Merry Snow Mermaiden!

A belated Merry Christmas to you all! I had great intentions of having a lovely winter image to mark the occasion but things got busy and then there was a tummy bug fiasco on Xmas Day and so here we are a couple days after the fact.

I'm still coming to grips with taking photos in the snow, which is proving more challenging than I'd expected! Not helped by me always being taken by surprise when it starts getting dark at 3:30pm, I really need to take photos in the AM! Naturally this has meant that I've spent more time than is rational trying to get rid of the horrible grey cast that a badly exposed snow photo has. Look out for more Photoshopped madness.

These were the Mermaiden I made for (from left) Hazel, Nicole, Danielle and Amy, the pattern is from the Wee Wonderfuls book.



I love the final product but boy they're a lot more work than I thought they'd be! Of course I realised this after I'd mentally committed to the project, but just be warned if you are going to take one on - read the instructions first! Also, I'd recommend popping a bit of stuffing into the highest bit of the hair before inserting the head, it gives a much nicer finish. I did it for the pale pink hair but not Hazel's on the far left and you can see how it hollows out beyond the head. You could also put some stuffing into the tail, although I've been told by those in the know the floppiness adds to the swimminess.

Doxie Dachshunds and a giveaway

My ever-expanding pack of dachshunds made from the Doxie Dachshund necklace pattern in the Wee Wonderfuls book.

I'm really quite addicted to them.

Hazel loves them as well - she has two already and would like several more. The first one I made was the spotty one and she's worn it to school several days in a row which pleases me no end. The second one is red with white spots but he's a wild one with no collar or ribbon so he's not in the photo. When I first looked through the book it was this project that really jumped out at me and my first thought was "Hazel would LOVE this". And then I started second-guessing myself and wondering what kid would really wear one for real and whether this was just going to be one of those things that seem like a good idea but don't work in real life. But no, it's a total success! Apparently 5 year old girls really DO like wearing stuffed dogs around their necks. I should never have doubted.

So now on to the really fun part, the bit where I FINALLY get around to do a little giveaway to celebrate hitting 200 followers. Of course there are 239 of you lovely and wonderful people now but hey, the more the merrier right? So if you'd like a pair of Doxies of your own (the dog, not the lady of easy virtue) then just leave me a comment below! The giveaway is for followers, RSS readers and actual visitors to my blog - no restrictions. You can choose from the fabrics above, or a different colour or whatever you want, I'm happy to customise! They can come as a necklace for the younger set, or as a brooch for the more mature amongst us (I'm going to do one for me), or one of each. I'll leave the comments open until the morning of Tuesday 7th September NZ time and then draw a winner with a random number generator as my own little bundle of randomness will be at school. The giveaway is open to all, local and international.

The Wee Wonderfuls book

 

I've had this book for a couple weeks now and it's growing on me every day.  Sounds a bit like a distressingly personal kind of disease doesn't it? ;)  But really, the projects are just so cute and I'm busy sewing up a small pack of dachshund necklaces (yay handsewing!).  Pack of dachshunds...why is it that the words "pack" and "dachshund" just don't really go together?  Pack implies something purposeful and dangerous, not the words that immediately spring to mind when considering dachshunds. But anyways, there will be a post on them in the next few days so in the meantime I thought I'd just share a few of my favourite projects in case you've been wondering if the book's for you.  And to be honest, even if these ones don't grab you it might still be a goer because these are a very biased collection! I love Hilary's dolls and patterns and have done a few of them in the last few years, including a bunch of Olives and Archies.


Melvin and Marion the Librarian Bears.  These would be for me and I would stand firm on that in the face of the inevitable blandishments and whining from Hazel. I mean really, librarian bears?  Even the name makes me want them. On the list of 'jobs I could have done if I hadn't been an archaeologist' librarian comes right after palaeontologist.  Hazel says she's going to be a palaeontologist when she grows up (she loves dinosaurs) so perhaps I can go on digs with her when I'm retired.

You can get the pattern for this Mermaiden from Melanie Falick Books. Hazel picked this one next after the dachshunds. I like it when she chooses the easy projects!

 The Ellie bag.  I think Hazel has too many bags that she doesn't use enough but this would be a good addition to the collection.

The Tag-a-long doll.  It reminds me of the Olive doll I made for Hazel a few years ago, but the construction is heaps easier and the pigtails are so cute!

