Cats everywhere, in fabric card and a toy

Again time has been flying by.
We went on holidays skiing and that took a lot of organising on my account before and after the week we were gone. I think I caught up with the washing, nearly.
I didn't do much sewing while I was away or since I came back but I have some little things to show you.

First there was Barbara's birthday, and she asked for a cat on her card, and this is my result. I pieced a background and drew a cat face on a paper template, then fabric. I used some free motion sewing to applique the design.
They look a bit cheeky.

Now I can stay on the theme of the cats with this blue one.
The pattern comes from Wee Wonderfull and this link will take you to Hillary's page of freebies. She has also published a book.

I love this cat, the design is very modern and you could put the head at a different angle to have a new expression.
OK and I could also give him some eyes and mouth.

Tilda bathing lady

In the last 3 days I made this beautiful doll, from the tilda book "Sew Sunny Homestyle". There are a few other projects that tempt me for later.

I bought a fat quarter of the black with white spots fabric, from the Tilda collection, and a metre of white croquet ribbon. I already had the fabric for the skin, plain calico.

I had fun and am pleased

with the result.

Now it's your turn to try.

Here is a photo of the book, it has recently been translated in english, and I bought it straight away as I already love Tone Finnanger's other books. Here is a link to the product on Amazon uk no affiliation.

I was wondering how to do the hair but followed the explanation and it worked. I put some pins around her head and weaved the knitting thread around the pins. Then I sewed everything in place, and took the pins out.

I just need to put some colour on her cheeks.

Little hens

I have seen this design many times on the net, even a video on Quilters TV.com, and I wanted to try it.

Our quilting group theme was log cabin, and I knew what to do with my little blocks.

There are 2 log cabin blocks, the center of the block is 1"square finished and the logs are 1/2" wide around it. The finished block measures 4" plus the seam allowance.

Then you need to prepare:

- the beak of the hen (I used a 2"square of fabric folded on the diagonals),

- the comb (draw the shape on paper, put it over the fabric doubled and sew around. Cut around with 1/8" seam allowance and dent the round parts, turn around),

-and the tail (same technique as for the comb).

Place the beak and the comb on the right side of a block, seam allowances aligned, on the light part of the log cabin for me. I did a quick seam to maintain them in place, hidden in the seam allowance.

Put the other log cabin block right sides together against the first one, pin and sew around 3 sides that will be the back, the front and the belly of the hen. Leave a gap on the belly to turn your hen out.

Then pin the tail inside the hen, centered on the seam, you are giving your hen its shape. You open the hen bit that is not sewn, and move the seams you have just made so that they are opposite each other. Sew across as on the photo.

Now you just need to turn you hen the right way out, and sew some eyes if you want to make it safe to be used by children, or sew some buttons if you want a bigger effect.

This hen can be used as a toy or as a pincushion.

It was so easy and nice, I made another one straight away.

Little bear

But where did this week go...

I made a few little things, that I will show you later, I present them in a kind of order of realisation.

So here is DD3's little bear. She chose the design from the book (the same one from the Tilda series), agreed on the fabric, let me do the sewing on the machine, turned and stuffed the pieces... and she loves her dearly (it is a girl of course).

Ok now you are going to wonder why she is naked. Well she is at the moment but the clothes for the Groovy Girls dolls fit her, and they are very fashionable.

Small rabbit, japanese inspiration

As I don't have much time to make things at the moment, I will show you something older made for daughter 2.

This bunny comes from the book "Omiyage" by Kumiko Sudo". I have used it several times already.

There is a little pocket on the back of the rabbit to hide little secrets. Very cute.

I've put a reel of thread to give you a better idea.

Little mouse

I found the pattern of this little mouse on Victoria's blog called "plantes-couleurs.over-blog.net". It is written in French but I am sure you can copy the pattern and use it even if you don't speak french.

Have a look around her site.

I wanted to do it for some time, and finally found the time during my Christmas holidays. I did most of the work by hand as the piecing of the head has got to be done precisely, and I couldn't use my machine but only an older one. It reminded me how lucky I was to have a modern machine to use at home !

I'll keep it for now, but it might go to a good home later...

Tiny doll

I found this little doll explained on the blog Croix Patch 74, it is in French but the photos are great to explain. It is a small project, by the size and the time it takes, and very enjoyable.

There seems to be 2 versions, one with a point to the bottom, and the other with the point folded to the centre. You choose.

a new doll is gone

I have been making this doll with my eldest daughter for her little cousin who lives in America. The idea was that it would be light to take back on the plane. We finished it in a hurry, as usual, and wrapped it up nicely after taking these photos.


The body is made in cotton, the filing is synthetic, the hair is some knitting wool I had left over. The dress closes at the back with 2 poppers, she has some little trousers, and a big hat called a "Charlotte" in french. Her shoes are very cute, made of pink felt with a popper to close them, and a flower to hide the stitches.


My niece can really play with it, but she was not as impressed as her mum. We will see later what she thinks, there were so many toys around her when she received it.


The patterns figure in a book, only in french as far as I know, called "Poupees de chiffon" by Corinne Craberscu. It is a lovely book and I am very tempted to make something else.

But of course I have other projects to finish first.


I will soon tell you more about the project I finished for a challenge we were given to make something recycled in our patchwork group.

Pascale.

PS I downloaded this photo the wrong way around and cannot figure how to turn it, and i cannot erase it either, so it has to stay like that. !