Happiness is:

A long overdue date with Mr Gocco

All the ghosts

I am feeling a bit discombobulated at the moment. I won't bore you with my existential angst, but suffice to say I don't even have a Christmas list.

Oh in years gone by I had lists that would make you weep. I cross-referenced and I colour coded. The list was a mightly beast and it was long lived. Months of work went into the list, endless planning and changing and perfecting. There was no person, no gift, no awkward hardly-known Kris Kringle or Secret Santa that the list could not serve.

I was the queen of Christmas, the handmade cards were sent in November, ( there was a list so no-one was forgotten) ,the hand made wrapping paper which matched the THEME was made months in advance. I had last minute gifts, spare gifts and even a few dozen kiddy Kris Kringles in reserve so none of the kids at school missed out. I was like a human Pinterest board of glitter fuelled Christmas cheer.

The ghost of Christmas-now would hate the ghost-of-Jodies-past . She was a candy-caned fuelled pain in the arse. The ghost of Christmas now discuss practical vacuum-like gifts with grown children. She looks at value-for-money and finds herself buying things that they won't buy for themselves, like new sheets. She is not happy about this. She wants to buy Lego and potato guns and stupid zombie stuff.

Discombobulated

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I've long had a thing

for pirates

and now I seem to have a thing for Vikings as well.

(Could be worse)

Busy head - busy hands

I am busy getting ready for Australian Quilt Market next weekend and I seem to have been struck down with a thinking bug. I've been thinking small thinks, and tricky thinks and some really big thinks. 

When this happens, I need  some brainless repetitive craft to work on and so,

I have been busying my hands by cutting felt and making kits for the alphabet animals.

They are all in my Big Cartel shop, and each animal is available in natural or multi-coloured.

The kits (or fabric packs) don't contain a pattern but they do have delicious 100% wool felt, safety eyes, buttons for joints and embroidery threads. the patterns are in the shop of course but it got too tricky offering with and without pattern versions.

Being easily distracted I have to admit that they a bit of an endangered species. 

( lets call this an experiment)

Do you have a particular craft that you do when you need to think? 

A craft that soothes your mind?

(If you say crochet I may want to hit you)

sideways glances

It's Ginger & Blue of course, finally ready and making there way to shops near you.

I am busy making samples for shops and I realised that making six tiny duffle coats gives me a strange kind of happiness that I can rarely speak of outside the land of blogs. 

 (Well I can speak of it, but people never look at me in quite the same way afterwards)

Little Dot

I have a new project in this months issue of Homespun Magazine. That rather straight forward sentence doesn't begin to convey how excited I am by this project.

 Much earlier this year I was asked by Homespun to create a little toy for them. The editor had been particularly taken with Baxter in his bathrobe and wondered if we could come up with something that would work for the magazine. I had never imagined creating a softie story for a magazine and really wondered if it would work (yes I am a control freak as we all know). I got hold of the magazine yesterday and
I love it !

So here (in the green) is Little Dot.  Her story along with her pattern are in the magazine and yes I have had magazine projects projects before and yes they are always exciting....

but this one has me buying copies for my mum and shoving the magazine at anyone who stands still for a minute or two.

My name is Jodie and right now I am loving myself sick.

(much much thanks to Susan for making this happen-you are an egg of the finest quality)

Sewing Tales: a book review

OK, so lets begin by saying I don't really review toy making books (I don't tend to buy them either). I get all crunchy undies about it and worried that I might "borrow" other people's techniques or ideas so I stay well clear of it all. (and lets be honest there's enough insanity in my own head without adding too much more to the mix). A while ago though,  I met Kerry Goulder on Instagram, and we became insta-friends, so when she asked me to take part in her book blog hop I was happy to say yes (and I am glad I did)

Sewing Tales to Stitch and Love is a brand new release containing 18 whimsical toys, each with a little story (you know how much that appeals to me). Even before I received the book I knew I had to make Morton the Turtle. The book is peopled with gnomes and mice and magic mushrooms.

I chose Morton because of his interesting construction and my abiding love of  turtlefolk- can you see his turtle body actually slips in there under the bottom of his shell? I was a bit worried, thinking I had chosen the most difficult toy in the book but in just under three hours - he was finished. Everything works and fits together perfectly.

