Flowers and fun

Thankfully the sun has been shining on the London Olympics but here in the mountainous north west of England the clouds and rain remained until just a few days ago.

So what to do when you can't enjoy your summer garden? Buy a new mug of course! When I first saw this it immediately reminded me of my blog banner which was the perfect excuse to give it a good home!

The mug is from Liberty, one of my favourite London stores, and the floral pattern is based on one of their 1950s fabric designs. I've loved Liberty fabrics since I was very small and used to visit the store with my mum who could never return home without at least one length of floral cotton lawn.

I've decided that perhaps now is the time to put some of my Liberty printed fabrics to good use. I have a few ideas buzzing around in my head but nothing definite as yet.

In my last post I promised to let you know about my tiny knitted dolls. Well I'm afraid this is as far as I've got and they are still a work in progress. I'm hoping there will be a pattern available soon but working with the Liberty lawn is proving very difficult to resist and knitting is currently taking second place!

Meanwhile I can tell you that as soon as the sun started shining last week the playroom door burst open and an avalanche of dolls and rabbits headed for the garden.

Belinda Jane (one of the more sensible dollies) did a spot of gardening and helped to remove some of the dead rain-battered flower heads.

Olympic cycling events have been featured on TV quite a lot in recent weeks and when Lucy Lavender spotted the old red bicycle leaning against the ivy clad wall she decided she'd chance here luck at a bit of speed cycling. Fortunately the ivy had wrapped itself tightly around the wheels preventing Lucy from disaster!

Several rascals climbed into the wheelbarrow hoping for a free ride but were foolish enough not to realise that the barrow was on a steep slope. Thankfully I spotted it just in time and a major dolly spillage was narrowly avoided.

Would-be sprinters and marathon runners amongst the young bunnies had to be watched closely as they would have certainly disappeared into the nearby wood where predators roam. Poor Mother Bunny did here best to keep the youngsters in the basket but with little success. This little rascal dashed off at high speed and was lost for quite a while.

Everyone searched the garden in vain. After quite some time he was spotted with his head protruding from this watering can. The scamp had climbed inside and become well and truly stuck.

Luckily Kate was on hand to pull him out otherwise goodness knows how long he'd have been in there.

Even though dolls and rabbits were scattered around the garden it didn't take long for them all to spot the picnic hamper when Posy laid it on the check tablecloth. Alice and Lucy were the first to arrive and watched in mouth-watering expectation as the basket was opened.

Gathering everyone together at the end of the day might have been a problem if it hadn't been for Merrily Ann's bright idea. She suggested using the tablecloth to transform her wooden bed into a boat so that everyone could 'sail' back to the playroom. This was an excellent plan and 100% successful. It was just possible to squeeze everyone in, right down to the last tiny bunny who, as you can see, very nearly missed the boat.

I hope you have enjoyed watching the London Olympics on TV, or perhaps been a spectator at one of the events. A knitter in London, living close to the Olympic Park, has displayed a number of little knitted athletes in her garden and they've proved very popular with passers-by. If you'd like to take a look please click on the link below. There is a description written under each picture.

WOOLLY SPORTING RIVALS

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19222190

Knitting in the rain

Midsummer has been and gone and in much of the UK the sun remains an infrequent visitor. This was the view from our window yesterday evening. After a wet day the sun appeared briefly to provide this 'almost' golden sunset but as you can see it is masked by ominous looking storm clouds gathering on the western horizon.

This morning we looked out of the window to see more of this and it's been going on for weeks. Warnings of more floods are coming thick and fast and heavier rain is forecast. . . . . .  The London Olympic Games is just three weeks away!

The garden is sodden, the lawn remains uncut and most of my summer blooms are now in a very sorry state. 

So what have I been doing whilst being confined indoors? Well, looking at pictures like the one below have certainly helped to raise my spirits. This is Milly Molly Mandy who lives in a 'nice white cottage with a thatched roof'. Reading those words I'm able to transport myself into this little girl's world where the sun shines, cottage gardens bloom and everyone is kind and helpful to everyone else.

Milly Molly Mandy books were written and illustrated by Joyce Lankester Brisley. The first was published in 1928 and the stories continued until the 1960s.

Books containing compilations of the various tales are still in publication and I know many of you are very fond of them. In the front of each book there is a map of the village in which Milly Molly Mandy lives. You can see her thatched cottage top left. Across the lane lives her little friend Susan and in the heart of the village is the home of another friend named Billy Blunt.

The gentle stories were written for young children and are typical of the era they portray. The author's beautiful black and white illustrations are equally evocative. Below you can see Billy Blunt being followed into the classroom by the duck that Milly Molly Mandy has befriended. The children shriek with laughter but the teacher is far from amused!

Having been a pupil at a small village school (many years ago) I can remember stray animals occasionally finding their way into the classroom so pictures like this bring back fond memories.

