Two fawns were finally completed this week. Fifi is made of a red wool cashmere and vintage fabric (from Dawn):

And Figaro is made from wool-blend suiting:

(Pics have been edited using Picnik)

The unnamed Happy Chibi Girl was also dropped off at Mikes this morning for Mirabel. She was a lot of fun to put together and I am hoping to make a few more yarn-haired dolls. I used a 50/50 cotton/wool blend mix for her hair. I am sure her recipient will bestow her with the perfect name :-)

It was lovely to have a quick catch-up with Cam and Pip again at their shop and I even got to meet the super-talented Mr Ghost Patrol in person :-) Speaking of Mikes, I finally have all my Christmas gift-shopping done (and am starting the less-fun task of wrapping).

Most of my shopping was done online after accepting the fact that there was no way I was going to have time to make gifts this year. Here’s some of the loot I bought from here, here, here, here and here - all very highly recommended!

Buy handmade this Christmas! :-) Happy December!

Wow, I am exhausted. What a weekend it has been! I wasn’t planning on posting until later in the week but I am still buzzing from the excitement and wanted to get my thoughts down before I forget :-)

Firstly, it was such a pleasure to finally meet Helen (who runs Pattern Press). Helen is an amazing craftswoman in her own right (see her work here) and she did an amazing job pulling the booth together and getting everything organised for the AQM. She’s been so enouraging and so helpful - I feel truly blessed to be working with her.

The Quilted Crow - Leonie & Deirdre - also have their patterns under Pattern Press and it was an honour to be sharing the booth with them both. Their creations in wool are just incredible. It’s something you need to see up close. You can’t help but reach out and touch the scarves, the quilts, the pin cushions, etc. And Leonie & Deidre were so incredibly warm and kind too!

Being a part of the AQM was a wonderful and memorable experience. It was a real treat to be able to talk to people face-to-face about my softies, about how they were made, and generally to see the instant (and positive) reaction (that you don’t really experience through the internet). Thanks for all your well wishes!

And today, I had one of the most wonderful experiences. I was told that Ms Amy Butler was in a booth just around the corner, chatting to fellow booth-holders. I really, really wanted to drop in and say hello but was suddenly overcome with what I can only describe as being ‘star-struck‘. For about half-an-hour, I kept peering around the corner to see if she was still there and then thinking about how on earth I would start a conversation! My mind was completely blank.

Finally, thanks to a suggestion by Helen’s daughter, I went off and bought Amy’s book (since I didn’t have anything ‘Amy Butler‘ with me at the time as I had no idea she was actually going to be there!). I then lined up at her booth, knees feeling like jelly, and silently hoping I would be able to talk to her in cohesive sentences.

So finally it was my turn and you know what? Amy was soooo approachable, so warm, so friendly and so genuine. We talked about inspiration, Melbourne, and the importance of family. I even had the cheek to show her some of my softie patterns :-) But wow - she was just so easy to talk to and the nervousness slipped away in no time.

Of course I forgot to bring my camera, but she did sign my book and also gave me a little booklet on her new fabric line. I even got a hug :-) I can honestly say that she has a lifetime fan in me :-)

The mosaic up there is of the Pattern Press booth - you can see all the photos here.

Ever since we moved the clock forward last week for Daylight Savings, I feel like I am always running a day behind! Thanks to MissK for the fun “This is” theme this past week - “This is my current reading material“.

And here is mine (a day late):

This theme is actually very timely as 3 of the 4 books above arrived from Amazon just last week! I am still reading this fabulous book, one chapter at a time whenever I get a quiet moment. The first book from Amazon is “The Boss of You” by Lauren Bacon & Emira Mears. I’ve read a lot of good buzz about this book around the crafty blogs but haven’t as yet gone past the first page (not because of the book, just because there are only 24 hours in one day!). I’m hoping to get stuck into it at the end of the month.

The next one I picked just because I totally adored the pics one of my fave bloggers, Danielle, posted up on her blog. It’s “Complete Embellishing” by Kayte Terry (previously a Visual Manger for Anthropologie and freelancer for Adorn magazine).

The projects are just soooo good - everything from garments, to accessories and home furnishings. Here’s a snippet of a few things I am hoping to try (adding a mod-squad collar to a t-shirt; making an argyle vest out of an old plaid wool vest; scarf made from dyed doilies; and felt silhouette pillowcases):

And it’s a fantastic resource for embellishing in general as well. In fact, the first half of the book covers sewing, sculpting fabric, embroidery, crochet, trims, felting, beads & baubles, applique, fabric printing and painting/etching. I can’t wait to try out the techniques and projects on some of my clothes, the girls’ clothes, and even on a few softies!