I love his underneath so much !

Each toy has step by step photos and clear concise instructions.  The bummer for some people might be the lack of full size pattern pieces (you need to enlarge them on the photocopier). In the end those kind of things come down to the book production cost and really a bit of money at the photocopier is not too bad when you get 18 patterns for the cost of the book.

There is plenty to learn from in this book, Kerry has a very different instruction style to me and also a really new-to-me way with embroidering eyes. There is also a great way to draw larger pattern pieces on a corner fold (That actually took me a minute or two to work out), that i haven't seen before.

If you would like to follow along the blog hop, there are lots of people posting their projects and if you are instafriendly you can follow the hashtag #sewingtalesbookbloghop

MONDAY: Nov 4th

Mollie Johanson – Wild Olive

Jessica Fediw – Happy Together

Abby Glassenberg – While She Naps

Jennet Jones-Rau – Feathered Nest Studio

TUESDAY: Nov 5th
Sabra Gubler – Sew a Straight Line
Amber Carillo – One Shabby Chick
Caroline Hulse – Sew Caroline
Amy Friend – During Quiet Time

WEDNESDAY: Nov 6th
Miranda Anderson – One Little Minute
Andrea Taddicken – Knitty Bitties Sews
Kristi McDonough – Schnitzel & Boo
Terri Harlan – Sew Fantastic

THURSDAY: Nov 7th
Shari Butler – Doo Hikey Designs
Jodie Carleton – RicRac
Jen Goode – 100 Directions
Justine Henshaw – Sew Justine Sew

FRIDAY: Nov 8th

Emily Levey – Strawberry Patch Ramblings

Nicke Cutler – Kiss Kiss Quilt

Cathe Holden – Just Something I Made

Kate Henderson – Two Little Banshees

Thanks to Fiskars, Dritz, Fairfield, Bosal, Free Spirit, and F+W Media for the box of goodies that were sent all the people participating. I told Kerry not to bother sending it all to me (postage to Australia was a bit obscene) and I didn't want to be "paid" to participate, but she sent it anyway. (She's kinda nice like that)

So, of course I am going to share it with you guys. All you need to do to enter is pop over and have a look at   Sewing Tales  and let me know which project you like the look of to be entered.

The winner will be picked at random and they will get all the goodies plus a signed copy of the book (with a smudge on page 49 where the cat stood on it while I was reading the instructions- sorry)

Nobody said life (or blogging) was fair

The busier I get, the more I do , the less time there seems to be share it here on the blog.

I'm trying to wrap up the fox pattern and the polar bear pattern (an old one) and a new beginner pattern and a number of heads on sticks are calling me...

So, I get busy

and you my patient friends get Butts !

(But I give them with love)

Heads 1 - 5 (or diversion up ahead)

The heads on sticks have had to be patient this week as the evenings were full of dull-work.

That little head on the right is so full of possibilities - Is he another little hand sewn fellow? Or is he someone else altogether? 

 I can't help thinking of blue linen dungarees.

(Which is not where I thought I was going at all)

H is for Hippo

I really don't know if I am done yet

 As is always the case, the more I make, the more ideas I have and the more I want to make and I feel the pressure of not-enough-time and too many ideas. I am not really complaining, it is a great problem to have and far far preferable to the no-ideas times.

I just want to make everything small and hand sewn with befuddled little inquiring heads, and chubby tummies and wibbly limbs.

This puzzled little man is also available on sale in my pattern shop using the code verysmallbusiness until tomorrow morning. Thanks to the people who have popped in and thanks for the love for the new friends. I was very unsure about these guys, thinking they might have been just a for-me kind of toy so I am super pleased that you like them too.

A winner of the brooch kit Crafty Squirrel giveaway ?

Angelina 

There are heads impaled on needles calling me.

I am not really here- Saturday sale

In actual fact I am mid-Saturday so that means visiting, sewing, gardening ( Annieflowergarden just passed out) and all sorts of busy stuff.

This morning I went to visit my friend Morgan at The Crafty Squirrel to help celebrate Small Business Day. I fell in love with this sample of an embroidered brooch so bought myself a little kit by dandelyne -

And I bought you guys one as well.

