Little Bear

Today I finished my little bear with a hand-stitched nose, a ribbon bow and a couple of tiny charms. I bought the pretty fabric at a craft show I attended earlier this year... it's actually three different pieces of fabric made by the same company who produces the Tilda series of stamps.

Halfway There!

This is the little bear pattern I drafted yesterday, as you can see, he's now sewn up, stuffed and jointed. He just needs a few more features to finish him off properly.

Draw-Cut-Sew

I really enjoy drafting my own patterns... I'm always fascinated by what sort of character I'll end up with once the pieces are all joined together. In that sense, sewing is a lot like drawing for me, I'm never really sure exactly what the end result is going to be, but I'm always eager to find out!

For anyone who is interested in making their own teddy bears I thoroughly recommend this book. It's very easy to follow and contains lots of information about drafting patterns, making clothing and adding character to your creations.

I drafted a pattern for a 25cm bear.

Three cut out and ready to sew.

JayDee (free pattern)

Aside from card making, I also love working with felt, and one of my favourite activities is hand stitching cute little animals and tiny toys. This little guy, named JayDee, is made from craft felt and stands only 6" high. It really didn't take too long to cut him out and stitch him up... definitely achievable in an afternoon!

If you're interested, I've included my hand-drawn pattern at the bottom of this post.

All the pieces, cut out and ready to stitch and stuff.

Some assembly still required.

The arms and legs are attached with buttons and unwaxed dental floss. 

 Feel free to make one of your own.

Stamped Cushion

Every now and then I feel the need to handle something other than paper or cardboard, which is when I drag out the textiles or the paints or clay...  I'm sure a lot of you can relate to what I'm saying!  Anyway, I just happen to have a couple of metres of "grubby" calico, hand-dyed by a lovely lady who has a gorgeous little shop at Old Petrie Town - well worth a visit if you are ever in that area of Brisbane.  I used some beautiful Prima stamps, inked up with black StazOn, to add the images to the fabric, which actually stamped a great deal easier and clearer than I thought it would.  I coloured here and there with my copic markers being very careful to colour well within the lines to give the ink room to bleed across the fabric.  A couple of turns in the sewing machine, a length of cotton lace and voila, one pincushion!

Sewing Fairy Cards

Rachael and Viv have created these beautiful cards using the new Sewing Fairy image.  He would be perfect on a card for a keen quilter or dressmaker, or simply for someone who loves fairies!

Rachael's Card

Vivien's Card

Embroidered Cats

There's nary a skerrick of paper to be found in today's post... just kitties as far as the eye can see! These little ladies and gents are made out of felt and pretty fabric that I stitched, stuffed and then embroidered.