Vintage wooden-spooled thread:

Early last week my Aunty, who lives in the U.S., contacted me to let me know that she had sent a few of my Grandma’s old sewing supplies to me. What a wonderful surprise! I was super excited.

It finally arrived yesterday and oh my goodness, I seriously almost fainted. The box was huge! For some reason I was expecting a smallish box given the cost of shipping things overseas from the U.S. When I opened it up, this is what greeted me:

I slowly unpacked the box and found -

A container of new and old elastics:

A whole bag of vintage buttons - my Grandma had patiently made most of them in to button necklaces, organised by colour. This was her ’system’ for storing her button collection:

A heap ‘o’ decorative scissors:

A container of vintage ribbons:

And when I opened this container I actually let out a “Holy Cow!” followed by a squeal. If my daughter had not been fast asleep in the next room, I would have yelled out “Her collection of lace trims??!!”

After all the containers were removed, I beheld the bottom of the box which was covered with spools of thread. I pulled out some vintage wooden-spooled thread (above). I am sure that this collection will pretty much last me a life time :-) There were also embroidery hoops, an assortment of needles and this gadget I haven’t yet worked out what to do with yet.

How strange that a box of old sewing supplies can make a grown woman all teary :-) I cannot describe how excited I am to have my Grandma’s old supplies in my possession. She was the first to introduce me to the wonderful world of fabric and sewing, and she and her life continue to be an inspiration to me daily. And if my Aunty is reading this, thanks so much Aunty!!! You have made my entire year :-)

I think I may spend a bit more time exploring the stash before I head to the sewing machine. Oh, and I have been recently hooked on reading this (because I simply love fabric), this (great finds!) and this (am so inspired by the photography! Hope to be back at the end of the week :-)

P.S. Thank you to those who voted for my Babushka doll in the 2nd Annual Softie awards. I missed out in The Cutest Face Category but please go have a look at the wonderful winners!

P.P. S. Thank you for the Peg Bear love! I won’t be stocking more Peg Bears in my shop until after October, but there will be a small number of new Peg Bears in 3 lovely shops by the end of the month - will provide details closer to completion.

Thank you for all the Doddi Bear-love :-)

Softie-making over here has come to an abrupt stop as I have run out of labels! So much for being organised this year :-) Apparently my current order will arrive within the next 38 days. I’m going to start searching for somewhere else that can deliver faster . . .

Anyway, thought I’d share what I’ve been SWOONING over lately:

>> Latest batch of flickr faves:

Credits:
1. Lily and Nickers, 2. Racoon in Daylight, 3. 25 faces, 4. Owl, 5. Gather, 6. Untitled, 7. Dreamscape (Homage to Paul), 8. audrey, 9. Visit the Chan Nursery, 10. fancy, 11. cat, 12. Gota & Gorin Odjur Monster Love=Creature, 13. Thrifted - linen tea towel with robins, 14. cookie jars 2, 15. feeling the change, 16. Twilight Awakening - Painting

>> Loving the artwork of:

1. Meomi
2. Majeak Ann
3. Seaspray Blue
4. Happy Doodle Land

>> Thoroughly enjoying and inspired by the work of Rex Ray found in this book:

It’s been on my Amazon wishlist and I was stoked when I saw it on the shelf at my local Dymocks! One of my goals this year is to get back into creating some mixed media collage. I’ve been flicking through the pages of this book daily and have it open on a different page everyday as it sits by my desk. I love the composition and sense of fluidity but what really gets me are the colours and textures. It’s so difficult to pick my favourite but this one comes pretty close: “Stereoaspicilia”

On my sidebar, you may have noticed a new link to The Needle.org. If you love softies/plush, then this new blog is for you! It is described as “a collaborative website where creators of quality plush can share their work. We straddle that line between art and craft, leaping back and forth willy nilly as it suits us“, and I’m really excited to be a member.