And the other book that is on high rotation with the girls (and I keep by my bedside because I love the pictures!) is “ABCs” by illustrator Charley Harper. Just take a look at the inside cover - stunning:

Besides catching up on some books, I have been doing a whole lotta sewing. Not much to show you yet though as they are still going through the stuffing process (and I can’t believe I bought 5kgs of stuffing today to cover the next few weeks!). But here’s one little gal who escaped from the studio - Myrtle the Big-Headed Turtle:

She’s a little shy about having such a huge cranium so I made her a little bonnet to distract from that fact :-) If all goes well, the pattern for her will be available in a few months.

In other news, you may notice the new banner up at the top of my blog. My solo show has ended and my little website has its first sponsor - Burdastyle! This is a fantastic website for all things sewing - free patterns, how-tos, tips, and an awesome community. I love checking in on their fabric/textile projects section to find some inspiration and ideas - this section is also a great resource if you are looking for projects for gifts or a handmade Christmas. Be sure to wander over!

Okay, back to the business of stuffing!

Thanks to Bug and Pop* for this week’s “This Is” theme - “This is what I want to be when I grow up“.

I mentioned a few posts ago that I want to be Beci Orpin when I grow up :-)

{Beci Orpin. Image credit: Outre Gallery}

Well, of course, not actually be her or be exactly like her but I think more to be engaged creatively and make stuff on a full-time basis, in a number of different mediums; and to fully develop my own style and have that translate across the different mediums; and to do it well. Like she does. I think that’s what I meant :-) And then there’s my little secret wish - no so secret anymore - which is to quit my job and study Textile Design. But that is still many years away I think.

It’s kind of funny that this is the theme this week because I just started reading “The Divided Heart” by Rachel Power (as recommended by Claire and a few other creative Mums) and so far I am nodding in agreement at the end of every page. Sometimes I cringe because it has spoken so clearly and so honestly about feelings I would have never admitted to anyone - those feelings that arise during moments of excruciating frustration, juggling motherhood and the desire to be freely engaged in a creative process (and feeling like a complete failure at both). And it’s got me thinking about what I really want to work towards - “what I want to be when I grow up” - which is something like what I’ve written up there. But I’m still figuring it out and still thinking about what little thing I can do everyday during those spare minutes to bring it into fruition.

So before I start heading off on a tangent, I highly recommend the book for all creative Mums and Mums-to-be. Lots - LOTS - of food for thought and so many amazing insights- and I’m only up to the 3rd chapter!

Okey dokey, so back to making stuff :-) Babushka Soft Doll #2 was completed a few days ago - made from vintage Japanese kimono scraps and wool felt:

I spent last Friday out and about with the girls, including a trip to Hudson so that they could see the show (they loved it :-)). A few things we collected from the day: cutie-pie brooches from Lark (from Dymocks in the city), a key chain from Heidi’s Yummy Breakfast collaboration with kidrobot, and Yoshimoto Nara postcard (both from Hudson), and the cutest little owl in my favourite kind of green that Nikki brought back from Japan (thanks Nikki!).

* By the way, check out Bug and Pop’s new shop of super cute kids clothes!

I was stoked to be invited to participate in Super Plush - a plush show to be held in Los Angeles later this month at Ghettogloss and organised by Narumi Ogawa (of Misterr Funky fame). It’s a real treat to be exhibiting in the company of such talented and amazing plush-makers:

It’s been a week of the flu and nasty sinus problems in our home, so I’m very happy to have finally sent these three owls to Super Plush: left to right - Ozzy, Osmond and Ohio

I challenged myself to use only what I had on hand, so out came some vintage cotton and barkcloth; faux fur; scraps of wool felt; and even some jewelry odds and ends from my long-forgotten jewelry-making stint ;-)

Ohio’s a Captain who likes to remind everyone of his glory days in the Owl Army:

Osmond is an official campaigner for Kewpie for President in 2008. Vote for change. Kewte change.

And Ozzy’s - well, he’s just Ozzy. Faux-hawk and all.

