Just Playing...

Having finished all the Christmas commissions early, I'm left with a bit of time on my hands.  An opportunity to make a few things for my own pleasure - doesn't happen often these days!  This funny bear is from a pattern sent to me by a friend - I couldn't resist him, with his big tummy and goofy expression.  It  only took one ball of wool and a couple of evenings knitting.

I also wanted to crochet some snowflakes and make a mobile - turned out very nicely although impossible to photograph in situ.  (Please notice the cute little bird clock we picked up in Ikea the other day....)

Meanwhile on the easel is a wolf - acrylics on board.  This is the very early stages, basically still just blocking in.  Should keep me occupied in the run up to Christmas!

Teddy Goes To School

Remember a poor little half-made teddy about three months ago? Well, I have finally finished him - I am ashamed to say it only took half an hour to sew up his arms and attach all his limbs, so he's been hanging around all that time for nothing really.  Then I knitted him a little school jumper and made him some grey felt trousers as his bare (bear) bottom didn't look right - I know there are some kids who wander round our school trouserless on occasion, but he doesn't have to be one of them!

He is going to be a small gift for someone who is leaving who I know collects teddies.

Our blackbird babies have hatched - I can hear them cheeping up in the nest.  No chance of getting a better photo though - I don't want to scare off the mother at this late stage.  Now, if we can keep the magpies at bay and make sure Clovis is supervised in the garden when they fledge, they might have a fighting chance of surviving this time.

Cloaked in Secrecy....

I'm sorry - I've been a bad blogger this week and it's not because I have nothing to show, it's because most of it is to be kept quiet for now.  Not this bear however - but unfortunately this is as far as I have got with him, as I have had no spare time.

A great deal of my time has been spent knitting ducks and honing the pattern into a legible version that normal people would be able to follow.  Two down, two to go.......

I've also been knitting some little things for the animated film, but will not be showing them.

The garden is coming to life and I really should have spent some time out there this week, but what with the knitting and the day job, I was tired and unenthusiastic.  These flowers are rather lovely - I can't remember their exact name, but they are Easter something-or-others and I am very impressed that their internal calendar has ensured they flowered a week before Easter.  I wonder if that works no matter what time of year Easter falls......

It is the Easter Break now which means 2 weeks away from the day job, so perhaps I can re-charge my batteries and be a bit more creative!

There, There, Bear....

Instead of getting on with boring stuff paid work yesterday, I took a little time out to dress the bear. Her dress is hand-stitched from some pretty floral cotton, with ribbon trim around the neck and back opening.  The dress is fastened with a snap fastener and has a tiny pink button.

I'm afraid her bow is stitched to her head - I whispered an apology as I stabbed her little kapok brain with the needle, but there is no other way of attaching such adornments to a bear with no hair!

She'll be going into the Etsy shop later today.  I really want to spend more time sewing these tiny felt bears but with another list of knitted articles to be getting on with, I just don't know when.

Bare Bear

Over the past year my Etsy shop has been a bit neglected.  It used to have lots of little felt mascots and toys, which sold well and I had fun making them.  With the amount of other work I have had recently, there hasn't been much time for sewing - and that's a shame. 

So this week, while I have had some free afternoons for a change, I have made a start on a little project that's been in the back of my mind for a few weeks ever since I got the exciting bundle of remnant fabrics from Taiwan.  I want to make some tiny bears and give them pretty dresses to wear.  The first one is in white and she is still naked, although her limb joints are adorned with some tiny flower buttons. 

I've also just received a big bundle of felt in all sorts of wonderful colours that you just don't see in craft shops (not in our neck of the woods anyway) so there is no excuse not to squeeze in a bit of sewing here and there.

On the needles.......it's a duck.  Of course it is.

Faery Beary

Did you ever have a project that started off as something quite simple and then just took it's own direction during construction into something far more complicated?  My original intention was a simple mini teddy that might be suitable for a Christmas ornament. 

 Then, after playing around with ribbons, lace and felt, it seemed a good idea to put her in a tutu........

 ....with leg-warmers (hand-knitted of course!)....and a scarf............

Then I thought I'd finished...but what little girl who is dressing up in a tutu doesn't want wings as well?  And if you have wings, you have got to have a halo too......and if you look closely, she has a teeny-tiny silver bracelet.

