Stitching projects

I'm a big fan of Kajsa Wikman's lovely book Scandinavian Stitches and have been busy stitching these little birds/chicks for Easter. My idea is to find a tree branch to hang them on. You know, painted white and stuck in a flowerpot - but a suitable one hasn't turned up yet, which is amazing really as there is so much fallen wood in the garden. So in the meantime they are "perching" on a wire coathanger attached with wooden clothespegs decorated with toadstools.

And I wanted to make some different lavender bag shapes as a change from my usual square sachets, so I've been trying hearts and this strawberry shape. I had the idea of using fruit teabags to scent the strawberry but the fragrance is rather faint so I'll be adding a few drops of strawberry oil to the next version.

I'll be adding these to the March Make a Month gallery if I'm not too late!

Another Monthly Make - February #2

I think I'm going to become addicted to making these little brooches/pins. These two have elements made using techniques I last tried in the 1970s! Suffolk Puffs and Flower Loom blooms. I saw this pretty card the other day on one of my favourite blogs - Lisa's Sideoats & Scribbles. She used her bloom as an embellishment. I think it works brilliantly and wanted to have a go. I remembered a vintage Flower Loom I found at a car boot sale a couple of years ago - I hadn't even taken it out of its packaging so thought it was about time I did. My other pin has a Suffolk Puff centre - I think its called a Yo-yo in the US. Both brooches have felt die cuts for their centres and the Suffolk Puff has one at the back too.

This last one is a hair clip and is a bit more cheerful in colour. I think it would look very pretty in a little girls hair - perhaps there should be two. Anyway - I'm off to cut some more felt and fabric on my Cuttlebug.

Monthly Make - February #1

I have decided to make Jenny's cute Bounding Bunnypins for the children's Easter gifts this year. I have to admit cutting them out is rather a fiddly job and while I was cutting this week I thought how lovely it would be if there was a die for the shape. And from that thought came these little felt brooches/clips. I went through my Papertrey and Cuttlebug dies and cut out some suitable shapes, decorated them with fabric, embroidery silks and buttons, and attached some findings.
I've also started to think about packaging them up - a favourite bit for me. I'm hoping to do a craft fair some time in the summer and need to build up some stock. Don't hold me to that - I probably won't be organised enough to get myself to one!
One more photo I can't help myself from posting for any birdy people reading this. I love this image I managed to get of a Nuthatch in the garden this week. He's so sweet!