Bjorn Bjornson - would totally be for me and I'd love him and kiss him and call him Bjorn.

Little Miss Storybook - she comes with the most adorable red cape so I guess she can be Goldilocks or Red Riding Hood - or any of the other blond fairytale heroines!  I was explaining to Hazel how she was a goldilocks too and she thought that was hilarious because there was no way there were any bears around.

I'm really looking forward to doing at least one or two of these toys, particularly if they're destined for my desk! There is a Flickr group for the book if you're interested in seeing some of the other toys.

Wee Wonderfuls package

Wonderful package, originally uploaded by Ansis68.

These two toys are off to Edmonton tomorrow if I can get my act together. I think I'm about two weeks behind schedule with them, and that despite promising Nicole, a five year old child, that I'd be done. If I can disappoint a young girl I think I'm a pretty hardened procrastinator. The monkey is for her younger sister Danielle. This photo doesn't show his lovely, possibly even magnificent, tail, but you can see them here on a couple of others that I've made.

I've also got a graduation photo to share



Sadly, despite the care I put into my choice of shoes they don't show up in many of the photos, and certainly in nothing that I'd consider showing to anyone else! I don't consider myself photogenic at all to be honest, so it's a wonder I'm putting this up at all. I went to a seminar this afternoon and there were lots of studio photos of old archaeologists and to a man (no women) they were posed and serious-looking. Why won't people let you be serious-looking these days? Everyone's all "smile!" and if you don't produce a real grin they harass you until you do. I like looking serious, I look better serious in photos, why can't I be serious? When I smile my eyes squinch up and my nose looks really wide. People like me should be allowed to be all serious and intense-looking in photos, you know, like we've got deep and meaningful goings-on inside our brains. Even if we don't.

Another Wee Wonderfuls Olive completed

Finally finished the dolly today - she just needed her bow attached but it's amazing how long something like that can take to get around to! Now I'm behind on the monkey but I have some stats to run for a paper tonight so I'm afraid I'm going to be more behind by the time I make it to bed!



Today Olive is modeling a lovely pinafore made from Amy Butler's French Wallpaper fabric and a shirt made from Ginger Blossom by Sandi Henderson in Vintage Dot, as well as Lime Bouquet Toss for her sporty little bow*. She's undergone eye surgery to replace her original dark blue eyes the better to resemble her adoptive mummy Nicole.

As she sashays away, we see the sweet crossed straps of her pinafore and the splash of lime from her bow.



Bye bye Olive!

(One down, how many more projects to go?)


*Not sure of the shoe fabric, it was part of a scrap bag but I'm sure I've seen it somewhere so if anyone knows the pattern I'd love to give it credit!

Oh dear...

The dolly is coming together beautifully, I'm quite impressed with myself except...well it's awkward but I think I may have really screwed up the placement of the pattern of the fabric. I don't know what to do. I'll sleep on it and then post a picture tomorrow and see what you all think but let's put it this way - Mat didn't notice it when I showed him the unstuffed body but when I pointed it out he demanded I take it out of the house immediately. :-/

The problem with real life is you can't Photoshop out unwanted details.

Past glories

A Wonderful trio, originally uploaded by Ansis68.

I got nothing fresh for you internets, nothing. So I've decided to take a quick stroll through the archives at Hazelnut central* and pull out a few of my favourites.

This little trio are from the Wee Wonderful's Olive and Archie pattern which has proved to be a good investment as I've made eight all-up. If you're interested there are more dollies if you click through to the Flickr set. The ones on the left are Hazel's pair, the Archie on the right was for her friend Luca who has brown hair and blue eyes. It's kind of fun customising the hair and eyes to match the kid. Unfortunately I used a wool blend felt that I was assured wouldn't pill but of course does, and it stretches too. So all that hard work with a fabric that doesn't stand up. That still annoys me. I need to make another to replace Nicole's Olive who has been worn out through sheer love, and I've bought some proper 100% wool felt in a decent weight this time. No half measures! Nicole has chosen some great fabric for her second 'Dahwee' as she calls her, I'm looking forward to making her up.

I'm such a huge fan of the Wee Wonderfuls patterns, they have this great retro-yet-very-modern appeal. No doubt there will be more gracing this blog in the future :) And check her 'freebies' page as well!

*MacBook Pro on the desk in the spare room