Jolene’s been busy laying about with her feet up, well, in fairness she’s been resting her ankle following an operation to remove the steel work that was put in when she broke it a few years ago.  She hasn’t been entirely idle though, she was commissioned at the Morningside Makers Market to customise a pair of Christmas stockings for a lady who was going to New Zealand to visit her grand-children over the festive period.

It was all a bit last minute, but Jolene relined the stocking uppers to the customers specifications and embroidered ‘Daisy’ and ‘Hamish’ onto the top before despatching them, post haste.

Things were slightly held-up as the customer wished to pay be cheque and we had to wait until we received it before despatching the items, typically we wait for cheques to clear before dispatch, and encourage shoppers to use paypal for payment, particularly if they are in a hurry.

Those readers who know me personally or pay attention to the small details will know that I spend time away from home on a fairly regular basis.  This has seen me occupying almost every room on some floors of the Holiday Inn Express in Bridge of Don over the past year or so.  There’s clearly only so much of this I can take before I start going slightly mad, so on my most recent visit I bought a needlefelting book and the requisite tools for the job, thinking it would be an easy way to while away the evening in front of the TV.

This fellow is not the result of that night’s work, nay the result of that night’s work was an hour spent on a conference call and a few hours of frustration and sore fingers as I tried to figure out how to attach a head to a body with my needle.  This fellow is the result of me doing some proper research into the techniques.  There are many videos on You Tube for those of you who wonder how to use the tools that look so easy yet cause so much pain and frustration.

Once you master the technique it’s really easy and creating the shape is just a matter of folding and stabbing the felt so it sticks together, adding bits to make more defined shapes or to hide the bits where I stabbed too much!

The book I bought that night, Little Felted Animals: Create 16 Irresistible Creatures with Simple Needle-felting Techniques, doesn’t go into a great deal of detail about how to make the shapes but once you’ve done some reading it’s fairly self explanatory.  What this book does allow you to do is match up your shapes with those on the page so you have a shape that is similar to the one you’re aiming for.  The rest really is open to your imagination.

So, next time I set off for the night I’ll certainly be packing my felting needles and felt.  It pleases me that I need such few materials for a productive evening, because the worst bit about those nights spent away from home is the feeling I’ve wasted another evening in another nondescript hotel room…sorry Holiday Inn.

If you fancy a go yourself, you could do worse than to follow the instructions on this video to make an owl.  I did make the owl but because it’s red, it’s not photographing well.  My top tip would be to keep stabbing even if you think nothing is happening…it takes ages.

I sewed a small hoop to the top of mine for the Christmas Tree…I know too much Christmas round here these days but it won’t be long you know.

I know, another Christmas post, but really it’s not that long until the big red cheery chap comes again!  I’ve made quite a few of these hanging birds but they don’t photograph well.  I think they’re shy!

They’re a simpler take on the fabric finches regular readers will be familiar with, which makes them quicker to make and therefore more likely to hold my interest…did I mention I have a very short attention span?

As with the Matryoshka dolls, these will be adorning our tables at our upcoming craft fairs.  If you fancy making your own birds (not exactly like this one, but very pretty nonetheless) check out the free stuff where you’ll find a couple of variations on the hanging bird.

Not to be outdone by his sister, the lad (aged nearly 7) decided to have a go at making his own soft toy.  He designed and sewed this chap (almost) all by himself.  I’m very proud of his ability to take his idea and turn it into something tangible.  We worked together on turning his picture into a pattern, I showed him how to sew it up and off he went.

A couple of hours later, it was all finished.  I think it looks a bit like something from ‘Charlie and Lola’.  Not surprisingly, the most enjoyable part for both the kids seemed to be stuffing their creations.  I love that they could see their ideas coming to life with the aid of some polyfibre stuffing and both are delighted with their creations.

Course, when you’ve been sewing for two hours solid, you need a rest.

