I just want to say thank you so much for all the lovely comments that I’ve received from such generous and kind readers regarding the owl and seahorse. I really cannot express how much encouragement, strength and inspiration your words have given me, especially as I am struggling through quite a challenging and difficult time in my personal life. Thank you so much. I really am so grateful for every comment I receive and I am in the process of replying :-)

So we’ve come to the close of another week and here are a few things that are sitting unfinished in my little studio:

1) My quilted patchwork thing has extended to notebook covers and I have been experimenting with prototypes. Here’s the front and back of one that’s closer to what I’m hoping to achieve (not yet quilted). I am having trouble with the wool flannel being too stretchy so I’m looking for an alternative but I just love the natural look of it and its texture.

I feel that making prototypes are really important to achieve a quality end product, even though at the beginning I did think that it was a waste of time and more importantly, materials. KnitOwl has written a great post on prototyping soft toys but many of the points that she makes can also apply to making other crafts.

2) A custom order waiting to be stuffed.

3) And this is to be another seahorse.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thanks for dropping by :-)

It’s been an adventure thinking up and sketching out new patterns for animal softies. After a couple of weeks of “chewing” on the patterns in my mind over and over, it was great to finally get them down on paper and transform them into softies. Seen in my previous post, here is the full view of my first softie that incorporates quilted patchwork – Reggie the Horned Owl.

He’s made from red wool herringbone, various cotton fabrics, wool felt, and is stuffed with poly beads (for weight on the bottom) and polyfill. He can stand on his own. The quilted patchwork features on his belly and also on the underside of his wings. Here’s a close-up of his belly and and a view of my new, quaint woven labels :-)

He was certainly one of the more challenging softies I’ve designed and put together and I just love him!

Also seen in my previous post – here is the full view of another softie I’ve completed, incorporating some quilted patchwork. He hasn’t got a name yet but my daughter is currently into seahorses and that’s where the inspiration came from.

He’s made from wool flannel, various cotton fabrics and wool felt. My intention with the seahorse was to make a softie suitable for a nursery so I’ve used lots of colour and ensured that there are no easily removeable parts. I’m really happy with the way he has turned out.

Next up, a few more seahorses, a cat companion for the owl, a few custom orders and in between, some gifts for Christmas. That’s the plan anyway :-) The seahorse will be up in the shop early next week. I’ll wait until the I complete the matching cat before I put the owl in the shop too.

A few WIPs are happening over here, in bursts, whenever the little ones are asleep, recovering from a dose of Spring colds. Spring has brought me a renewed passion for patchwork, so I’ve been incorporating some quilted patchwork into a set of animal softies, using some new original patterns. I haven’t been able to complete them as I’m waiting for a set of woven labels with the new name to arrive :-) but here are a few sneak peeks.

Hope to post more pics later on in the week. And if I owe you a package, thanks for bearing with me – I’ll be posting them out (finally) on Wednesday. Hope you all had a great weekend.

I received the swap package from the sweet Cristina – looks like it was held up in Customs and searched. Thankfully nothing was removed!

In the pacakge were some beautiful pieces of fabric, a range of beads/buttons, stamps and coins from Portugal, some lollies (all gone so not in the picture!) and a set of wonderful postcards – the one with the colourful bird is my favourite!

She also sent me 2 of her delightful drawings – one will go into Ava’s room, and the other in Aurora’s room. Aren’t they the CUTEST illustrations? Love them! Her gorgeous handmade fabric flowers also make an appearance.

Thanks so much Cristina! Everything is so lovely and has put a great big smile one my face :-)

These little ones have been a work-in-progress for what seems like ages – always pushed aside for something else that seemed more urgent at the time. They are meant for two nieces who have both just turned one, and who live at opposite ends of the USA. I’ve finally had a chance to finish them off. They are based on my Happy Chibi Girl pattern with minor changes to make them more toddler-friendly (i.e. no loose clothes or buttons).

Most notable deviation from my original pattern is the face – which was purely unintentional. The original doll (seen here, here, and here) is meant to have a happy, smiling face with eyes closed, as they were based on my daughter (actually, when Ava smiles it seems as if her eyes disappear altogther!). So I got down to working on their faces (I like to make their faces before they’re all sewn up) and realised I was lacking quite a few supplies – like enough black embroidery floss for the eyes and pink embroidery floss for the cheeks. Problem is, it’s impossible for me to get out of the house til later this week and I was determined to finish these dolls off.

So out came the black felt and the only pink felt I had left – a fuschia colour I don’t normally use on faces. And here they are, Happy Chibi Girls Ella and Eliza (named after my two neices). They both stand just over 50cm, and are made from polka-dot cotton, gingham, wool flannel, cotton canvas, and felt.