This bear is just under 4 inches tall (10 cm) and sewn out of felt.  Her limbs are thread jointed with tiny buttons at each joint.  The leg-warmers and scarf are knitted from pure Shetland wool, and the tutu is sewn from felt and Chilean lace.  Her wings and halo are felt embroidered with silver silk thread made at Whitchurch Silk Mill - so all in all, she's a pretty special young lady. 

She will be going into my Etsy shop later today, along with the latest knitted dog set and the turaco painting.

Just a quick reminder,  if any of you have been thinking about commissioning me for a toy/painting/knitted item as a Christmas present, please get in touch fairly quickly -  time is moving at a fast pace and during December I am generally pretty busy with my own Christmas preparations/craft fairs/day job so better grab me while I am still relatively free!

Saturday Sewing Marathon

For the first time in I don't know how long, a Saturday devoid of potatoes to paint! So I put the time to good use and got some sewing and finishing off done. This little bear has been cold and naked for months - now he has a smart hand-knitted jumper with felt heart applique.


This little Jack Russell pup has been homeless and hungry for months - now he has a bed and a good supply of food to keep him going.


Eight purses, lined in felt and sewn together awaiting their zipper charms or buttons.

All in all, a very productive day!

By the way, the bear and puppy will be on Etsy later on in the day.

Who's Been Eating My Porridge?

I really like this little bear pattern, so decided to make another one but in a light brown. This time, I thought he deserved a few home comforts, so he has a cosy green chair with a tiny yellow flower button on the seat.


He also has a nice bowl of porridge with a red-handled spoon and of course couldn't be without his cuddly bunny.


The bear is 10 cm high (4 inches) with fully poseable button-jointed limbs. He will go on to Etsy later in the day.

It has been a strange week, not having any commissions on the go for the first time in over 6 months. I have been working on a water-colour painting of some swans and it has felt good to get back to my own choice of subject. I've also been given some fantastic photographs of African animals in the wild which I am dying to get started on too - look out for more zebras!

Tiny Oatmeal Bear

I thought it time I tried out some of the many and varied Nuigurumi patterns in the books I was given at Christmas. After sitting for a couple of hours gazing at the choices indecisively, I finally opted for a very small bear.


You can see from the comparison with a 50p coin how very tiny she is! She's made in oatmeal coloured felt, with button jointed limbs, so is fully poseable. I didn't like the patterns for felt clothes, so knitted her a little dress from some 'Harry Potter' sock yarn and decorated it with some minute pink flower buttons.

This was a lot of fun to do - I loved how the stuffing made the bear compact and brought out the lovely shaping of the pattern.

So now she's looking for a home - she'll be on Etsy later in the day.

Despite the Confusion....

It's a busy time at home, but I have still found the opportunity to get on with some crafting. The above is a very small knitted bear, made with pale blue baby yarn (thank you free stash!) on size 14 needles - there goes my eyesight.... She is in a (removeable) pink felt dress, embroidered with tiny blue flowers and a ribbon corsage. Looking for a home, £10 + P&P
This little chap already has a home and will be on his way there very shortly. It's a little felt dragon I made by way of a swap with Sybille at Magpie Magic. In return she has made me the most fantastic necklace with a marine theme (you know that is my weakness...) and I am so excited. You can have a look at it here, as well as the rest of Sybille's simply amazing jewellery.

And as the dragon will be going to Sybille's son, I thought she should have a little something for herself. The above is a felt daisy brooch, embroidered, and I am so pleased with it. Ever since making separate daisies for decorating a bear, I have thought about turning the idea into jewellery and am thrilled that it worked so well. There will be more in this style - if you would like something similar, let me know.

I have been working on a commission (not quite ready to show as need a couple of findings) and then got carried away making the above. It is a plethora (!) of glass leaves, flowers, AB beads and vintage brass charms - leaves and a humming bird - all hung on an antique-look chain. Very pretty when worn and produces the requisite tinkling noise as you move! £15 + P+P

Don't forget the 200th post giveaway - still waiting for more than two people to enter!

