse is named for another variety of strawberry and is in a Heidi style outfit with embroidered waistcoat and dirndl skirt. A sweet little mountain strawberry mouse with garnet to her heart and strawberry leaves in her stuffing.

Her waistcoat is heavily embroidered with a Liberty Lawn skirt and linen underskirts. Finished with tiny buttons and leather shoes I think she is a real sweetie.

Working on some pieces for a gallery at the moment and then back to the pattern drawing.

Fenella(Now Sold) is also named for a strawberry variety and is a little strawberry mouse in a summer cape. The cape has strawberry flowers and fruit to the corners and she has a little stump work strawberry accompanying her sachet.

Again with garnet and strawberry leaves to her heart. The cape is a quality wool felt from Billow Fabrics and the lining is a Japanese yarn dye. Her dress is a Liberty Tana Lawn print and there is a little black mohair mouse on the shop in the midnight version of this fabric. I do like the fact that they are all red and green but do not look remotely Christmassy!

I am looking forward to a busy weekend and sending my warmest wishes xx

Adive, A Goldfinch Doll

 

Adiva, is a little goldfinch doll dressed in a Liberty cotton from the Riviera Collection called Wildflower Poppy. The colours of her dress pick up her colourful embroidery and are a lovely mid summer compliment.

She has camomile in her stuffing and a citrine crystal to her heart. With tiny red leather shoes and a pretty sampler sachet she makes a sweet girl.

We have two families of goldfinches at home. One family to the front of the house and one family to the back garden. I love seeing their little bursts of colour. My goldfinches have both niger seeds and sunflower hearts to munch on and they never choose the niger seeds!

If like me you love your birds then the book photographed by Adiva is a must. Matt Sewell has a range of titles with witty illustrations of our garden birds. The one show looks at the collective nouns for various animals and birds.

I think there is nothing more lovely thank a charm of goldfinches.

I am working on a pattern for a mouse and one for a rabbit that I am going to offer for sale as a booklet, along with a range of haberdashery that I use for making my dolls so I will be a little taken up with that for a while, but I have a yellowhammer on the worktable and I am working out her feather pattern. I had not seen a yellowhammer for years and then a whole family popped up on a favourite walk in the hedgerow and I have seen them twice now. Just in love with gorgeous colours and family song.

Avalynn, A Tiny Wren Embroidered Doll

One of my favourite birds, I sit in my workshop and watch the wrens pop in and out of the shrubbery. This little girl has an amethyst to her heart and lavender in her stuffing. She is dressed in a Liberty quilting cotton called Kew Trellis from the Summer House Collection.

I do enjoy working this pattern, the plumage pattern and its subtle changes are a real pleasure to embroider.

The shop will close tonight for the weekend while I am at the Festival of Making in Blackburn Cathedral. I will reopen on Monday 10th of July.

Just for the day all mice will be £20 and each other doll will be £30 and there will be a selection of SALE dolls at various prices. Also there will be brooches and keyrings at £7.50 or 3 for £20.

At three o clock Keith Brymer Jones is in conversation with Patrick Grant from The Great British Sewing Bee, which should be really interesting and lots of events happening all over the centre of Blackburn. Pop along and enjoy the weekend.

Wish me luck xx

 

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