Monday, April 26, 2021

A TILDA Swap .................... (Catch Up #2)

Greetings lovely friends & readers 💕

(Warning - Long Post & Photo Heavy)


At the beginning of this year my friend Claire & I decided to do a Tilda swap - this entailed each of us making for the other an item from the letters T I L D A .  Claire & I are both dedicated "Tilda Addicts" loving both the fabrics & the patterns.  

We agreed to have an approximate timeline for our swap as the end of May .... however once I began working on my swap gifts, I found I could not stop.  I had planned a visit to Mums at the end of this month but when she had her fall & I bought my visit forward, I decided to take Claire's swap gifts long with me in the hope that I could catch up with her on this trip. (Claire lives in Mum's town but we don't always get to catch up)


When we first decided to do the swap I purchased these wooden letters from Spotlight.  Whilst painting another item I applied some cream chalk paint to them, so to pretty them up a bit I added some small size Re-design transfers.
 

As I didn't want to drill holes in my letters I attached them to each package with double sided tape.

Would you like to see what was in each package?? 

(I will link to the patterns I used & also try to remember the fabric ranges tho' this may be a bit trickier)

"T" stands for Tea towel, Tilda pumpkin, tea coasters, tea mug & tea ... also tags 

I knew these were the colours in Claire's kitchen.

I took a plain white waffle tea-towel & patchworked a pumpkin block onto it using a mixture of Tilda fabrics from older ranges.
The pumpkin block is from this book Tilda's Sewing by Heart
While I was browsing the book I decided to make Claire a pumpkin - pattern is in the book.  I actually scaled the "smallest size pumpkin" down a bit & used matching fabrics to my teatowel block.
The Holiday Spices tea was purchased from Harney Teas.
I also made a pair of tea coasters using some white linen from my stash & adding a Tilda Yo Yo flower/Suffolk Puff.

I took a photo of my pumpkin block & then ordered a tea mug using this personalised service from Vistaprint & had Claire's name printed on it.

Lastly I cut out some cute tags using images photocopied onto thin card. (I knew Claire loved tags)

"I" stands for  "I 💗 Christmas"
(Yes I know I bent the rules a bit on this one 😉)

.  .  .  .  I made Claire a Tilda Santa

This Santa pattern is from this book Tilda's Christmas Ideas
Claire decorates her entire home for Christmas so I knew that making her anything in this line would not be out of order & was fairly sure she did not have this Santa.


Underneath all that mohair beard he does have some eyes - the white wooden stand is for him to perch on but I thought Claire may even decide to hang him.
I am pretty sure this fabric is from the Tilda Old Rose range.
The pattern book comes complete with the drum which you photocopy onto thin card & make up - his other pocket holds his drumsticks. (toothpicks with beads glued on)


I included one of the tags I made earlier in the year & a card of gorgeous Christmas buttons from Theodora Cleave

"L" stands for Lovely little linen table runner & lavender bags 💜

I used this Video tutorial from Crafts with Fee's YouTube channel to make Claire a table runner with Applique & Prairie points.  I know I frequently mention Fee's channel as she shares such wonderful projects.  I used a mixture of Tilda Maple Farm & Woodland fabrics for this project.  The grey linen was in my stash & was left over from this bunting that I made recently.


The table runner is reversible & can be used on either side.  I enlarged it slightly from Fee's measurement.
I made two lavender bags using English Paper Pieced hexagons - the linen was already in my stash & the lavender is from this years harvest.

"D" stands for Doll .... Tilda Fisher Doll with her Whale
(I had to quickly take all my photos before I left for Mums hurriedly so the light is very poor & yellowish unfortunately)
This pattern is from this book Tilda's Seaside Ideas - which I borrowed from my local Library.
The doll is dressed in Tilda Plum Garden fabrics - one of my favourite ranges.
I had no matching fabric paint for her boots so I just used my pale blue chalk paint & it worked out fine.  This particular pattern has the sweetest little cardigan that laces at the neck, the pattern of which is in the book.  I knitted up to the underarms & then just could Not figure out the pattern from there.  I even took it to my clever-knitting-friend-Shirley for advice but she found the same. So I unpicked it & knitted a tiny dolls Jumper pattern which I Could figure out.  