Daisy Bear & Tiny Mouse, plus latest commission

I've been dipping into the free mohair again and made another pink bear, fuzzy this time. She has turned out a bit bigger than previously, and I have dressed her in a pink gingham dress trimmed with rosy ribbon, and she has a hand-stitched felt daisy in her hand and one by her ear.
As you can see by the detailed photo, there is also a little ladybird visiting the daisy. This one is £12 + p&p

After finishing the bear, I decided (as the bag of felt was beside me...) to make another of the little Japanese mascots - a mouse this time. I don't know if you can judge the size by the picture, but his head is about the size of a 50p coin. More felt mascots to come as I am finally getting towards the end of various commissions and really must make up some stock for all the craft fairs I've blythely signed up for in the coming months!

Finally, here is the completed portrait I have been working on over the past couple of weeks. These lads belong to a lady I work with and she was very specific as to how she wanted this done - I hope I have achieved it! It has been drawn in sanguine pencil, which would have been a lot easier of the children weren't both really blonde and fair-skinned! Had to add a bit of black in the darker places to give it some 'oomph' or the whole thing would have been very insipid. Now I have to wait until after the Easter break to find out if she likes it....

P.S. Coming up to my 200th post - good grief, already?? Considering a giveaway - let me know what you think it should be this time........

Pink Knitted Teddy

Although I have been working as much as ever, I don't seem to have much to show on here lately. I have been making a bed for the previous knitted dog, as well as continuing the pencil portrait commission. There has also been a fair amount of turmoil going on behind the scenes at home but I don't need to go into that here.

Friday I came home from work with another two large carrier bags full of yarn from the same source as before. Not just mohair this time, but some lovely baby wool and some cotton look yarn too. So I set about making the above as I had found the pattern in amongst my stash the other day and fancied a change from crochet teddies.


She was finished last night and I had obviously concentrated on it far too much as I dreamt I was still making her and also making her a dress. So when I got up this morning I decided to actually make the dress - having a free day today, as we were under virtual house-arrest due to a half-marathon which is run annually in our town closing most of the roads and making it impossible for us to go anywhere as our house is 100 yards from the start/finish. It is all hand-stitched and ties in a bow with the ribbon at the back. You can see the scale from the 50p coin in her lap. She has fully jointed limbs and an overload of cuteness! £10 + p&p

Jasper & His Mini-Me

I seem to have been a bit rubbish at blogging lately - very busy but not much to show for it here. I have, however, made this little grey chenille teddy who is very cute with a bit of an aged look to him. He is for sale - same price as previous bears (can't remember off the top of my head!!!)








Then I knitted a little dog using up a small ball of brown stretchy mohair, and when I started to sew him together, I saw a startling resemblance...









...to my little mutt Jasper! Especially when I brushed out the fluffy wool and pulled it into the same beardy shape as Jasper's head. I am still in the process of making his accessories.

I'm afraid Jasper is not co-operating here as there have been gun shots behind our house all afternoon and he is in the middle of a nervous crisis. (No, it's not Hampshire gang-wars, more likely clay pigeon shooting or bird-scaring on the farm) The older he gets, the worse loud noises seem to affect him - fireworks just about finish him off for a week and he gets colitis (a nervous complaint). We just have to let him hide behind the sofa for as long as he wants, making sure he eats and goes out for a toilet break inbetween the fusilades! Poor little chap was a stray in London during the first week in November (Guy Fawkes Night celebrations here in the UK, big firework displays) and even though that was about 12 years ago, he has never got over it.

I have just acquired a mountain of mohair yarn - don't ask me how, but it is honestly come by - and already have requests for scarves from work-mates. There is also a blue elephant half knitted and another bird painting sketched out.....now if only I could master the art of doing it all at the same time.......

Fuzzy-Wuzzy was a bear...

Just using up some bits of stretchy mohair....bear £5, dog & basket £7.50

Break for a Bear....

Very small crochet bear in spicy coloured random yarn, with an orangey scarf - he's abut 4 inches tall. £6 + p&p

My Poor Eyes......

Here he is, my smallest crochet teddy bear yet, finished and ready for action and I think I may never see straight again! I'm amazed this got done as it has a strangely soporific effect on me - I fell asleep while making him again last night.

I'm not too sure what will happen to him - I'm thinking keyring/phone charm. My lovely son told me I should make lots of them as he is sure they'd sell (bless him for his faith in my abilities!) but I don't know whether my eyesight would last the distance!

I'm awaiting an Amigurumi book from Amazon - this really is becoming a bit of an obsession! However, I think it will be back to beading today - so many crafts, so little time....