And finally more close to home (and to my heart!), my most recent favourite drawing from Ava, which she has called “My Family . . . and a Duck” :-)

I can’t believe she will be turning 4 in two weeks time! She’s requested a little party in our backyard with a few friends so we’re busily scrambling around trying to make it happen.

First, let me say sincere thanks for all the comments received on my last post about Sian’s new clothes. Not sure what I was thinking when I was writing that up (blame the flu meds I’m taking at the moment), but so glad that you enjoyed reading it :-) I wanted to take a break from writing my usual “This is so-and-so and she is made from yada-yada.”

But since some of you did ask - Sian is made from Terry Fleece which has the texture of Terry Cloth but is so soft and stretchy like fleece. I love it! And yes, she is larger than the normal Shmerpi I make. She’s roughly 48cm (19 inches) tall. Here’s an idea of the difference in size - Sugar is the smaller Shmerpi and is the normal size:

By the way, Sugar the Shmerpi (the purple one above) is now available if anyone would like to adopt her! (As the original customer who requested her no longer wants her). For details, go here.

And yay!!! My doll quilt from the Doll Quilt Swap II has finally arrived:

Isn’t it just gorgeous!! It is made by the multi-talented Jennifer (Mama Urchin) and she has used fabrics from Joel Dewberry’s Chestnut Hill line (better photo here). I love the colours, the mix of patterns, and the wonderful details like the buttons and the french knots. It’s just perfect and now hangs in my little studio (you can even see it as the backdrop for the photo with the Shmerpi creatures above). Thanks so much Jennifer - I really love it!

Another lovely surprise this past week is that the delightful Ellia nominated me for a Rockin’ Girl Blogger award. The word “rockin‘” has certainly never been associated with me so thank you Ellia! :-)

Apparently the rules are:

-place the badge on your blog
-give credit to Roberta (She started the rockin’ blogger awards)
-check out the latest list she has on her site
-pick 5 rockin’ girls of your choice and tag em’

Okay, that last bit was REALLY hard as there are 100+ blog feeds in my Bloglines :-) Narrowing down to just 5 took me a long while, but here they are:

1) Abby Jane from While She Naps: Abby and I have share a few things in common - besides making softies, we both like to make collages too, and we both have 2 daughters (almost the same ages). So I have certainly enjoyed reading her blog over the last 18 months (ever since I started mine) and to see her work develop from softie-making to soft sculptures. And recently she has combined her soft-sculptures WITH collage! Brilliant! I am always inspired when I see her work and I always go to her blog during those rare moments when I feel like I just don’t want to make another soft toy :-)

2) Dawn from Look What I Can Do: I have long admired Dawn’s creations. I just love the way she can transform fabric into endearing creatures. And she has a great eye for fabric. In fact, she has a great eye for colour and form and photography too! And her blog shines with her love for her daughter. And she links to so many great things everytime she posts. And . . . well, I could on and on. Yeah, I think she rocks :-)

3) Kristy from Vintage Pleasure: Kristy was one of the first people who encouraged me when I started out and was one of the first people to buy one of my creations. Her encouragement has been invaluable. I love her blog for many reasons - there’s so much honesty and sincerity when she writes. Her love of all things vintage is infectious! She has a love of life. And I love reading about her daughters and all their creative endeavours. Plus, Kristy’s creations are just gorgeous!

4) Tiel from Tsk Tsk: I just love Tiel’s creativity. Her artwork is so inspiring to me and always brings a smile to my face. Tiel’s mixed media pieces are amazing. Her love of babushka dolls has grown from 2D into 3D, resulting in wonderful babushka softies. If you love birds and babushka dolls, you will love her unique art - check it out here.

5) Pip from Meet Me At Mikes: If you have met Pip in person then I really don’t need to explain :-) Pip is one-of-a-kind. A genuinely kind and generous person with an infectious smile, and a genuine love for vintage and handmade (just check out her shop!). I love popping into her blog as I never know what I’ll find but I’m sure it will be inspiring, cheery, and bright! Just go over there right now and you’ll see exactly what I mean!