I made the smallest size whale, pattern also in the book - this was fun to make.

"A" stands for Angel ... Tilda Autumn Angel & her Plum
Autumn Angel is a free pattern from * Here * on the Tilda Website
I used gorgeous Maple Farm Fabrics for my Autumn Angel.    I purchased these fabrics from * Here *

I made myself this pattern almost two years ago - blog post here  & still really love my Autumn Angel. I extended the apron quite a bit & added the pompom trim, the same as I did for my Angel.  The Plum is also a free pattern on the website.


Well friends you can see why I could not post all that & wanted to hand deliver it.  I also wanted to see Claire's face when she opened each package & afterwards she may have shed a tear or two - she was so delighted with all her treasures.  Claire is one of the kindest, most generous people I know & it was such a pleasure to make this for her & bring her some Joy.  I thought long & hard about her colours & what she might like & was pleased to say I got it just right.  (If you are on Instagram you can follow along with Claire * Here *

If you made it all the way to the end - Thank You So Much !

I shall be back in a few days with my final Catch Up Post.

Have a wonderful week ahead dear friends,

With much love & friendship to you All,

Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0



Friday, April 23, 2021

Away ............................ & Back Again (Catch Up #1)

Greetings lovely friends & readers,

I have been away unexpectedly .... my elderly Mum had another fall (her 2nd in a month) so I dropped everything & drove down to be with her.  I returned home again this week & have decided to try to resurrect my poor neglected blog.

Because I have not posted since before Easter I have decided to write a series of "catch up posts" going back to Easter & moving forward from there - please humor me with this dear friends 😉



Easter was quiet in our house - believe me when I say Quiet is perfectly fine by me!   The Mr is right in the middle of autumn calving so he is gone early for most of the day.  I decided to sew a rabbit for myself that I had earmarked approximately 2 years ago to make - good things take time dear friends 😊



The pattern is called Hareloom Easter Rabbit & is by American Designer Gini Simpson of "Cat and the Fiddle Designs" (can find no link to this sorry)  The pattern is out of an old Homespun Magazine No. 58 (Vol 9.3)


I had a beautiful vintage chenille (candlewick) bedspread that was threadbare in many places  .... I decided to take the plunge & cut into this to make the rabbits skirt.  It was okay because I had Miss Pippi to oversee & talk me through this nerve-wracking process !!


I'm really pleased I used the candlewick as it is so beautiful & up close it looks like tiny hand embroidered rosettes.


The face took quite a bit of work as it's been quite sometime since I've painted a dolls face & the nose & cheeks are stuffed to make it appear 3-dimensional.  I had to take my time & frequently walk away from it for a break. The lace & ribbon rose at the ear are my own embellishment.


I had a 9 cm pair of dolls shoes in my stash which were much smaller than the pattern required so I cut the foot down quite a bit when sewing the legs. The socks were bright white but I tea-dyed them & added the rosettes to the shoe. The egg was just an Easter decor item that I had which fit perfectly stitched to her hand.



I finished her on the Tuesday after Easter & I just LoVe her 💕 & have decided Not to pack her away with my Easter things - she can stay out all year round & I can enjoy her.  I have tried to think of a name for her & for some reason Milly keeps coming to mind. Any suggestions dear readers?


While I was in the rabbit-making-mood I decided to make a customer order.  Joy had asked for a Tilda rabbit & I explained it wouldn't be done before Easter but she was fine with that. Her preference was autumy colours.


She came together quite quickly & the dress is made from Tilda fabric - I added one of my primitive wooden carrots.  

Joy was delighted with her & has now asked me to make a similar one wearing dungarees.
This is a free pattern from * Here * on the Tilda Website (scroll about 3/4's of the way down the page)

Two elderly customers had ordered new wheatbags so I was able to run these up as I found a large bag of wheat in my freezer.  I keep it in here as it stops the weevils getting in to it ... I also toss a handful of lavender in my wheatbags but this is optional.


Also over Easter I began working on a large Soy Candle Order - I have 20 to make & have the vintage glassware ready to go but have been held up waiting for more Soy Wax to arrive.  I was able to make 10 before I ran completely out of wax & then - just today - my wax order has arrived.



