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.