Lazy Days

Just thought I'd post a few pictures here to prove I am alive and well........albeit very unproductive at the moment.  

Experiencing a wonderful Cape Town winter with low temperatures and loads of rain. I've been spending my spare time reading books, dancing and baking.  My mind continues to spin with all the projects I want to begin......but dont......  resulting in ..........yip you got it.......nothing!

Pippa cuddling the piggy

Super excited for the start of the Olympics.  I shall be glued to the telly for the Gymnastics and Diving and of course all the Athletics.

Lily bonds with Sally

My plan and intention is to sort out pattern pieces, sift through shades of velvets and suedes;  cut out furiously,  then sit and handsew whilst watching the box.......hopefully I will have new animals in a month or so.

Sally - teacup piglet

Normally I only work in neutral colours, but at the "Teddy fair" I found a soft, pastel, ice-creamy pink.....a perfect piggy-pink.

Inspiration for my design came from a favourite coffee mug.  I originally sketched a sleek, skinny pig but it just didn't look right. With each alteration my piglet became porkier and plumper.
 

Well, after all, we all know piggies love their food. 

First I named her Salami but then quickly changed that to Sally.  I would hate her to think she may one day be eaten.  'Quel horreur' ! Perish the thought. Even stuffed pigs have feelings!

 

Sally is five-ways jointed and stuffed very firmly.  I have needle and scissor sculpted her face to give her  a typical porcine appearance.  Small onyx eyes, a wrinkly snout and embroidered mouth finish off her features.

 Sally stands 1,5 inches high and just 3 inches tall when she stands on tip-toes.

This little porker has tiny cloven feet and a wired, curly tail. A tiny 'Eddybare' label is neatly sewn behind her foreleg.

Digby

Digby is another Basset hound creation.  I love how these dogs are all out of proportion and quirky.  Their bodies are way too long for their wrinkly, crooked legs......and their ears and flews are far too long as well. 

Digby's smooth coat is fashioned from a white velvet and two shades of brown. His inner ears and eye whites are suede.  His fur is a little large for his body which give him his wrinkly ankles.

He has five cotter-pin joints allowing him lots of movement and posing positions. He is filled with poyfibre stuffing. His eyes are black German glass.

Digby loves to sleep and stretch out on the bed with his long ears flopping every which way!

He adopts very cute poses to entice you to throw his ball for him......who can resist this little face?

Like all Basset hounds, he is short and long......and measures 6cms when standing;  from nose to tail he measures 9cms

A brass bell hangs from his brown ultrasuede collar.

Here he is posing with his mate Marmalade. 

Marmalade

Marmalade - ginger cat

Marmalade is my newest creation.  He is made from ginger vintage velvet with a lovely longpile. He has white velvet trim on his paws, muzzle and chest.  His ears are a combination of velvet and suede. I have handshaded his fur to give it more depth.

 

 

He has unjointed limbs and measures just over 8cms high in his seated position. He is very firmly stuffed with polyfibre filling.

 

Marmalade has a cotter-pin joint in his head which enables him to rotate his head from side to side. HIs long tail  has been wired to allow for posing in different positions.  

 

His facial details have been achieved by first needle-sculpting his face to the shape I wanted, then extensive scissor sculpting.  His nose and mouth are hand embroidered.  White horsehair has been used for his whiskers.

 

An Eddybare tag has been sewn into his tail.