So there we are. Please do pop over to their blogs and say hi :-) Meanwhile, I need to get back to some orders - particularly these ones that are patiently waiting for me on my craft table:

I received the “One and the Same” print from Sunberst yesterday and I have to say it makes me SOOO happy!

It is truly gorgeous in person and the quality of the print on matte canvas paper is superb. She also included a beautiful postcard and some fish lollies :-) Thanks so much Beth!

Here are a few other things in blog world that are smile-inducing:

• Kids Week at Print & Pattern - an awesome showcase of kid prints, patterns & illustrations. I love the post on Shinzi Katoh and especially love those mugs!
• This toddler shirt made by Carol at Kidding Around.
• Soft Toy Show by Abby of While She Naps
• Amazing contributions from artists all over the world to the Paper Quilt Project
• Kidlet Wall Pocket by Jennifer of JC Handmade
• Small People Collage series by Marianne of Applehead

And finally, just wanted to say that the 2 puppies, Rufus & Misha, are now up in the shop, plus the brown Bib-&-Burp-Cloth set and this green set as well (which incorporates some of my bird pattern).

I’m really enjoying the “Four Things” meme popping up on all my favourite blogs! Such a treat to know more about fellow crafty bloggers :-)

I’ve managed to get my Christmas presents early this year :-) All I really wanted were a few Japanese craft books and these are the ones that have been added to my small collection:

1) “Simple + One Children’s Clothes Patterns”

After admiring all the wonderful children’s clothes that crafty mums have been sewing over the last few months, I have decided to take up a new challenge next year and that will be making clothes for my 2 girls. It’s something I have been putting off for a while now since it seems so difficult and complex. I purchased this book with the hope that I will learn the basics and will be able to make some simple outfits. I think this is a great starting point - there are 8 patterns, which are the basis for a variety of clothes. And it comes with 33 full-scale patterns.

2) “Bags and Specials with Applique Accents”

The bag on the cover of this book caught my eye. It contains patterns for 48 bags and purses plus the templates for some very cute applique. I’m really looking forward to making a few things from this book. These are a few of my favourites:

3) “Natural Taste Small Fabric Zakka Patterns Book”

I’ve always wanted a book on Zakka and this one has patterns for 74 Zakka items - all of which can be made of fabric scraps. I think it’s another good source for gift ideas.

And before I go, I just wanted to draw your attention to the wonderful work of a few crafters that have kept me smiling all week:

• Kup Kup
• Bags & Pouches by Qpatchwork
• Tsk Tsk Blog
• Telas by Sara Mota
• Mixed Media Paintings by JMC Designs
• And this by Delicious Coma (a different kind of Japanese craft :-))

Enjoy!

Now that Spring has sprung in our part of the world, I’ve been thinking about jazzing up some corners in our home. Problem is, hubby and I don’t exactly share the same tastes in home decor :-) So it will probably take some time to negotiate and agree on anything but in the meantime I can dream about these little gems that I found in an old copy of Inside Out:

>> Love the simple patterns and use of colour of the screenprinted fabrics and wallpaper by Aussie company Publisher Textiles.

>> Love the use of black and white in this corner. Vintage Marimekko fabric is hung on the wall, and flower wallpaper is used on the sideboard. Alternatively, I think you could achieve the same effect with the lovely wall decals from dvider (found via the glorious Print & Pattern blog).

This wallpaper is a great idea for an inspiration wall in your studio (from Chee Soon & Fitzgerald).

And finally something from Ikea. I’ve had my head buried in their latest catalogue (2007). Again, love the use of black and white (page on left) and on the right you’ll see a sample of their current fabric range - so colourful, sweet and simple - love it!

My little newborn has decided to start catnapping during the day which means I’m running into her room every 1/2 hour trying to get her back to sleep. During those moments of calm while I wait for her to wake up again, I’ve stumbled across some awesome creations via Flickr.

