Fairly Amy on Big Cartel

Due to the interest in my Folksy shop completely dying in the last year or so (I don't know why - Etsy is going well!!) I've decided to look at other options, and so have opened a Big Cartel store.

I've gone for the free 5 listing option to start with, to see if there is any traffic, but here it is! I do love the layout and how easy it is to open....

http://fairlyamy.bigcartel.com/

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!

London Balcony Garden

In our old rented house, we had a lovely little garden, which was great. But it never got any sun. And was very boggy....so even the grass repeatedly died. So not the place for green fingers. The house, whilst lovely, didn't really have any windows, or window sills (it was a tiny cottage) so I couldn't even have any house plants.

So when we bought our flat last year, my main criteria were light, and outside space. And we ended up with both!! Our lovely flat has windows on 3 sides, with really deep window sills, and a decent sized balcony which gets the sun ALL DAY!!!

So when we moved in in December, I immediately bought house plants for every room in the house. And then make me so happy.

Then, in the Easter holidays, I went a bit mad on the balcony. I bought pots that sit either side of the railings, so that they didn't take up too much of our precious space inside the balcony, and then planted everything I fancied. My idea was, that I'd plant loads, and if even half of it grew, I would be so happy.

Turns out, my balcony is a prime growing spot. I planted:

Strawberries
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Lettuce
Peas
Courgettes
Cauliflowers
Tomatoes

I've since added in: Chillies, Basil & Mint

Here are some photos.......I am SO proud!!

The first thing I do every morning now is go and check on them, and water them, and I love going out to make a salad, and picking some lettuce, adding some basil, maybe a tomato or two! I love it!

*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...

British Summer Holidays - Covering Sun Loungers and Suitcases for Mini Boden

Earlier this year, I was asked to cover some suitcases and sun loungers in Mini Boden fabric for a summer photoshoot. It still felt cold and wintry when I was sewing them, so it was very exciting to see them on the website, a few days ago, now it feels nice and sunny and definitely Summer Holiday time.

Here are some photos of in the making, and the finished items. Sewing the sun loungers was fairly tricky, as I had to put my sewing machine on the floor, using the foot pedal in a funny crouched position, but to manoevre the foot over the bars, I had to unscrew the foot, and undo the needle in between each section....very frustrating!!!

Still, I think they look pretty fab...

They look a lot better on the beach than in my kitchen!!