Simple dolls

Another thing I am working on/ with are these simple doll patterns. Its a development of a cookie cutter pattern so it has 3 pieces. Well it would have if I wasn't so parsimonious. So the arms were removed from the original pattern and made up and attached. This saves a lot of wasted fabric. A lot at this size is only a few square inches but it all counts.


Anyway this baby is variously received as "cute" or "erugh!"
It is so blank lots of things can be done to it (apart from burning, thanks dear)
Wings for a baby angel, Beak and shorter legs for a chick. I tried sewing part of the head for teddy ears but think ears need to be added to get a good effect.

Sewing the neck wasn't a good idea either.

Versions 1 and 2 side by side.
Got to cover that nakedness.... A tutu or pinafore and maybe hair.
More pictures later of (lets hope) improved dolls.

customising tee shirts

In my other part of my life I help spread the "sewing can be fun and save you money" message... This was for a workshop for ways to
customise, re size, update or just reuse your tee shirt.

I tried smocking to reduce the size

I did fabric pens to embellish it. Actually the photo misses all the sparkle I put on, bit of a magpie at heart, me.

This is a version of applique
A colour is put under the tee, the machine sews from the top whatever design you want. The top layer is then carefully cut away from the contrast below. Jersey rarely frays and curls in a very textural way. just make sure every sewn line encloses an area of cloth. You can also add the second layer on top for a raised design.

I also took out sleeves, reshaped them ,reduced and reshaped the armhole to allow a puffed sleeve head.

I cut off necks into a scoop and reduced the neck back to the shoulders by taking several darts angled out round the neck.

I love doing this kind of thing with all kinds of people. There is so much more talent than in people than they often realise.

Mark 3 meerkitty

Here is mark 3. What was I thinking (was I thinking?) when I did the ears and face? It looks like a sheep on a gibet! Again a knitted fabric and too much stuffing aimed at the top of the head. Note to self. Be gentle!


The body is a little plumper, in fact from some angles it has the self importance of a victorian alderman. The arms don't sit quite right either. In fact I may just go back to mark 2 ,sew and stuff it carefully and see if i can't improve it.

back to the sewing table.....

more on the Meerkats and other stuff

Ahh hello. After a busy start to the new term where yet again I find myself less than fully organised in all departments I have made time to post again, updating on the Meerkitty development. That's new term for daughter and a little for me as I get involved with learning so terms do herald a flurry of threatened activity for me too.

Here is Mark 2 or Ron as I believe he is called... he does look a bit weaselly. As this was a practice with the pattern I used felt... all the better to sew in front of the TV my dear. As I always have know and usually ignored "just because it seems the easy way it is not always the best way" . So here is proof that rushing and multitasking in a disordered brain is BAD.

The head gusset was added in a good bit of NCIS, so is in need of a bit of attention.. Is it my age .. but I do find men with (a full head of ) silver hair rather appealing. I love a good head of hair on a man as long as its well cared for. Then again Sir Sean Connery is follically challenged and still ...I digress.

Ron suffers from over enthusiastic stuffing of the head which has resulted in his neck being 1" longer than the pattern. This is not good but curable.

Then there is his tail, which is a bit too long and his feet could be longer to give more stability.

The stitch jointed arms work nicely though and his face is quite sweet.

Then for some reason I went overboard with the amendments and came up with .... see the next post.

Autumn fruits

The world is getting ready for winter and there are fruits and seed everywhere
Lots of them are messy and dry and boring until you take a closer look
Airy fluff with the hard sweeps of the pods .


Tiny rusting rosettes


Sycamore keys, after all this time I hadn't realised they had red stalks.
I know if you park under them your car will never be the same but had never stopped cursing long enough to admire their beauty.

Well after all that arty stuff the reality was ....it was sunny but brisk. I was all keyed up to photo in good light when the clouds drifted over. The smoke I thought was drifting up ahead turned out to be rain, fine but effective and me without a coat. Every time I pointed the camera at something the wind sprang up from nowhere and shook it out of focus. So if you like the pictures just be aware of all the hard work it took

Finally this gate amuses me. It leans in at a jaunty 45 degrees and intermittently is repaired with rural nonchalant optimism

Its supposed to keep 3 horses and a rabbit colony in and any number of dogs out.

It's Autumn

Well the grain is all cut, even the field near where I walk the dogs.
I miss the bales of my childhood that stacked like huge bricks but these have a kind of huge rissole type beauty

This one has the same trouble as me, bursting out in the middle.


North end of my little dog heading south.
Selectively deaf as he chases his imagination and the occasional bunny. If the bunnies weren't so stupid they would turn round and bop him on the nose, they do have a weight advantage you know.

