Happy New year 2021

 Wow - 2021! That crept up on us!! It's strange how quickly the time goes when you are just staying home!!

So far lockdown January has been a great opportunity to restock after a very busy December. Despite all the lockdown time last year, I still didn't seem to have enough stock for December!

Plans for 2021 - keep sewing! I've got a few new mobile ideas in my head, so watch this space for more!

Staying in is not so hard when we have this lovely view!

My trips out are usually to go to the post office - conveniently across the road!

Lots more names to come I imagine!

Still one of my most popular mobiles!

And most popular of 2020! Lets see if that continues into 2021!

New Name Banner Designs

 I love sewing name banners, and often let customers look through previous example photos, and they'll spot the perfect one for them, but still regularly have requests for new designs, which I love, and they can be so much fun!

Here are some examples of ones I've sewn recently....

Koalas

Sheep

Llamas & Pompoms!

Fire Trucks

Hedgehogs & Owls

Frogs on Lily Pads!

New Name Banners

I've been sewing name banners for a good few years now, and so get lots of repeat design orders - mint and grey elephants being the most popular - so it's very exciting when I get a new design request.

I especially love when a customer knows exactly what they'd like! Here are some examples of some recent new designs....

Embroidered Llamas & Pom poms

Guinea Pigs

Embroidered Llama & Cactus

UFO & Planet

Hedgehogs & Owls

A-Z of Names...

I've made so many names over the last few years, that I've decided to do an A-Z of name banners, to show of a selection of some of them.

Here are my first few....

Alice in Wonderland for an Alice - so fun and appropriate

Pink letters and white clouds is one of my most popular name banner combinations!

Because I make all my names from scratch, it doesn't matter how it's spelt - I'll make anything!

Cute boats with a life ring for B

More to follow....watch this space....

New Circus Mobile

Wow it's been 2 months since I posted anything! Apologies - I don't know where the time has gone!

So I'm always coming up with new ideas for mobiles, and quite often have an idea in my head for ages before I actually get round to making anything.

So I had the idea for a circus mobile in my head for ages but was a bit worried about making it as I am totally against anyone using animals for performances in any sort of way - but then I thought 'hey elephants aren't pink for a start, so none of my mobiles are totally realistic and my ideas of how to present the animals was so exciting that I wanted to try.

So here it is:

What do you think?

Wind in the Willows - Velvet & Tweed Animals

For the Mini Boden & Wind in the Willows photoshoot earlier this year, along with lots of other fun props, I also made these luxurious velvet & tweed wind in the willows creatures. They were great fun (although fairly fiddly - velvet is not my favourite fabric to sew) to make, and I am very pleased with how they turned out!

Badger & Mr Toad

A bunny friend

Mr Toad likes to drive his car very fast! Poop Poop! Here he his accessorised with some racing goggles and a lovely scarf.

Moley, Ratty & Badger - complete with accessories too!

Wind in the Willows for Mini Boden

Back in March, I worked on a Mini Boden photoshoot which was a collaboration with the new stage production of Wind in the Willows.

Aside from working on the shoot in Suffolk for a week, I also made loads of props. Here are some photos....

Mr Toad, Moley, Badger and Ratty Face Masks - Felt, Velvet & Tweed

I got asked to upholster a chair in about 15 mins....not a bad job, using a staple gun and gaffa tape!

When you can't attach wallpaper to the wall, so tape strips together, and then use lighting stands to hang it like a colourama. Worked quite well!

*New Mobile Ideas* Jungle Mobile

I love coming up with new ideas for felt baby mobiles. I will think of something, or watch a documentary, or see a photo of something and will be inspired to try and recreate what I've seen in felt.

After knitting a tiger a few years ago, I wanted to see how one would work in felt. I've also been asked a few times for a monkey mobile, so thought I would combine the two and add in some more jungle-y pieces and make a felt jungle baby mobile.

Here are some photos....what do you think.....?

Bunny Rabbits & Guinea Pigs

I love coming up with new ideas for mobiles, and also being asked for new designs too, as they often turn out to be great ideas that I hadn't previously thought of!

Last week I was contacted by a lovely lady on Etsy, who asked me to make a bunny rabbit and guinea pig baby mobile and name banner, as she loved guinea pigs!

This is how they looked, I am very pleased with the result, they are so cute! I think she was pretty chuffed too...