Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Ron & Audrey



Way back in 2013, I was involved in the  Red Nose Day Dolls. I made a little doll called Maisie, and she, along with lots of other wonderful items were auctioned to raise money for Comic Relief. They raised oodles of money and it was an awesome project to be involved in.
Then the wondrous Mrs Pebbles came up with a Bigger Brighter Better plan. She teamed up with some clever folks and the team behind Mollie Makes to create The Big Comic Relief Crafternoon.


The Big Comic Relief Crafternoon magazine is full of super wonderful projects and interesting tidbits. 
There is a host of projects including knitted beards, crochet red noses, exquisite knickers, DIY craft themed dinner plates, Spring-themed brooches and wrist warmers and, my friends, Ron and Audrey.
This super special edition of Mollie Makes goes on sale in Sainsbury's for £7.99 and £5 of that goes to Comic Relief to support their wonderful projects. Here in Australia, we should be able to get a copy on itunes. (I'll keep you posted on that).
Lots and lots of people have been involved in this massive project, donating their time, and their projects including. Lucy of Attic 24, Flossie Teacakes, Lynda Lewis from the Great British Sewing Bee, Oh No Rachio, and the wondrous Mrs Pebbles. 
  

My contribution is Ron (above) and his dear friend Audrey (below). You may have seen them prancing about on social media lately. In fact you can watch a wee stop motion video of them on youtube !


    This project was actually a bit of a challenge for me - it is not often that I try and make realistic looking animals and it dumbfounded me to begin with.




But once I added some little dress up coats to the pattern, I felt much more at ease. Ron and Audrey are included in the magazine in a full step-by-step tutorial. 
The magazine also includes instructions for running your own gala craft day so you could craft up a storm and sell your creations to support Comic Relief.
Last time I was involved in this fundraiser I remember saying that sometimes, being the maker  of things small and useless becomes bigger than small and useless.
I stand by that, but it takes more than all of the many makers to make something like this happen, it takes people like Emma to dream up these huge ideas and then to set about making them happen. I am so amazed and in awe of my blog-friend. 
She is an egg of the very finest order.
Please share this on your channels, your bookfaces and your what evers. Go to the facebook page and give them a like - spread the word.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Look closely

bird house pin cushion

apple house pin cushion

The holiday boss almost cracked a smile !


Wednesday, January 14, 2015

In progress

My holiday boss is a total hard-arse.
She has rules. Lots of rules.
She would probably be cross if she knew I was sitting here blogging and enjoying my second cup of tea.

She'd be asking how this project was progressing, had I worked out that little tail issue ? Will there be accessories? Is this a halter and lead kinda guy or a wind blowing through the mane kinda guy?She may also mention the five patterns that need to be written, the exciting newses that need to be shared and the inexplicable amount of tea being consumed in the staffroom. She is certain to mention the need to follow up with the breakthrough in the 'roundness of head' issue in another project and the weird leg to body ratio in yet another.
So I had better get moving and address some issues and tick some boxes. Today is tails and manes and rounded heads and sea creatures and even more French knots (previous post). I need to send some emails and investigate some PAYHIP stuff and take some photos.
I'll just boil the kettle first.




Sunday, January 4, 2015

R.I.P Blog

With this morning set aside for computery stuff  I found myself looking at my blog roll.
I expanded the list and found all the blogs right at the bottom .


 Sorted by most recent posts, those are blogs haven't posted for a year or two or even longer. They are not coming back I told myself as I deleted them from my blog roll. I felt a bit sad that some of the blogs had completely disappeared,  removed from the interwebs, just a little broken link remaining.



 I could be doing a wrap up post - you know, a montage of last year and I will probably get to it eventually but for now I am holidaying a bit (photos from a trip to Sovereign Hill) and sewing some new crazy ideas that were supposed to be easy-peasy and turned into Oh Will These French |Knots Never End ?

 Are you into the whole pick a word for the new year bizzo ? Do you pink Connection and spend the year devoted to family? Do you pink Strength and tackle some of the hard bits of life?
It is not really my thing but I have been pressed by a friend to give it a go - she swears it keeps her on track for the year ahead... 
So the Ric Rac word of 2015 is

DIPSTICK

May 2015 be full of dipstickery of the highest order. May we pee our pants laughing at our friends, our fluff-ups and ourselves.