There are so many kits with those nasty plastic blunt needles that are really good for nothing and must frustrate rather than entertain, it’s no wonder sewing is a dying craft.  I really can’t see the problem with giving proper needles, and for that matter proper scissors, so long as there is proper supervision and I would encourage all parents to allow their kids the freedom to create in this manner…it’s very rewarding for both parent and child.

In spite of the fact that it should be summer and we are being teased with rays of sunshine trying to break the clouds, the small furry one decided to make a snowman today.  OK, so it’s a red snowman and it doesn’t actually resemble a snowman but she says it is a snowman so a snowman it will be…in the middle of summer!

This was really easy and quite enjoyable once I got around my anally retentive everything must be perfect way of thinking.

First we drew our shape on a piece of paper and cut it out.  Then we pinned the paper pattern to an old felted jumper and cut round it, leaving a seam allowance.  We then chose buttons and sewed them on…that took forever; if you have kids you’ll be aware of the thrills of the button jars and just how long they can occupy them for.  I held it and showed the small furry one where to put the needle, which was fortunately a blunt tapestry needle.  Of course I had to finish sewing it up when she got bored.  She stuffed it all by herself though before I sewed up his bottom.

I think this is a huge achievement for someone who only just turned 4 last week.  He’s sturdy and she is over the moon with him.  He’s been exploring caves already today and I think, by the sound of it, he’s about to learn how to draw!

BTW…she’s known affectionately as ‘The Small Furry One’ because she is indeed small and has a very hairy back!  And, I’m sure she’d hate me forever if she was old enough to know I’d told the world that.

As with the button flowers, these are a couple of items that Jolene (for whatever reason) decided not to put on the blog.  Fortunately for you, dear reader, I’m often left alone with the creations, a camera, and access to the internet and so here are another couple of items Jolene’s put together in the last month or so but never blogged about!

I made some more little owls for a commission (actually for an old school friend of mine).

These are made from ecospun felt.  I found that wool felt is too thick and it made them a funny shape – it’s probably just me, but it does feel good to make something nice from all those nasty plastic bottles.

Anyway, these are destined for a group of nursery children and I really do hope that they enjoy playing with them as much as I enjoyed seeing their little characters emerging.  Looks like the start of a beautiful owl relationship to me.

I am more than happy to make more of these to order…you can buy them through the shop.

Ages and ages ago I knitted this sheep from the pattern on the Flutterby Patch blog.  It’s taken me this long to get photos of it.  This is such an easy and quick pattern that anyone with half an idea about knitting can make one.

So, anyway, this particular sheep is called Mary.  One day Mary was out walking and came across the most beautiful felted rock and spiral basket.  Mary wished that the rock was in the basket and hey presto, her wish was granted (she’s a magic sheep don’t you know).

Mary climbed on top of the rock to get a better view of the valley below.  She smiled as she spotted some of her sheep friends frolicking through the fields.  Mary wanted to get down to join them but she worried that she might slip and fall.  Suddenly as if by magic (told you she’s a magic sheep) a pile of stones appeared.

Mary was overjoyed.  She climbed down the stones…very carefully…

… and toddled off to meet her friends and tell them all about her mini adventure.

Mary says while you’re having a look at the pattern, check out the rest of the Flutterby Patch blog…it’s very uplifting.

Hmm…wonder what these are

If I turn my back will they move?

Nope…but they did get shinier…you saw that, right?

Oh well, best be on my way now.

In the shop now

This tartan chap was created as a commission this weekend.  In keeping with our attempts to reduce waste, he’s made from a piece of tartan that would have otherwise been binned and some ecospun felt.  Stuffed, as usual, with reclaimed polyester stuffing.

He’s got a bit of a problem though.  Whilst out for his morning walk, he came across a very strange object.  It looked like a grassy mound but he couldn’t be sure.

At first he stood next to the mound, he thought it enhanced his green wings and the green stripes in his tartan, but after a while he became suspicious that the object wasn’t a grassy mound at all but an owl eating alien so he made a hasty retreat to his new home.