A Special Heirloom

I wanted to share this beautiful embroidery, given to me recently by my Mother-in-Law. It is a tray cover and set of four doilies, stitched by my Grandmother-in-Law. To me, things like this are precious because they come from the hand of a family member, and have the rare quality of being irreplaceable. I have put two of the doilies on my dressing table and two on my Islas'. I hope that in time she will treasure them the same way that I do.

I am so inspired by this type of handcrafted item, and have read from cover to cover Thrift to Fantasy by Rosemary Mcleod. Ms Mcleod is a woman after my own heart, paying homage to the handcrafts of the 1930s-50s and acknowledging them as the art form they are.

So many times I have been in an op shop or at a garage sale and seen pieces of exquisite embroidery cheaply priced and crumpled in a dusty corner at the back. I pick these things up and often marvel at the work and skill that has gone into them. I try to rescue them all! However, one does not have much need for a tray cloth these days, and these items are often damaged/stained with age. this is why the work of tiny happy also inspires me so much. by taking these items and upcycling them into practical things that put their beauty on display instead of at the back of a dark cupboard... another woman after my own heart!

Castles

These castles were commissioned by a friend who wanted one for each of her three beautiful daughters. They are basically a cylinder, formed from cotton fabric, with a felt circle for the base. I added a felt door and windows, fabric flowers growing up the side, and a coordinating fabric roof. I love to "build" things from fabric and fibres. I see it as a form of sculpture...The castles are filled with pearl barley, which smells great and gives them a lovely weight, helping them to stand up. Unfortunately, I spilled the pearl barley ALL over the floor, and, three days later, I keep finding bits of it. To make matters worse, that day my daughter helped me to make dinner and she spilt couscous all over the floor! My poor husband returned home and laughed at us when he realised what the crunchy substances under his shoes were!

Winter Warmers...

It's Winter in New Zealand. It's freezing. Everyone's jandals and swimsuits have been put away in anticipation of our beautiful summer. Still, it's not all bad news. Winter brings cosy evenings by the fire, toasted marshmallows, children in cute knitted scarves and hats, and spectacular frosty outdoor scenes. But let's face it. It's still freezing and this inspired me to create some hot-water bottle covers with a difference. I will be listing them in my Felt Shop when I get a chance. Hope everyone in my part of the world is nice and cozy!

Mouse

My daughter was going through a "mouse" phase, so I decided to make her a special mouse toy to sit on her dressing table. I made it up as I went along, starting with the body, then adding the head, the arms and legs and finally the tail. It worked really well so I decided to make another, this time out of fantastic green spotty fabric. I named the green mouse "Maddison".
I was stoked that Maddison was purchased to be used as a prop on Shortland Street! (new Zealand soap opera). Now, you have to look closely, but every now and then you will see my little Maddison in the characters Tania and Maia's apartment. Maddison is one of Maia's sons toys. While I was stitching the little mouse, I would never have expected that a few months later I would be watching her on tv!