Christmas Robin....

Have just made this Christmas Robin for my niece using this Hooty and Tweet Pattern by Melly and Me:

http://mellyandme.typepad.com/photos/designs_by_melly_me/hooty_tweet_email.html#tp :

I think the pattern is meant to be for making an owl but I think it's worked really well for a robin too!!  I tried to make it look funky with it's stripey tights and my niece loves the fact I added bells to it's feet!!!  It should look really cute sitting on the mantel piece at Christmas.  I sewed a ribbon in the top of it's head and I think it also looks cute hanging from a door handle! 

This robin even ventured out into the garden to hang out in a tree!

And an update on a work in progress... the personalised cushion I am making for my niece as part of her Christmas present...this is it so far...

...the front will be her initial appliqued onto a patterned fabric of hearts and the back - for now, as I am not sure whether I am entirely happy with it - is this little girl holding a heart which is based on this pure innocence stamp by Heather Ellis

http://heather-ellis.co.uk/page2.htm

Luvly Fabrics!...

I have just taken delivery of some fabrics I ordered from
http://fabricrehab.co.uk/

Am really pleased with them...they are gorgeous!

I am planning to buy this chair from
http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/rosegreyinteriors/product/child_s_heart_chair 
for my two year old niece for Christmas...it matches her "big girl's bed" her Mum and Dad have recently bought her and I thought it would look lovely with a little cushion on it!! 

I have bought a 30cm x 30m cushion pad and plan to design a double-sided applique cushion for her from these fabrics!!As you can see, the fabrics only arrived yesterday and I have already done the first side of the cushion...an applique initial of my niece's first name!!...I have chosen the fabric for the other side of the cushion...the pink with white spots...but I am still deciding on the design!!

I am quite pleased with it but quite nervous as I am hoping to pop an invisible zip in...something I have never done before!!...fingers crossed!!

I also got these fabrics from

http://www.eternalmaker.com/

...I needed a bright stripey pattern for a Christmas Robin I am planning to make for my two year-old niece...I wanted it to have some funky stripey tights to wear!!!

Mali

I have been having a sort out of some old photos and found some from a visit to Mali in 2005!...it was my first and only visit to Africa and despite the heat and dust I loved it!  The country was really interesting and the people were so lovely!...I hope you enjoy looking at these photos!

Above: We travelled by boat up a river to Timbuktu...this is a mosque at one of our stops en-route!...the people in the foreground are just making their way back from washing at the riverbank.

Above: The largest mud building in the world, Djenne.

I saw a picture of this building and this is what inspired the trip!...I just had to see it!

Above: Dogon country

Above: Lady carrying a bucket on her head, Djenne

Above: Sheep, Djenne!...so cute!

Hope you enjoyed these photos!

Goodbye Summer...Hello Autumn!

It's sad to see the long evenings disappear...I would say the lovely long hot days too but as we have never had them this summer we won't miss them now Autumn is here!! On the positive side the leaves on the trees are changing colour and the autumnal scenery is lovely!

Above: Autumnal path, Loughrigg near Ambleside

Below: View to Lake Windermere from Loughrigg

 Above: Views from Loughrigg

Below: Autumnal leaves on the ground

Alternative 60th Birthday Card!

I sewed this heart by hand as an alternative to a 60th birthday card and presented it to the recipient in a box!  I just stuffed it with stuffing but a nice alternative idea may have been to stuff with lavendar or even aroma beads scented with her favourite perfume!...maybe next time!

Projects new and projects to finish!.....

I started this advent calendar way back in February but put it to one side and am thinking it really must be time to get it out again and finish ready for the start of December!

It's from a Mandy Shaw pattern http://www.dandeliondesigns.co.uk/, so finger's crossed it should eventually end up looking something like this.......

Talking of Christmas!...on the back of Miss Polly Poppet I have been asked to make a Tin Tin doll for a four year old for Christmas!...am busy doing some research and hope to be able to come up with something that could pass as Tin Tin!!.......

Watch this space!!!............

Miss Polly Poppet now has a carry-cot!

I found a pattern for a carry-cot in "Applique for Little Ones" by Sylvie Blondeau...Polly fits perfectly!!!

It's a lovely book with some lovely ideas!



Plus...following on from Saturday's post I have managed to change Luvly's background and using http://www.colourlovers.com/ I now have a cute new background for my blog!  Am so pleased with it!

Cute website for blog designing!

Just accidentally came across a fab website with simple instructions for individualising your blog...http://makincuteblogs.blogspot.com/2011/01/make-cute-blog-monday-one-super-cute.html...

watch this space as I attempt to glam luvly up! 

Miss Polly Poppet!

Introducing Miss Polly Poppet!............

After spending loads of time searching the internet for a pattern to make a doll for my niece, I eventually found one and have produced Miss Polly Poppet!!

There are lots of nice dolly patterns out there...my favoutites which fit my criteria of having patterns for removable clothing for the dolls as i wouldn't have a clue where to start sewing clothes without a pattern were...

http://dollsanddaydreams.blogspot.com/ and http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/

 Both had really cute doll patterns and more importantly had patterns for the clothes I wanted to go with it for my two year old niece to dress and undress her with!

 Polly, above, is a Bit Whimsy pattern doll wearing her 'going out' dress which I have machine embroidered at the top and bottom with pink embroidery which is very similar to a dress my niece wore when she was went to a wedding with her parents recently!  I have even added some 'bling' in the form of a necklace and think she looks really cute with it on!

My niece is two and loves belly buttons!!!...I have added a button to Polly's tummy to act as a belly button as well as stitching a 'With Love' label to her bottom!

So far Polly has three dresses and two tops and trouser outfits...I have matched the material of the sleeves of the top with the material of the trousers to encourage my niece to match things up!

A work in progress is a now a carry-cot for Miss Polly Poppet to sleep in and be carried around in as well as a couple more outfits...another dress and a top and pair of trousers!  I may even make some shoes! x

Painting with handprints!



I searched the internet for some inspiration for what we could produce with my two year niece's painted handprints as a gift for her uncle to take away with him when he went to the States for a couple of years to study!  There's some great inspiration out there..........

http://meetthedubiens.blogspot.com/search/label/crafts?updated-max=2010-04-15T17%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

http://funhandprintart.blogspot.com/search/label/handprint%20animal%20art

http://www.kideas.com/show/90

http://sweetandlovelycrafts.blogspot.com/2011/04/handprint-peacocks.html

A life-long fan of Mooses after being given a white soft-toy one with red antlers as a child for christmas we settled on this and proceeded to paint it on a canvas for him!!...very simple but I am pleased with the result!