How cool that DJ Lance Rock will be at the opening night! My girls absolutely love Yo Gabba Gabba - in fact thanks to that show they are trying new foods because apparently the show taught them that if “you try it, you’ll like it!“. Thanks Yo Gabba Gabba for making meal-times a little easier :-)

And on my desk tonight, a pile of vintage Japanese kimono scraps to sort through for my next project. Also, three gorgeous handmade tags from the lovely Steffen - seriously, too gorgeous to use as tags so I will keep them as bookmarks :-)

Check out Steffen’s beautiful creations here.

Two owls on tree-stumps are ready for the show:

Made from assorted fabric prints, wool flannel, super-soft fake fur, and wool felt.

And the girls wanted to get into the photo shoot too :-)

Also, an owl print for the show:

I’ve got one week to go before I do the whole install/set-up thing for the little exhibition. I am excited, nervous, tired, giddy and everything in between :-) I still have a bunch of things to finish so I’m feeling the (self-imposed) pressure but it is good pressure/good stress - I’m not complaining!

Thanks to Potty Mouth Mama for the “This Is” theme this week - “This is my favourite children’s book“. This was a tough one as books were certainly one of my loves as a child, but I think I would have to say that all of the Peter Rabbit books by Beatrix Potter were my most favourite and had a huge impact on developing my imagination. I also loved Snugglepot & Cuddlepie by May Gibbs and I read the Ramona books (by Beverly Cleary) over and over again :-)

Given that my brain is just about the consistency of Jello at the moment, for the rest of this week I’ll just be posting up pictures of stuff as I finish them and the let the pictures do the talking. I hope to be back next Sunday with all the details on the show and some postcards to give away.

On my (computer) desk today is a recently completed fawn for the show:

I’ve been wanting to make a fawn for a few months now and the show gave me the perfect excuse to give it a go. I googled images of fawn(s) in the wild and sketched the shape, breaking it down into a simpler form. After sketching her, I drew up the pattern and thankfully she all came together very easily. She’s quite large, standing almost 50cm tall. This is the first time I’ve made something with four legs that can stand on it’s own, so I’m really happy with her.

She’s made from wool-blend (hounds-tooth?) suiting, wool flannel and wool felt. We were blessed with a beautiful sunny afternoon yesterday so I took her outside in the backyard for a few more photos:

Fabric for two more fawn are on my desk, ready to be worked on tonight :-)

Woodland Boy #2 is also near completion and he couldn’t resist the afternoon sun, so he ventured outside with us too:

I also received more fabric from Spoonflower with some of my designs and I hope to post up pics later on in the week.

Hope you’re having a lovely Wednesday!

Thank you for all your encouraging words on my last post. They were like a great big virtual hug and they definitely made me feel better - thank you!

Something else has happened in the last 48 hours that has given me a good kick up the backside to get things going again - we found our new home! I thought selling the house was a big relief, but knowing that we actually have somewhere to go and live is an even bigger relief :-)

It’s funny because as you may know, the rental market in Melbourne is pretty crazy at the moment and very competitive - lots of demand and not enough supply. We inspected a house just this past Saturday and fell in love with it. On Monday morning, I went to the Agent’s office to submit our application, truly believing we wouldn’t be successful given the current state of the market - in fact, I almost talked myself out of going altogether but needed an excuse to get out of the house for a while.

So I was completely stunned when they called me Monday afternoon to say that our application had been successful! Then it sunk in that we have a little over a month to pack everything up, clean up and move out. And just as suddenly I was motivated to work on all the WIPs :-)

The Peggies are coming along. On my desk are 24 little Peg Bear arms and 24 Peg Bear ears, and the “Divine Discontent” CD by Sixpence None the Richer, which I stumbled across when cleaning up one of my cupboards and has been on repeat ever since:

Walking back from the Agent’s office, Aurora and I came across a sweet little Op Shop. I was looking for some fabric (of course) but it stocked mostly clothes, and I came away with these for the girls:

Two cute little red cardigans (one made of lambswool) and one extremely charming hand-knit sweater, all in excellent/like-new nick. And can you believe, total cost was $3!! Yup, $1 each. I am hoping to add some appliqué to the red cardigans and perhaps a big felt flower brooch for the knit sweater.

There were also amazing wool plaid coats in fantastic condition. They were only $4 each. I grabbed two of them with the intention of cutting into them and using them for softies, but was suddenly overcome with a sense of guilt. What if someone actually needed these coats (especially in this cold weather) and there I was, intending to use them for softies?! So I quickly put them back on the rack and paid for the cardigans and sweater before I could convince myself otherwise.

