Fluffy stuff...

I'm really starting to feel a need to get back to designing some new softies.  I have been making the odd one, but nothing to a new pattern for a while now.  But due to not being 100% happy with the polyester stuffing I have been using, I didn't want to start anything new without addressing this.  So, inspired by this post by Mimi Kirchner all about stuffings, I went on an internet mission last week to track down a UK supplier of some more suitable fibres.

I like my softies and any of my soft fabric sculptures to have a bit of weight to them, it is part of what separates them from being classed as a toy and more as a piece of art.  The stuffing I had been using is very light and foamy, and whilst it is very easily acquired, and easy to work with, was somewhat lacking in guts when it came to the finished article.  I also have a yearning for some natural wool stuffing, so here is what I came up with...

this is carded white lambswool,

and as I was buying unseen, I also played it safe and went for some of this, white polyester staple.  They both have a really nice texture to them, and pull apart easily into small chunks, and came from this supplier.  The main problem I had was with the quantity.  It is sold on weight, and I just could not get my head round visualising exactly how much stuffing 4kg was going to be.  The quantity I bought was based on economy more than anything, I wanted a reasonable amount that would last a while and save on any repeat postage should I run out too soon and need to re-order.  Turns out 4kg is quite a lot of stuffing...

there's loads of it! 

Oops!

Catching up...

I've spent this week catching up with myself on all the unfinished sewing projects.  There are a small range of items to go to a real, bricks and mortar local craft shop which I'm about half way through, in addition to a few bits and pieces to make a mini Etsy update of 'red' inspired designs.

(by the way, this is the flower pincushion I created in pattern form, for the subscription gift pack for 'Sew Hip' magazine)

Our half term holiday from school starts on Monday, and at this time of year we have 2 weeks off, so crafting time will be limited to the evenings, if I can keep my eyes open by then, hence, the catching up.

One thing I did do, is join Twitter!, I've never been able to get my head round MySpace and Facebook, but Twitter seems like fun if you fancy joining.  Oh, and please take part in the poll for the christmas tutorial (see the blog sidebar), I'm aiming to post the whole 'how to' for it, in November and will make a start on the instructions once we have a winner!

Another announcement is that since I now have so many patterns and tutorials available, with the kitten also being out there and available in Sew Hip magazine, I've created a Flickr group for anyone who has made something from my patterns to show off their creations, whether it be an eye patch, the jam pot topper or an owl egg cosy...,

Lucykate Crafts... pattern pieces

Please do join, I'd love to see what has been made!

Red,

Despite the fact that, in my work, I seem to naturally gravitate towards the colour pink, at home, I am actually a real fan of the colour red.  Our couch is red, most of our bedding linen is red or has some red in it, and all my kitchen accessories are red.

So, I guess, a red flower was a natural progression...

and something I'm going to keep going with as I think 'Red' will be the theme of my next Etsy shop update.

I have already planned on some christmas birds which will feature a vintage christmas card with each, and also am working on some cotton reel pin cushions, all of which, fit rather nicely with a red theme.  Before then though, I have a disaster to put right, in an attempt to get a better photograph of this latest flower this morning, I kicked over my button box, spilling the contents all over the floor, now that's going to be a job and a half to sort out!

Ideas...

I've had an idea in my head for the last few days, and yesterday evening at about 10pm, decided on the spur of the moment to see if I could re-create it in fabric...

...it involves a flower,

a stem,

and a vase, all made from fabric and felt.

Did it work?, what do you think??

Children & fairies...

The children have been thinking about fairies a lot this week, Lucy's wobbly teeth are getting wobblier by the day, so I finally got round to adapting Molly Chicken's super cute hedgehog pattern, into a tooth fairy pillow...

...complete with a bell inside so Lucy can ring for the fairy when the time comes!

Poor Luke has not been quite so fortunate, and has had a visit from the mean old dummy fairy (pacifier if you are american).  He has gone complete cold turkey on it, 5 days so far, and so far, so good!  

I, however, keep getting visits from the rain fairy, she arrives the second I venture out the back door with a basket full of wet washing, she's a really mean fairy that one!

Cats & birds,

Thank you for all the feedback on my last post, it is a real shame that this kind of reaction to a home made gift is so common!

Nevertheless, onwards and upwards, that's what I say to it all!

Am in the process of adding a few things to Etsy,

some birds,

and another cat and kitten.

After receiving an email the other day, I've added a Babel Fish language translator widget to the sidebar (scroll down), which will hopefully be helpful.  I've been meaning to add one for a while now, so thank you for the little nudge!

Next project is to make a few more of those cotton reel pin cushions which I'm quite looking forward to doing as I've still not really used my new sewing machine much yet, and it's calling out to do some sewing, and I loved making those.