I was little bit unsure about the final look of the faces when I completed them but now, a few hours later, they’ve grown on me and I’m quite smitten with them -although I really wanted to give them some eyelashes but there just wasn’t enough floss! After a second look, there is something quite Olive & Archie about their eyes (by the way, I am currently resisting the urge to buy their patterns as I know I will end up dropping my whole To-Do list the minute they get into my hands!) Lesson for me is you can never ever have enough black embroidery floss lying around!

And here they are, having a quiet conversation before they are separated and fly off to their individual destinations.

By the way, drop into the Morphe II online shop and get a closer look at some of the wonderful toys that have participated in the show.

Ellia’s swap package arrived and oh, the sweetness of it all! She included so many wonderful goodies!

Below, you’ll see some gorgeous fabric (and so much of it!), what seems like endless notions, and a box of Smores (which I actually requested since they don’t sell them here in Aus). I absolutely love it all and am already thinking up ways to use up all of this goodness. Umm, and yes, the Smores are already half-gone :-)

And here is the best part of the package – one of Ellia’s handmade paper-cut illustrations. My husband and I couldn’t stop gushing about it last night – isn’t it just BRILLIANT? See the little flowers, the tiny bows, the small wings . . .

To be honest, I was expecting one single ballerina but she’s included 2 ballerinas – double the sweetness! I’ve told my daughter, Ava, that it’s a picture of her teaching her younger sister, Aurora, ballet. Ava loves it – but left to her own devices, she would most likely end-up drawing all over it so I’ve had to put it out of reach until I can get a frame :-)

It really is an amzing piece of art and you can only wonder how much patience and skill Ellia must have – in addition to creativity and imagination – in order to make it. Please do drop into Ellia’s shop to see more of her amazing work (especially Miss Quilty!) – and get one for yourself – you’ll love it!

Ellia is one of the sweetest, most charming, and generous people I have had the pleasure of meeting over the world wide web and I am so thankful for the opportunity. Thank you Ellia! I do hope this is only the beginning of a wonderful friendship :-)

A little bit of net surfing this morning over coffee has brought me to some delightful handmade goodies. Hope they bring a smile to your face too!

1) Hector the Giraffe by Two Little Banshees.

2) Escape III Collage by Bird Nerd. (I wish she would make some prints of her collages or greeting cards – I’d snap them up!)

3) Bag by Elotopia

4) Fabric Cuff #14 by Juliana Pinto Da Costa

5) Vintage Cocktail Ring by Original Jewels

Check out their websites/shops for more handmade goodness!

These softies were made for a custom order. A lovely lady from Devon (UK) has bought a heap of stuff from my shop and will be exhibiting/selling them in markets/fairs across Devon over the next few months. Thank you Denaz!

Here’s Sunday the Shmerpi (with her cat) and Shoney the Shmerpi (with her owl):

And here’s Chibi Poppy, carrying a couple of flowers:

And finally, Chibi Nina, in the older version of the Baby Chibi:

And I think, that for a little while, I will stop making Shmerpi and Baby Chibi dolls (except for custom orders). It seems that all my sewing lately has been these little guys and although I do enjoy making them, there is a whole pile of other softie patterns and collages that I’d like to get back into. Plus I think the small break will re-ignite my enthusiasm for them when I start making them again – perhaps in a month or so.

The Little One is already 3 months of age.

How time flies!

Let me start by saying that if you are Ellia or Cristina and you are expecting a swap package from me, please turn away now! :-)

A few months ago, I made Rosa the Rabbit and asked if anyone was interested in a swap for her. At about the same time I came across the amazing paper-cut art of Ellia (otherwise known as Green Bean Baby). So when she let me know that she was interested in a swap, I jumped at the chance! Check out her etsy shop to see just a sample of her wonderful talent. She’ll be sending me a paper-cut illustration for my eldest daughter’s room – can’t wait!

Rosa the Rabbit will be bringing these goodies with her when she goes to live with Ellia – some papers, Aussie chocolates, a fun book for Ellia’s son, a cuff and a ring.

The cuff is made from one of my favourite prints, black lace, and ties together with ribbon. The ring is made from a vintage Czech glass button with gold floral pattern that I purchased from eBay and is attached to an adjustable gold-plated ring blank. I used this easy-peasy button ring tutorial to put it together.

I was also contacted by the very talented Cristina to swap one of my Baby Chibi dolls. Cristina makes gorgeous fabric flowers and charming illustrations – check out her blog. She’ll be sending me some drawings – again to adorn the walls in my daughter’s room.

In return, this is on its way to her. Baby Chibi Tatsumi brings some Aussie chocolates, Aussie calendar & stamps & coins, a few pieces of fabric, and colourful ribbon. I hope she’ll enjoy it all!

And lastly, because (as you may have noticed) I am slowly building up my daughter’s art collection, I received this print I purchased from the awesome Emily of The Black Apple. It’s called “Tea for Two“. Love it.