So if you’re in need of some good quality clothing at unbelievable prices, I highly recommend it! St Paul’s Op Shop, 215 Union Road in Ascot Vale (near the corner with Maribyrnong Road).

P.S. Check out the new blog by Gemma and Pip all about the best crafty spots in Melbourne - Craft City. Very excited about this - now I know the best places to go during my lunch-times!

Hey there! I wasn’t anticipating being away for a week but preparing for the Crammed Organisms show has taken up most of my time (in addition to visiting schools for Ava who will be starting Prep next year. And yay, we found one we love and she was offered a place!). These last few days have brought back memories of cramming for assessments at Uni, trying to get everything in on time :-)

I struggled a little bit with the theme of the show, which is Fable, Folk, Fairy, not because I couldn’t think of anything - the problem was there were too many ideas in my head! What I did know is that I wanted to make something different from my usual style of softie.

I finally decided to go down the path of “Fable” for two pieces. I have always loved Aesop’s Fables and have been wanting for the longest time to have an excuse to do a conjoined softie, so these came to be:

The Lion and the Mouse front and back:

The Tortoise and the Hare front and back:

I used some thick, textured, scamp sherpa fleece for the front of the bodies and re-claimed vintage barkcloth (which used to be curtains I believe) from Jen for their backs. I’ve made tags for them which include the fable on which they are based. They involved a lot more hand-sewing than what my wimpy hands are accustomed too but I am happy with the way they have turned out.

For the next two pieces I went with the folklore of the man-beast that exists in many places around the world (e.g. Bigfoot, Yeti, Sasquatch, Yeren, Yowie, etc.). So for the remaining two pieces I think I leant towards the directions of “creepy-cute” and came up with these:

Hungry Li’l Boy-beast:

Hungry Li’l Girl-beast:

They are both made from fake-fur, wool felt, and wool flannel, plus assorted fabric for their reversible bibs and soft cutlery - because despite being half-beast, they do insist on maintaining some decorum when enjoying their meals (heehee!).

I’m relieved and very happy that they are done although after weighing them all, I’ve just realised that postage to the USA is going to be a killer! Though I shouldn’t be surprised given that these 4 pieces easily consumed over 1kg of stuffing :-) I’m looking forward to seeing what all the other participants have come up with - just look at the amazingness of the submissions by Heidi and Robyn - WOW!!!

Okey-dokey, back to sewing the rest of the April shop update and a few side projects. By the way, if you live in the USA and would like a chance to win Peg Bear Pop, enter the competition here on Indie-Pendence before April 30th!

Happy weekend! (And happy ANZAC Day to all the Aussies!)

To coincide with One Red Robin’s participation in this month’s Poppytalk Virtual Handmade Market, my shop will be updated this Tuesday (15th April AEST) evening with the following:

Baby Chibi Doll Naomi:

Made from a delicious vintage folksy fabric which Kristy generously sent my way.

Baby Chibi Doll Carys:

Made from a gorgeous vintage (1960’s) print from Retro Vintage Fabrics.

And 5 Peg Bunnies, featuring limited edition screen-prints from 5 very talented independent Aussie Designers:

(Left to right: Shannon Lamden, Kristen Doran, Danielle Smeets, Lara Cameron, and Bianca Van Meeuwen). These Peg Bunnies have either terry fleece or minky fleece tummies and ears, and are backed with a cream wool flannel or a grey wool flannel. More solo pics of each Peg Bunny will be over at my flickr and in my shop on Tuesday.

I hope to have Part 2 of the update ready by the end of this month and it will include some Peg Bears, a Doddi Bear or 2, and 2 Happy Chibi Girls. Please note that this will be my last major shop-update until October this year, so that I can focus on a few other projects. I will only be updating the shop between now and October to restock patterns and prints as required.

Thanks to Lily and Agathe, this week’s “This Is” theme is “This Is . . . My Perfect Dinner Party Guest List“. The deal is to choose 6 people and explain why they would be invited. Here’s my list:

I would love the pick the brains of these inspirational people to know more about what motivates,inspires and informs their creativity:

1. J.R.R. Tolkien
2. C.S. Lewis
3. Shinzi Katoh
4. Mary Blair

And I would also invite my Grandma Betty, who at 94, is still the life of any party. Being a Seamstress, she was the first to introduce me to a love of fabric and design and I wish I could spend time with her more often (she lives in California). I would also love to invite my cousin Genelle, who also lives in California. She’s a kindred spirit and we just can’t seem to stop laughing when we’re together :-)

Wishing you all a happy week ahead!