Here are some of my favourites:

1. Gorgeous Collage Paper Dolls by Yael Fran.

2. Delightful Paper Illustrations by Green Bean Baby. Her blog includes a tutorial so you make one yourself!

3. Beautiful Paper and Paint Craft by Wishes & Heros:

4. Colourful Rag Dolls by JoyBucket:

Thanks so much for all the great comments about my new fleece softies - such encouragement really goes a long way! They have certainly motivated and inspired me to make a few more while we patiently wait for Baby #2 to arrive. I finally came up with a name for them - a “Shmerpi“, somehow reflecting the fact that they are made from Sherpa Polar Fleece.

So here are the next 3 Shmerpi creatures, from left to right: Saffron, Sanjay, and Sachi.

And here are some close-ups of each. They all have their own softies to cuddle (a cat for Sachi, an owl for Saffron and a ball for Sanjay). Additional images are available in my Flickr Gallery.

I also whipped up a few tags. All three Sanjay the Shmerpi creature is now available in my shop. (The other 2 have now been sold - thnak you!)

I’ve also been meaning to make something as a thank you for a fellow craft blogger whose blog is the reason I started this crafting journey in the first place. I stumbled across her blog by mistake - I was looking for a duck-shaped birthday cake on Google and was directed to this great website. I flicked through her links and came across this website - which, most of you probably drop into on a regular basis.

Claire’s blog simply inspired me - not just her gorgeous softie creations but the way she weaved creativity into her (and her daughter’s) everyday life. I have never met her (even thought we live in the same city!) but she seems like a genuinely sweet and kind person and her blog continues to inspire me daily. If it weren’t for her blog, I wouldn’t have tried to make a softie for her Month of Softies meme, and I would never have discovered the joy of expressing my creativity through making handmade items, whether softies, collages, bags or pillows.

So here is Skylar the Shmerpi, soon to be on her way to the fabulous Loobylu, and hopefully Skylar will find a spot to settle into in the new nursery.

1st June marks the first day of winter in Australia. It also marks the start of the Guardian Angel Knitting Program (which runs until 31st August). This winter Guardian Pharmacies are encouraging knitters to make scarves and jumpers for the needy in Mongolia, which will be delivered by World Vision Australia. Go to the Guardian Angel website for more details and free patterns to download.

The last time I picked up knitting needles was 3 years ago and I produced a very wonky (and way too short) scarf! I’m hoping to somehow contribute to this worthy cause even if it takes me all winter to learn how to knit properly :-) If you’re a beginner knitter like me, you might want to drop into these knitting blogs for a good dose of inspiration:

• Yarnstorm (Knitting Category)
• Knot Without My Knitting (Knitting Projects Gallery)
• Booga J (Knitting Category)
• Naive Knitting (Knitting Category)
• Knitted Robots by Jess Hutch
• Whip Up (Knitting Category)

Softie inspiration has come in buckets today!

First up, I found out that the Morphe 2 Softie Exhibition is happening in Adelaide this October! I have a few original softie patterns that I haven’t yet tried out so I am hoping to give them a go and include them in my application. Of course, I have no expectations whatsoever that I will actually secure a spot as an Exhibitor but it never hurts to try :-)

Carly has also made available a pattern of her adorable Mini-Moopy Bunny, free to download from her blog. It’s a good pattern for softie-crafters of all skill levels and there’s so much scope for making each one unique. Go check it out!

And after some craft blog surfing I stumbled across the wonderful Madame Trapo (aka Eglair Quicolli) from Brazil. There is no other word to describe her dolls except for AMAZING! When I saw her Yoko dolls, I almost fell off my chair - and then I saw this:

Such wonderful detail, creativity, whimsy and colour! She even makes Ninja dolls! Please visit her shop to see all her creations.

I’m so completely inspired at the moment - I foresee a weekend full of softie activity for me (and it helps that today is my last day at work - maternity leave here I come!).