House Fetish

….or should that be ‘house feltish’?

As is obvious from my avatar and even the heading for my blog, I have a bit of a thing about little houses.  Unless, of course, it’s the one I live in which must be a big house in order to store all my paraphernalia, to say nothing of the various humans and animals who also pop in from time to time.

I love making my etui box houses but these ones are a little less labour intensive although call for my hand sewing skills which I usually try to avoid as I am a fan of the machine (but only because I’m so impatient). 

Anyway, I am about to open a new shop – yet to be stocked and so yet to be unveiled – and in order to build up my feedback a little before I start, I went on a mini Etsy shopping spree.  One of the items I bought was this gorgeous tartan doggie bow tie. (not yet received so not yet modelled by my own pampered pooch) –

I know, I know, but who could resist?  I promise I’m not going to start carrying him around in a papoose or anything.  Well, he’s too heavy for a start ……

Anyway, the other things I bought were a little clay house (house fixaxtion again) and a couple of PDF tutorials.  One of which was for these little houses.  I practised on some synthetic felt I had lying around but then bought in some lovely 40% wool felt as it feels all soft and fuzzy and comes in such gorgeous colours.  Perhaps I have a felt fetish too.

Of course, I messed around with the pattern a little and gave them a French garden (or jardin) as that is where they are made.

Thank you to Napkittenpattern for the original.

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A Question of Taste

When I lived in a picturesque English village in Sussex, a private children’s nursery erected a sign outside the old barn that they had tastefully converted for their premises.  The sign was a juggling clown and, although quite large, it was very attractive and the nursery was situated on the road leading out of the village and not in a particularly residential part of the village.  However, a lot of the inhabitants were up in arms about the sign and the nursery was forced to take it down.

Lucky they don’t live in France.

and if you miss this very attractive sign advertising a local dental technician on the way into the village, you can always catch it again on the way out.

It doesn’t detract does it?

Proud Teacher

At the Patchwork Group yesterday, two of my ‘pupils’ had finished their hexagonal boxes.  Andrée has made hers in a marine blue colour with floral interior and now shows newcomers how it’s done in much better french than mine – but, as she is French, I’m not too ashamed.  Sandra has made hers in a lovely ditsy floral pattern with gold highlights and, inside, a marbled pink.  Apologies for the photo quality but I forgot my kick ass one and only had my casio.   When they have all finished I am going to take a lovely one of a pile of all the finished boxes.

This is the one I made as the instructional model – is that even a proper term?

A bit of a Japanese touch going on here with this striking fabric from Kokka.

Not Tonight Josephine

How do you like this little wasp-waisted beauty?  I was driving past my local brocante the other day and saw a mannequin outside.  I couldn’t see much from a distance but thought I’d  go and investigate further so I did, and then bought it.  Surprise, surprise.  If only my waist were that small.

In case you were wondering about the title – the woman in the shop told me it was from the Napoleonic era!  Well, I’m not sure about that but it is very old and must have been from a time that they wore rather severe corsets.

Mr Tialys is starting to feel a bit freaked out by these almost life size objects coming to share our house.  We have my lovely little tatty one in the bedroom, another on the landing,  one he doesn’t know about in my workroom and now this one.  I think maybe I’ll stop now that I’ve got a wasp waisted one.

Mice With Bells On

I’ve been playing around with some new ideas.   Meet Gabriel and Marcel, mice with bells on.

 

 

Gabriel likes music and mascarpone and isn’t afraid to express his feminine side.

Marcel likes art and cheese straws and his philosophy on life is  ‘a little bit of what you fancy does you good, unless it gets you caught in a mousetrap’.

The Owl and the Pussycat

Edward Lear’s nonsense poem The Owl and the Pussycat has a special place in my heart because I have fond memories of my, now teenage, daughter being able to recite it word for word when she was very tiny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Couldn’t really make owls without reference to it then!  Here I’ve been making use of my gorgeous vintage French red stripe cloths again.    As the pussycat  would have said ‘you elegant fowl’.

Festive Mini Hoops

I love the little embroidery hoops that you can display as miniature wall art or prop up in a little niche somewhere.  The trouble is I don’t embroider and cross stitch makes me go cross eyed so I improvise.  I’ve been using the 4″ size hoops, which are small enough, but when I saw some 3″ ones, I knew I had to have them for Christmas tree ornaments.  For the most part, I’ve kept with my French theme but I couldn’t resist slipping a ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ in there too.

 

When I make the 4″ ones now, they seem enormous!

 

Old, Wooden, French and Boxy – What’s Not To Like?

Went to a flea market today and, of course, the first things I saw were big and heavy and I’d parked miles away but these are just trifling matters.  I love wooden things, French text and mysterious boxes so, of course, these were just made for me and ‘must haves’.  I only really wanted one but he did me a deal involving two so, what can you do? 

Anyway, they will look great in the house PLUS great as props in my photos so, money well spent I say.

Old Boxes

Vintage Angst!

This vintage selling is fun but, the big problem, the very big problem, is I often really really like what I’ve bought and then don’t want to sell it!  Here is a case in point.

Vintage French Pralines Tin

 My husband came on a foraging trip with me but he’s useless at this game.  He walked right past this gorgeous tin without recognising its beauty.  I wanted to keep it but, in the face of opposition, put it up for sale and, unsurprisingly, it went straight away.  Missing it already.

My New Hexagonal Etui Box

 

Today I finished my newest Hexagonal étui box.  This one has a very French feel to it as I’ve used some locally bought toile de jouy fabric and used some vintage French haberdashery to stage the photographs.  I find it hard to photograph a 3D hexagonal shape and do justice to both the shape and the fabric.  Any tips would be most welcome.

Chocolate and Cream Toile de Jouy Sewing Box

 

Inside the Box