I thought I might join in the fun and am having a sale in my big cartel shop for the rest of the weekend, the code verysmallbusiness will get you 20% off all patterns and creative cards. ( yes the giraffe and elephant are there too)

So, what would you embroider in your little brooch kit?

A winner will be picked tomorrow and I'll send them a little Crafty Squirrel pack of goodies.

Now, back to Saturday.....

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E is for

 Elephant (of course)

I love how those stray bits of stuffing look like crazy baby elephant hair.

How many little hand sewn felt animals does it take to create an obsession?

I'll tell you when it wears off !

G is for genetic

Some giraffes are rainbow.... they are just born that way.

G is for.....

Giraffe

and "get back to work".

The post in which I do not sell shower cleaner (Tuesday Rotate)

A recent (very weird) series of shower-cleaner emails got me thinking about all the blog-selling stuff and it made me realise that I have fallen off the blog-sharing wagon a bit. 

So without further ado - I reinstate Tuesday Rotate (the very sporadic series in which I shut-up about myself for 5 minutes and talk about someone else).

I have been wracking my brain trying to think of the very first time I met Michelle... was it at a "staff meeting"? A crafty gathering? No idea. Suffice to say I met Michelle a few years ago when her business Bok Bok Bgerk had only a few designs in the range and the whole thing could fit in her handbag ! Michelle is local to me so I tend to see her around the traps at markets and things - but to be honest I mostly stalk her on Instagram.

When I saw this little foxy beauty on Instagram I knew it had to be mine, and on Sunday I popped into the Design Market here in town and snaffled it up. I own quite a few of Michelle's brooches now.

How much do I love the feathers? I think a green feather might be next.

Michelle also has an earring of the month club- Don't you think that's a great present idea - I like the bi-monthly one myself. A new pair of earring for someone every two months. A birthday all year long!

Anyway apart from that, Michelle is an awesome , warm, friendly hard working crafter and I thought you might like to meet her.

(This post is not 'gifted', 'sponsored', 'suggested'or 'made possibly by anyone except me...... and if I get one more email about sharing shower cleaning products on my blog, I will review the bloody shower cleaner. 

Be careful what you wish for Mr shower cleaning product man)

Sticks 'n' stones

Tying myself up in knots over the names of these friends. They are about to go on a very exciting adventure together...... but I am just an eensy bit, not quite altogether certain that I know exactly who they are yet.

Brother and sister obviously... but what are their names ? 

(I need to get out more, this stuff keeps me awake at nights)

BITE ME

A simple question posed over on the book of faces last night, caused a small flurry.

refer to picture:

The questions was: What are those little vinyl bits called? 

There we entered the hook/ loop , loop/toggle, frog debate.

I was opting for saying "Sew the vinyl doo-dad over the end of your cord to cover up the mess" but that's a bit unprofessional.

The debate ran hot but I think most agreed that the wooden bits are the toggles and the cordy bits are the loops. The vinyl bits could be called tabs. The frogs confused me.

The snarkily emailed suggestion that I have no place writing sewing patterns if I don't have a grasp of technical terminology briefly played into one of those deep dark "You are a fraud" kind of fears. 

 My two-word email response was also unprofessional.

Singin' the blues

 

 

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National Sewing Month

Did you know it is Natonal Sewing month? I didn't know that sewing had its own month !

It's all happening over at Allfreesewing on the favecrafts blog . Not only are they showcasing a new free tutorial or patttern everyday, but there are also daily prizes and a grand prize at the end of the month available to US and Canadian residents.

So far there has been tote bags, table runners, a jewellry organiser bias tape, toys and tips for garment sewing, a bit of everything.

Today it is my turn and I have shared a very quick little decoration called Woodland Christmas. You can make this guy up all red and white and santa-ish, or use some earthy tones and make a little woodsman. (He has his own tree). Add a ribbon and he is ready to haang on your tree. It is all hand sewn and just about as quick and simple as a project is possible to be

You know it's been donkeys years since I've made a little blog freebie and this one is completely downloadable through googledocs. Just pop on over to Favecrafts and get the link.

In other news, I know people are waiting for particular patterns to be PDF'd and aded to the shop, just let me get over the shock of the return-to-work on Monday, get the computer back to its normal self...and I'll be on it.

 

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