Bear

A cheeky little chap, Bear is always up to mischief, which no doubt accounts for the fact that he looks so grubby. At least with two rusty bells stitched firmly to his tummy you know where he is, well most of the time...

I am getting so much more confident 'grunging up' my bears. It really is the most fun, whilst also being intensely scary as it is the final stage in about 4 hours of bear making and it could all go so terribly wrong! No major disasters yet - although it is sometimes difficult to know when enough in enough!

My most 'grungy' yet, this fun loving Bear is looking for a new HOME, and is available in the folksy shop.

old velvet bear

Easter holidays means tidy the house - no excuses!  After failing dismally to cram the remains of the fabric I have been using since February half-term into the floor to ceiling cupboard in my 'workshop' (occasionaly known as the living room) I had no choice but to have a little sort out.  It was like Christmas, finding fabrics that were all forlorn, shoved at the back of the cupboard and long since forgotten.  Needless to say when I found some old velvets (now crushed) I had an immediate compulsion to make a bear, and all the fabric was hurriedly placed back in the cupboard!  A different assortment of fabrics are now piled on the living room floor, and the balance of tidiness/creative mess is restored. The impending visit of 'Mrs Dyson' has been postponed for a later time when necessary bears have been made.

The first bear made herself so comfortable on the sofa I didn't have the heart to tell her she might not be staying for long, so I have made another in a combination of vintage rose and chocolate brown velvets. 
 
She is available for adoption here  Adopted 22nd April 2011

patriotic panda

Last week Panda was a rather ordinary looking panda, but then something strange happened (on Tuesday I think, or was it Wednesday?).

Anyway, Panda is rather excited by the prospect of the Olympic Games coming to London next summer.  We keep telling him it is not for ages yet, but Panda being panda is still trying to work out how many sleeps it is before the opening ceremony. Well last week, it might have been Thursday actually,  I reminded him of the forthcoming Royal wedding (he'd completely forgotten in all his efforts to work out the sleeps to the Olympics).  I had found a piece of lovely woven Union Jack ribbon in the drawer, as I was hunting for rusty bells.
"Would you like me to make you a special 'Royal ruff' to wear as we watch the Royal Wedding?", I asked.  Well, he almost burst with excitement, and before our very eyes his little ears and small black limbs changed colour and became midnight blue!
 "Now I will match the colours on my ruff...I'm red, white and BLUE", he said proudly. 
And as you can see, he is now a most patriotic panda!

Panda is rather hoping he will be adopted by someone who lives in London, so that he can eat masses of cake and really soak up the atmosphere of the coming events.  Really he's not fussy where in the UK he lives.... as long as there is always plenty of cake and tea, (and a telly on which to watch exciting national events and interesting documentaries) and he receives lots of love.

giraffe

Giraffe loves wet weather days, because on those sorts of days he can snuggle into the big cushion on the old comfy chair and watch black and white movies on the Tv.

And then his little eyes begin to close and he drifts off to sleep until it is time for tea.

Giraffe is available for adoption here  adopted 4th April 2011

bear

Having a lovely easter break from school work and doing some serious hours sewing! Inspired by some wonderful images of vintage toys I have been busy designing some new patterns. Here is my baby bear on wheels...he has a big brother coming soon on vintage, tin plate red meccano wheels! Baby bear will be going into the Folksy shop, probably later today.

We have had so many rainy days recently...great for the garden, but not so good for drying primitive dolls! I have a pile of bears, hares and dolls in the sewing basket, all waiting for their ageing treatment, but while the weather is so chilly and damp there they will remain...SO, I have been experimenting with woolly felt over the past week or so and have made some vintage style bears. I adore their long noses - they are just too cute!

The bears come in three sizes, small, medium and large. They have moveable arms and legs, secured with vintage buttons. They have traditional dark, glass button eyes and of course each has a rusty bell and a primed-up label. They are filled with a combination of (British safety standard) toy stuffing and 'beans', so that they sit happily unsupported, and have some of the weight and feel of old sawdust filled bears.
Please note that these bears are not suitable for children - they are handstitched and have real glass eyes!
























Rusty has put his sun hat on in the hope of warmer weather to come!