I also find Miss Read books a great form of escapism. They describe the very ordinary but amusing goings-on in an English village during the 1950s and 60s and Miss Read is both author and head teacher of the school at the centre of every story.

I know many of you are fans of Miss Read books. Real name Dora Saint, she had herself been a teacher for many years. She was born in 1913 and passed away on 7th April 2012, just ten days short of her 99th birthday.

Thanks to the wet weather I've been able to spend several hours in the classroom with Miss Read and thoroughly enjoyed scampering around the countryside with Milly Molly Mandy and her friends.

However, after a while I began to consider what fun it might be to knit tiny dolls based on the children in the stories.

For inspiration I looked at the pictures and patterns in my granny's vintage knitting books and even found a stray ball of her 3ply wool that she would have used to knit vests (how times have changed). And so as the wet weather is due to continue for a while I've decided to set myself the challenge of creating some 'mid century' school children similar the ones pictured above.

Choosing the correct colours to use for the period has been fun. In the 50s and 60s my parents owned a knitting machine and apart from looking after us children they knitted lots of sweaters for friends and family. Dad was a teacher during the day but in the evening he often did the knitting whilst Mum did the seaming. I can still visualise the many cones of coloured yarn stacked in the corner and amazingly still have a selection of the buttons Mum stitched onto the cardigans. So being typical of the period the colours of the buttons will become the colours used in my little project.

I have some narrow pink and white striped fabric that is just right for my Milly Molly Mandy doll and I've chosen this clover pink and matching Liberty lawn fabric for her little friend Susan. The dollies will be dolls house size and there's just a chance they might become a knitting pattern. I'll let you know next time.

Scrap bag dollies - FREE sewing pattern

After the recent invasion of my sewing room by the rascally playroom pals I returned the fabric scraps to their bags and then considered what could be made from bits and pieces in my stash. Of course my 'makes' had to be doll related!

Creating these little girls has kept me smiling from start to finish. They measure just 10cm (4in) so make perfect hangers for door knobs, bags etc. As decorations on the Christmas tree they'd certainly bring a few festive smiles, or how about popping a dolly into a party bag as an extra surprise.

Maybe stitch a doll to a ribbon to make a bookmark or pendant necklace and a safety pin securely attached to the back would create a cute little brooch.

Scrap bag dollies require only tiny pieces of fabric, buttons, beads and any other forgotten odds and ends that have been squirrelled away. Simply gather up a few colourful bits and pieces and start stitching. A perfectly neat finish was not my priority. I've used pinking shears to avoid turning raw edges (alternatively you could use a 'fray stop' product). All stitching is done by hand (running stitch and back stitch). . . . . So let's make a scrap bag dolly.

SCRAP BAG DOLLY PATTERN

Knowing that all little girls love pink I thought we'd see how to make this happy little character.

You will need:
Small amount of flesh coloured (or white) fabric for the head (see later description).
Patterned fabric for the body and hat.
A short length of lace.
3 small buttons (2 hands and 1 for decoration)
2 larger buttons (feet).
Drinking straw
Short length of pink yarn for plaits (or use embroidery floss).
Stuffing - If you don't have any stuffing you could fill with tiny pieces of light coloured fabric or how about using a small ball of unused knitting yarn.
Black thread or floss for eyes and pink for mouth plus extra for legs and arms.
Sewing thread for stitching doll parts.
Red or pink crayon to colour cheeks.
Scissors and pinking sheers if available
Sewing needle

Using the shapes and measurements below, cut two pattern templates from thick paper or thin card.

Head and hat template

Body template

Fabric for head -
I have an old peachy/cream pillow case that I use for small dolls. Use white fabric if you have nothing else (an old handkerchief perhaps). You could try making flesh coloured fabric by dipping the white fabric into black coffee. Try a small test piece as the longer you leave it in the coffee the darker it will become. Remember however that it will be a bit lighter when dry. Alternatively you could use tee shirt fabric but as it stretches you might have to cut a smaller circle or the head will be too large.

1). Cut one circle of fabric for the head and gather round the outside about 8mm (just over 1/4 in) from the edge. I would normally use a matching thread but have chosen a contrasting one so that you can see the stiches.

2). Draw up the circle to make a bag shape and fill with stuffing.

  

3). Tightly draw up the head to close the opening (no need to turn the raw edges in). The finished head should be flattened from front to back and not round like a ball. Remove some of the stuffing if your doll's head is not flat enough.

4). Over-sew to secure the gathers and fasten off (below left). Viewed from the front the head is unlikely to look smooth and round but that is part of the scrap bag appeal.

Fabric for body

5). Choose a suitable fabric for the body and cut two identical pieces. Alternatively you could make the back and front from different fabrics. Place the two pieces together with wrong sides facing out. Starting at the bottom corner of the body, back-sew right round to the opposite corner. Stitch 8mm (just over 1/4 in) from the edge. (A sewing machine can be used for this if available).

