Leftovers...,

As primarily a softie maker, I quite often have leftover bits, pieces, and softie limbs. Some I just throw out, while others give the impression that they could actually have a second lease of life as something else.

This was a trial run, so didn't get used for the final piece. It's been sat on my desk all week,

...while I ponder what I could do with it. It's fringed felted wool, with a piece of wire running down the centre (which can come out if need be).

Any ideas?

It's far too early for the 'C' word...,

...isn't it! But having been handed a (rather long) Christmas list by Lucy, an idea began floating around in my head. We've just started watching season 4 of The Wire on DVD, so I was after a bit of light hand sewing to do in front of the TV. There are quite a few patterns available on the internet for stuffed trees, but I decided in the end to adapt my own by altering the vase I make for the flower stems.

And, here they are,

also, inspired by the tree print fabric picked up at the Festival of Quilts this year.

I do need to come up with a christmasy tutorial for this year, are the tree's too obvious?

I can tell others are thinking of Christmas already too from my blog stats, the Elf hat tutorial is getting quite a few hits, as it does every year. That was the first tutorial I ever did and quite basic compared to how I would do one now.

Still, I bet there are a fair few kids wearing Elf hats made out of leggings on their heads for the school christmas play!

The bag and the bunny...,

A while ago I asked for help with ideas for a christening gift I had been asked to make, well, in the end, I kind of adapted the book bag idea, into a toy bag inspired by Stephanie's one, using the Beatrix Potter prints from my fabric stash.

It all begins with a rabbit softie,

the back of the bag has 'Beatrix' embroidered on it as the little girl it is for is called Beatrix,

the rabbit lives in a pocket on the front,

and the bag is lined with the Beatrix Potter prints.

It's gone off to the christening today, so bye bye bunny!

Softies on show...,

I know I'll probably get some rather odd hits via google with that blog post title, but it is true, there are indeed 'Softies on Show'!

This is my work on display in our local museum,

which I mentioned in my last post.

We all nipped down last Saturday for the opening, and I met a blog reader there, who had seen my post and made the trip and came along, (waves - hello!)

There was lots more to write, but if truth be known, I am feeling a bit sick.  I accompanied Lucy to her best friends birthday party today and ate far to much of the chocolate fountain (what's a girl to do when you are stood right next to it and a tray of strawberries!), so am going to fire the sewing machine up and do a bit of sewing instead.  Will be back in a few days with some more softies, now I have cleared a bit of space due to the exhibition, there is finally room for some new creations!

Production line,

Sorry, I disappeared!  Each day seems to have passed with a 'must do a blog post today' plan, but other things kept getting in the way.  Then I've been ill too, .  There has been a little light sewing, a few cotton reels rolling off the production line,

a satisfying bit of machine embroidery,

and all put together ready to go off to the local museum for a small craft exhibition I'm involved in.

The private view is on Saturday, but I can nip down tomorrow and see everything set up, and hopefully photograph it too.

So, I'm off to put my pj's on and watch another episode of The Wire on dvd with Al, we're up to series 3.  It's taken a while, bit am quite into it now!