Newest creation...

I have finally produced another miniature bear. It's taken a long time to overcome the complete lack of inspiration and motivation that has hovered over any attempt at tiny teddy production, but I have done it! Here is the first completed miniature of 2011.

Huge thanks to HB for inspiration - she liked the idea of a series of snowflake-inspired Christmassy bears and this little teddy has gone from idea to reality in a very short space of time. Maybe the rest of the series will follow...

 This little red bear has a ruff crocheted from gold embroidery thread. He is definitely a "he" although as yet unnamed. I'm still searching for a suitably snowy boy name...

He is 5cm tall when standing and made from red cashmere plush fabric. This fabric is delightful to work with - very easy to sew and turn (and reasonably forgiving of errors) - and the finished effect is lovely. Unfortunately I have discovered that it is impossible to photograph successfully. Without the flash the colour isn't true, but with the flash the sheen is too much for the camera! More experimentation needed...

The bear is lovely (though I say it myself!); he's come out really well. I'm not 100% sure about the ruff yet - it may change before he gets his final name...

Let me know what you think. Any suggestions or name possibilities welcomed!

A week of ups and downs

It's been a funny old week really...

It's been a week of car-related stress: getting rescued by the RAC from a chilly M4 (2nd call-out in 2 weeks), 8 hours and 20 miles after getting the car back from the garage; anxiously waiting to hear from the mechanic to find out if I would have to cancel all my appointments AGAIN; and driving nervously through the countryside hoping that it won't conk out on me in the middle of nowhere.

It's been a week of family events: packing the OH off to London for a month; a visit from my parents; and a lovely meal with Mum, Dad, sister, brother and sister-in-law.

It's been a week of elephants: 

one whose progress is interminably slow (body complete on 3rd attempt, legs... don't ask!) 

and one who was just a delightful surprise!

I think the spice boat tips the balance though...

...it's been a good week!

Elephants marching through my dreams...

I have spent the last week covering notebooks. This is not, perhaps, the most inspiring of projects but very necessary as I would like to do a craft fair soon. The main drawback of taking miniature teddy bears to a craft fair is that my entire stock would only fill a space the size of an A4 sheet of paper: not really an eye catching display on the average table! So I have been busily making other fabric items that will take up that extra space. 

Don't get me wrong, I do like the notebooks. The overall effect is good and they have a nice finish to them. It's just that another project has been haunting me since it popped into my head and if it wasn't for my OH's very sensible veto on experiments until the table-fillers were completed, I wouldn't have covered any notebooks at all!

Yesterday I finally reached a satisfactory notebook count so was allowed to spend the afternoon on something else. So naturally the experimental project was given some time. Well quite a lot of time actually...

All year I have been making elephants: 

small felt elephants; 

 

 the YDC Mystery elephant for the March charity auction on eBid; 

and a small Liberty fabric elephant (as-yet-unfinished).

But there is another elephant: one that I have been drawing since I was a child. I don't know where it came from but this elephant has always been very close to my heart. So I thought I'd give it a go. After a few quick sketches, I cut out the templates and ultrasuede and started to sew. I was expecting that this attempt would be very much a prototype so that I could see how to change the pattern to get the right shape but actually I have surprised myself.

Apart from slightly bruised finger tips (the ultrasuede is quite stiff to work with), sewing and turning was easier than I expected...

the shape is good, although perhaps a tiny bit wide across the crown of the head...

 

and the trunk worked very well.

 Now all this elephant needs is a body...