6). Turn the body so that right sides are facing out. Turn up 1cm (1/2 in) along the bottom raw edge and press with an iron or score with your finger nail to make a crease. Fill the top of the body with a small amount of stuffing and push a pin through the body, as shown below, to prevent the stuffing falling out.

Legs - approximately 4cm (1.5 ins)

7). I have used two matching buttons for feet and cut four 12mm (1/2 in) lengths from a drinking straw for the legs. As the bottom of the body is still open you can attach the legs to the turned up hem as it will eventually be concealed inside. Use very strong sewing thread (or floss as I have done) and starting at the top, pass the thread through 2 pieces of drinking straw and a button then return through the button and straws back to the top and fasten off. Repeat for the second leg.

8). Attach a button for decoration if required and then oversew the base of the body to close (stitch along the creased fold line made earlier).

9). I stitched a short length of pre-gathered lace to the body to create a skirt. If you don't have this then gather a piece to fit or use contrasting fabric 2cm - 3m deep (approx 1in).

Arms

10). Starting at a top corner of the body, thread two 12mm (1/2 in) lengths of drinking straw and a small button onto strong thread or floss using the same method as for the legs. Repeat for the second arm. and fasten off.

Head
11). Attach the head to the top of the body by over-sewing it along the front and then along the back so that the stitching done for the arms at the top of the body is concealed. Mark the postion of the eyes with pins and then try the hat on the head to check their position. (Instructions for hat below).

Hat

12). Using the circle template, mark and cut out a hat. Pinking sheers can be used for cutting if available. Gather as for the head and draw up. Put a tiny piece of stuffing into the hat to give it some height.

Check the eye position

13). Try the hat on the head and pull the gathering thread. Pin hat in place. Don't stitch it to the head just yet. Check that the eyes you have marked will be in the right the place.

14). Remove the hat and using black thread or embroidery floss (2 strands only) make two or three tiny stitches for each eye. Use two strands of pink floss for the mouth. Fastening off can be done at the back of the head where it will be concealed when the hat is in place. Colour the cheeks with pencil crayon.

15). Make two tiny plaits (braids) from pink yarn and stitch to the head ensuring stitching will be under the hat.

16). Place the hat on the head and pull the gathering thread. Position the tiny gathers evenly around the hat, pin in place and then stitch the hat to the head (stitch all round gathering line).

Finally
Stitch a long loop of cord, tape or ribbon to the top of the hat so that this little sweetheart can decorate a door knob. Alternatively, stitch a safety pin to the back so that she can be worn as a brooch.

Pink dolly's two little friends are just as easy to make. The one on the left has hair made from ric-rac braid. Her skirt is a gathered length of contrasting fabric (2cm deep). Her tiny apron matches her hat and is cut with pinking sheers. Her legs are made from old beads. The beads on the arm are threaded on a single length of string which is knotted at the bottom to prevent the beads sliding off. The dolly on the right has hair made from narrow strips of felt. Her arms are beads on string as described previously. Legs are plaited floss with a button attached to the end of each (buttons have shanks). Ric-rac braid is used for decoration and I have attached a number three to the body using iron-on fusible webbing. This doll will be made into a brooch for a little girl to wear on her third birthday.

I'm certain young girls would all love a scrap bag dolly, but they aren't designed as toys so for reasons of safety they should not be given to very young children . . . . . have fun!

Sewing room fun (and possible free pattern)

Leaving the playroom door open is never a good idea as you can bet it won't be long before the house fills with 'dolly escapees'. And that is just what happened this morning. Scuffling noises coming from the sewing room alerted me to the possibility of intruders and when I peeked round the door, there were the culprits having a wonderful time playing amongst my bags of fabric off-cuts.

Little Jack, receiving a helpful push from below, was cautiously climbing the ladder to join the bigger dolls who had already taken up residence in one of the bags.

Meanwhile, three Rainbow Rascals were enjoying a game of 'let's dress up in off-cuts'.

A fourth Rascal was encouraging two fearless bunny boys to leap into my box of vintage buttons. Feet first or head first, it didn't seem to matter. One sister gave them a shove from above whilst another tried in vain to catch them. Needless to say, the bunnies bounced and no one seemed to get hurt.

Mountaineering was the order of the day in my bag of fluffy stuffing. When spilling out of the bag it tends to resemble foaming soap suds but thankfully the Jolly Tots were safe and dry and I almost wished I could join them!

I let the activities continue for a while until I noticed the 'bouncing bunnies' had bounced straight out of the button box and onto my bag of string. They were now making short work of emptying the carefully wound contents and so I called time on the various activities.

Whilst sorting and clearing away the many bits and pieces I decided it would be sensible to put some of them to good use. I'm hoping the resulting item might be a suitable subject for a 'free pattern' and be ready in time for my next blog post. It will only be a simple little item, quick and easy to make (for all ages) and will be hand stitched as opposed to knitted, so watch this space!

Back to the sorting and stitching! . . . . . .