I also made The Mr his favourite Weetbix slice & picked several large bowls of cherry tomatoes. I grew these in big black buckets this year & they are still producing great quantities of tomatoes.

The autumnal colours of the hydrangeas are still beautiful even though the garden is fading.  I picked these just prior to heading to Mum's & they are still drying in their vase.
I should mention my Mum is now doing much better & improved immensely during the time I was there.  
I have much more to share with you dear friends so I will be back in a few days with Catch Up #2.

Thank You as always for your welcome visits here today,
With much love & friendship to you All, 💗
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0



Saturday, April 3, 2021

Some Easter Decorating - Threadbear Style

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Some simple & inexpensive Easter decorating has been taking place here at Threadbear HQ over the past couple of weeks & I thought I would share a few ideas with you 💕 

These rabbit picks were purchased at my local Variety Store - a pack of 6 for $2.50.  I painted them all in different pastel shades when I had my testpots out doing other painting bits & bobs. They only needed one coat each - I also trimmed their bases as they were a bit long for my requirements. (sorry I did not get a "before pic")


I found some oasis/floral foam in my stash (tho' if you do need to buy it the Variety Stores are the cheapest). I also found some dried moss left over from Christmas & a couple of vintage china teacups with matching saucers. You can remove all this afterwards so you are not forfeiting your good china cups.  Cut some oasis to fit in your cups, cover with the dried moss & then poke your rabbit picks in - I did not use any glue whatsoever & they stay in nice & securely.

Such a sweet little Easter display.  


I came across this tiny knitted jumper in a box.  My Mum used to knit these for me when I made a small Golly called Teenie Weenie Golly.  This was my one last Jumper so I thought I would make a rabbit to fit into it.     I used the free bunny pattern on the Tilda website. (scroll right down nearly to the bottom of the page)


I decided to make my rabbit some dungarees instead of the dress in the pattern.  I drafted off a simple pattern with no bib as I didn't want to cover up too much of the jumper.  I used some of my treasured Tilda fabrics for the body & the dungarees & gave her a prim carrot to tuck in her pocket.


I was thrilled with how my bunny turned out & when a customer saw it she immediately wanted to purchase it so bunny has now flown to the South Island to live & I shall have to attempt to knit another Jumper myself (& won't that be fun dear friends) 😉


This simple silver stand was an Op Shop purchase for $5 last year sometime.    I painted it with some pale duck egg chalk paint while I was painting my rabbit picks.  Two coats & it was well covered.  I had been wanting to make some scatter eggs as featured on Craft With Fee's YouTube channel.    Here is the link to the tutorial should you wish to go look at it. I just love everything Fee creates. 💗

The eggs were such a simple fun project to make & just used up some scraps of felt & fabrics. I made 5 but could easily have kept going I think. 


I stitched some pom pom trim & ric rac trim to a rabbit teatowel & then hung it from a piece of thin dowel - it makes a pretty Easter wallhanger but once again, can easily be dismantled & re-used.


On Thursday 1st April we celebrated Sid's 4th birthday - his only request was for a dinosaur cake which his Mummy made for him complete with a volcano & lava.  It's hard to believe this dear little Pipsqueak has turned 4. 
 
Some simple Easter decorating that I have done this year - I just enjoy the pastels at this time of year so much.



You may remember when I made the table runner last Easter in this post * Here * 


Dear Jenny wrote a post * Here * last week about how lucky we are nowadays with our appliances & what it used to be like in our Grandparents era.  I left Jenny a comment to say I well remember Mum using an old wringer washing machine & how it would jam - I have one now that is planted with Impatiens in a part of my garden & folk are always drawn to it when they visit.  Jenny asked to see a photo of it so I thought I would share it here.
Which reminds me - when I planted it last Spring I put two punnets of Impatiens in it - one red & one white ... as you can see, mixed up labels again 😊


These autumn days are beautiful with that real nip in the air now & some leaf fall starting.  I have bought the banana box out of the woodshed & filled it with clean blankets - Miss Pip saw me bringing it up the steps & was in like a lightening bolt.

Wishing you all a very blessed Easter dear friends - thank you so much for your visits here today 💕
With much love & friendship To You All,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x