More smiley makes

Greetings friends. I've just popped in to show you some of the happy little characters I've been making over the past week.

Little brooches

A happy flower on a patchwork pouch

And finally - four little pin-keeping dollies who take care of the beaded pins in four little pin cushions.

More smiles to follow!

Eli x

Happy stuff

TV news bulletins showing an endless stream of man's inhumanity to man and popular TV programmes showing even more murder and mayhem make me feel quite downhearted. I often feel the need to escape to a happier place and what better place to escape to than into the pages of a children's story book.

Let me show you a couple of books I've recently acquired. 'Aunt Amelia' by Rebecca Cobb is about two little cuties who worried about a strict auntie coming to stay with them. But she turned out to be a very unconventional auntie as you can see.

 

Together they did lots of fun things.

They painted pictures.

 

Ate scrumptious meals.

And found a cosy spot to watch TV.

 

A really happy tale for little ones. Full of fun and mischief and beautifully illustrated.

And here's another one of my current favourites.

'Not Me' by Nicola Killen is about five cute kiddies who create lots of mess around the house. The illustrations are colourful and uncomplicated and clever paint effects depict the 'mess' created. I love it!

 

And of course by now you'll know I'm a big fan of Mabel Lucie Attwell books where carefree children live in a safe, happy world.

I've been doing a spot of sewing this week and the 'happy' theme has continued. The grey weather here in the Lake District resulted in me choosing brightly coloured Kaffe Fassett prints for my happy purses. Each one has it's own smiley dolly stitched to the front.

They were such fun to create I couldn't stop myself making some larger ones using pink flowery prints that I trimmed with vintage lace.

 

 

The smiley purses will eventually go into my Etsy 'Flutterby Stitch' shop which I'm ashamed to say has currently got empty shelves. I've moved the PDF sewing patterns for Ragtaggle Rabbits and Little Counting Dolls into Dollytime (my other Etsy shop). These sewing patterns are now for sale alongside my knitting patterns.

Meanwhile, my Flutterby Stitch shop will remain empty until I've produced a few more items. I'll continue to concentrate on 'happy stuff' and next on my list of makes will be happy brooches. . . . . . Watch this space!