kinda sorta busy stuff and weirdness

The title pretty much sums up how I am feeling at the moment.

With the trip to Spring Market looming and my fabrics not due to arrive until the end of April, I feel like I should be enjoying the calm before the storm.

In reality my calm looks like a 3 page to-do list. I know that when the fabric arrives I'll be crazy insane busy so I am doing a bit of deck clearing and preparation...in well, preparation I guess.

(hmm preparing to be prepared)

I am working on some new friends and to say I like them is a massive understatement. I like them SOOOOO much I am not sure I can even share them with the world in case not everyone feels the same way about them as me. 

They really are super close I promise! 

A friend on bookface asked me if I would write a blog post about working in the craft industry? I am been mulling over it for a few days and am wondering what kind of things people might want to know. Have you got a question you'd like me to chat about. I am not promising I have any answers but I'll give it a red hot go!

See ... a bit kinda sorta busy stuff

The Honest Bio

I am writing a bio about myself. 

 'Jodie has a house (full of toys) that she shares with Mr Ric Rac, and the fur children, the real children having long since fled in horror"

 'Jodie has reached a point in her life where she can no longer pretend that she likes people more than dogs'

'Jodie thinks writing about herself in the third person makes her sound like a wanker'.

Have I missed anything?

The cat is out of the bag..

but you will have to go over to Sew Mama Sew to read about it.

This is Fig, a free pattern I made for the Sew Mama Sew Six Weeks of Softie Love and you can download the pattern from their site.

A big thank you to Beth and Kristin for asking me to be part of this great series - I am loving all the new to me softie makers that have been featured. It is so nice to see so much great stuff happening in the world of toymaking. It can be a bit lonely being a toy maker in a world of quilters but this series has introduced so many great people that my instagram and facebook feeds are being filled with toys !

(Let's make it an annual event).

(Yep I'll fill you in on the other news just as soon as I am allowed)

Softie love

I am pretty pumped about this ! Sew Mama Sew have launched 6 weeks of Love for Softies on their blog and asked me to join in.

Obviously, I am obsessed with toy / softie / plush making and I am excited to see such a great site spreading the word.

The six weeks will include

• Free patterns, tutorials, tips and techniques from some of the best softies experts in the business.
• A daily inspirational soft toy or doll.
• The Softies Contest:There are  categories for everyone, from first-time softie makers to plush and doll designers. You can enter to win fabric, books, thread, patterns, polyfil or even the Grand Prize, a Pfaff Creative 3.0 sewing and embroidery machine valued at $3,999! (the grand prize will be awarded with the US) 
• There is also a soft toy drive with all the toys going to children in foster care.

For my part, I have designed a free pattern which will feature on the site soon ('ll be sure to tell you when). There are a lot of exciting toy makers involved and I have already found some new toy makers to follow. 

I won't be entering the softie competition but I did donate some patterns to the prize pool. You can check out all the details for the competition here. 

I'd love to see what you come up with if you enter ! 

#6WeeksOfSofties