My old boy failing to look interested in the "micSSSSSSSe!"
Such a contrast to the little dog, easy going, obedient, gentle and quite elderly.
We wait at the end of the field together quite often for the other one.

More typical shot of the morning walk. Red dot disappearing.
Think he might need Ritalin

High Tea

Wanted to share this pic taken today at 5pm
My daughter and her friend disappeared into the garden just before noon and created a "den" around and on the climbing frame.

Nothing fancy just good old fashioned imagination and ingenuity
The (hot) evening meal was eaten in the sky, but not by me.

Back to school tomorrow, I will miss having her around.

Free doll tutorial

Finally I managed to change the format from the ancient (but very easy to use) drawing package I use to a more modern and easily recognised (at least by computers) one.

I have posted in 3 parts but they look upside down as the postings are last one on top. Each set is in order top to bottom but you start on set 1 which is under set 2 (middle so no problem) and end with set 3 on the top. Confused yet? I am. .. There is so much more to this posting than I realised.

Anyway, I hope the instructions are not too confusing. If you want to contact me for clarification I don't mind / won't be surprised .

If anyone does make any dolls I would love to see them.

Micro doll tutorial part 3 (face and hair)

Micro doll part 3 (face and hair)

Micro doll tutorial part 2 (arms)

micro doll body tutorial

Micro Doll Tutorial using fleece

This part is for the body

parts 2 and 3 follow

mini dolls

I mentioned I had made the bears bear as a rolled up doll. These are some more examples of what you can do with 2 tubes of micro fleece



Daughter wanted a micro doll so she could join in with her friends who had those mini dolls hidden in kids shoes. These ladies are resting against a standard lipstick case. They have removable knickers and dresses. Embroidered eyes and mouth and long wool hair.


This was going to be a doll but I made a head from a circle gathered up and sewn on and it looked odd. After adding a pair of very long ears and embroidering a twitchy nose it looked like I ment to make a bunny all the time. Yes he does have a fluffy cottontail behind him. I would take new photos showing it but as they as small they get lost very easily and bunnys done a runner.
I have instructions for this kind of doll and I will try to post them so you can have a go yourself.

This is the start of of a Meerkat I fancy making. I drew the shape and was quite pleased with the result. I think it looks quite Meerkatty. Maybe it will be a Meerkitty. That was my first mistake, smugness and to get too happy too early.

Then I cut out pattern pieces using the drawing and adding width to allow for the extra "lift" shapes get when stuffed. Not sure why the foot got its daft shape. I decided on a belly gusset under the chin to the nose as well as a head gusset from the nose across the ears to the back of the neck. The centre back to tail would be sewn 2 pieces together
Then I cut it out and sewed it together..Can you tell why the initial euphoria was a bit miss placed. My Meerkat has been replaced by a dinosaur, a chunky dino at that.. has it eaten my Meerkitty. I wondered if I would be less critical when it was stuffed. Hmmm look and see what you think after it is turned through.


A trial size body ....arms from super size my monster....head is ready to bark if I gave it the right ears. It will be a nice something at the end of all this. I'm just not sure what. And where is my Meerkat. Back to the pattern board.
Futher posts as I mess it up more, later.

The first ever blog

Welcome to a snippet of my world.

I love lots of things but concentrate on flitting from passion to interest and back. I thought I would start with something soft and cuddly (I have a tendency to be mean and prickly on occasions)

The Three Bears

My daughter asked if I could make a small one for the smallest bear competition at the churches annual Teddy bears picnic.

Its in micro fleece from a baby hat. The body and sitting down legs are in 4 pieces. The arms are rolled tubes sewn in place and the head is a circle gathered into a ball and sewn to the neck. Ears are circles folded in half ,edge sewn and attached to head.

I had a stash of crochet cotton, a bargain from a charity shop, so I busked the dress and bonnet (with ear holes). They are based on a badly made circle. I can do lumpy circles, getting them to lay flat, thats an art.

After being presented with it my daughter decided it needed a little friend so I made a bears bear.

This is again in micro fleece but is a rolled doll. 1 tube is the head body and legs (cut up the roll to leg height before rolling) The arms are a second thinner roll sew to the body. A firm pull on neck circling thread gives enough shape Ears are single thickness sewn with a wish and a prayer.

Then my daughter made the bears bear a bear. This is a bear shape. No sewing. no features but the bears don't complain

Here they all are in a small crochet carry cot I made for them. Its just an oval of trebles folded into a pocket, crochet top closed make carry handles and a row of tight trebled makes a hood. I wonder how long they will take to disappear? Small things have a habit of going missing round here.

Oh , they were one of the smallest bear winners as well.