A Literary (Sewing) Diversion

As you may remember from my last post where we were dressed in (vaguely) 1920s garb, we recently celebrated our daughter’s 30th birthday.

Thanks, I like to think, because of our endless buying of books, reading together when she was little and, later, our own reading habits and recommendations, she is an avid reader and, although she has a predilection for fantasy literature she is also a big Jane Austen fan.

So, when Cool Crafting came up with a special Jane Austen kit as part of their literary series, I pre-ordered it and, whilst waiting for it to be delivered, I made two mice for which I already had the pattern and hoped I’d get it all done in time for the big day.

The clothing designs Cool Crafting produce for their various animal patterns mean that you create rather good copies of full size garments and, even though I’m a fairly proficient dressmaker, I still found plenty to challenge me with the process and the fabrics provided.  Straw patterned pleather anyone?

The outfits were really designed for Cool Crafting’s famous Luna Lapin which is a rabbit so the bonnet has space for rabbit ears but my mice only have mouse sized ears so I should have closed the hole up really but didn’t want to chance messing with the pattern as there was only so much special pleather available.

Anyway, one of the biggest challenges for me (apart from the pleather bonnet) was doing the French knots used in place of buttons on the breeches and waistcoat for Mr. Mouse as I am no embroiderer and had to follow a video tutorial on YouTube in order to achieve anything vaguely like a French knot.

I feel the empire line dress also deserves a little photo of its own before being covered with the short jacket that completes the outfit.

(completed also by the era appropriate undies)

I’m not sure about the French knickers being era appropriate but I put them on her anyway – she is a modest mouse.

At the moment, our daughter is living in a house share but has plans to move into a much larger space soon so I put the pair on stands, in a pretty covered box and said I understood if she keeps them like that until she has the room to display them.

The Happy Couple

Back to human sized clothes soon – in fact I already have some trousers to show you, it’s just getting round to doing the post.

We’re going to a craft fair this weekend where I’m hoping to buy an example of my most recent obsession, craft-wise, from the lady who taught the workshop I went to last weekend.  News of which, hopefully, will be in a future post.  Have a good weekend whatever you’re doing.

The Cat’s Pyjamas

As I mentioned in my Scraphappy Day post, since discovering (finally) the joys of the famous felt rabbit and her (mostly) woodland friends, I’ve been hand stitching felt, stuffing heads and limbs and making miniature clothes like a woman possessed.

Hand stitching? Toy stuffing? Fiddly sewing? Me? Well, you know I always say ‘never say never’ and the results are so cute I am enjoying myself against all expectations.

I’m especially enjoying the clothes making part. I made the badger some dungarees in case he has some heavy work to do on the sett before winter does its worst.

A crushed velvet dress for the fawn in case there’s a Christmas party in the forest coming up.

(note to self – never sew with crushed velvet again, it slips and frays and misbehaves in all sorts of ways)

In an attempt to bring myself back to reality I laid out some fabric the other day to make myself a dress and there was so much fabric and such large pattern pieces that I thought ‘nah, let’s get back to the small stuff’.

So I did

Then, I added a cat to the mix.  I gave her some unruly whiskers – horsehair I had previously begged from my horsey friend back in France which actually made the move with me unlike much of my craft stash  – and felted her eyes partly because I thought they would look good but partly (mostly) because I have run out of small black buttons.

Then I made her some pyjamas.

Which gave me a good title for this well overdue blog post that I only got round to as my workroom is, once again, stuffed full of furniture from the other room while we wait for the carpet fitter to do his stuff this afternoon.  Otherwise, that’s where I’d be.

 

Apologies for the variations in quality, lighting, etc. of the photos as they were all taken at different times, on different days and in different rooms.  Still – at least I’ve shown you what I’ve been up to and proved I’m still here – in case you were wondering.

 

 

Designs for animals and clothes are by CoolCrafting– in case you fancy having a go!

Scraphappy Day November

A ‘real life’ friend of mine contacted me the other day as she had noticed I hadn’t been blogging recently and she was worried about me – thank you Mo 😘 – but I am here, safe and sound though seemingly missing my blogging mojo.  I’ve been reading and commenting on others’ blogs (for the most part) and, by the time I’ve done that, checked my Facebook groups, checked the BBC news headlines and my emails, I’ve sort of had enough of the screen and got bored of listening to Mr. Tialys and his meetings as his work station is right next to mine.

Anyway, I haven’t been idle in the workroom which is still a mess I’m afraid as the carpet fitter has gone sick and so there is still stuff stored in there which will eventually go back in the bedroom once he’s recovered enough to lay the carpet in there.  I have come very late to the Luna Lapin (felt rabbit) party and have been making her, her woodland friends and some of the miniature sized dresses, nighties, etc. that make up her wardrobe.  More of that another day – if I get round to a proper post but, for the moment, it’s Scraphappy Day and I was determined to get an entry in this time round.

So, after that little lot (and a fox partly completed), I had some spare felt.

So I made the peachy coloured rabbit a little baby.  Well you know what rabbits are like.

Those of you with kids, remember that weird way of standing with one hip stuck out with a baby or tot planted on the edge of it?

Wrong hip lady! That baby will slide right off.

Anyway, please note the scraps of Liberty fabric too.

So, in by the skin of my teeth again for November and, as it was Remembrance Sunday in the UK yesterday (today as I’m typing this), I’ll end with this which I made from scrap yarn and a vintage button.

Bad flash photo, sorry, but it gets dark here in the U.K. at some ridiculously early hour at the moment so needs must.

Scraphappy Day is organised by Kate & Gun for anybody who wants to make new things from scraps of any kind – doesn’t have to be fabric or yarn.  Here’s a list of participants – both regular and occasional – if you want to have a look at the sort of things you can do with scraps.

Contact Kate or Gun (first names on the list) if you want to join in.

 

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynn (me), Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, Jill,
Claire, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Jule, Gwen,
Bekki, Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Bear, Carol,
Preeti, Edith, Debbierose and Esther