Happy Travels Little Bear

It must be bear season; which is a little bit like kitten season. After weeks of no activity, all of a sudden I'm getting 2-3 emails a day asking for custom bears! An heirloom bear is a special thing, if you can make one yourself it's a wonderful legacy and if you can't, finding a handmade good quality bear is the next best thing.

a quick pic before postage!



This little Grizzly is on it's way to Norway I'm told. I always love it when a buyer is gracious enough to tell me where a bear of mine is going; it's so nice to know each and every one is going to a good home.

As I brush each bear for shipping, I fall in love with them all over again. When you make an heirloom by hand you do become attached to the characters you create as the faces and paws take shape. They're hard to part with!

When I was making bears I spent a long time (too long sometimes) sourcing the best German mohair, threading the nose thread through beeswax (manually of course) and shaping each face. I love a nicely hand stitched bear nose and I admit, it's one of the first things I always look for when I come across a hand made bear. It's such an important detail and really shows off the maker's skill.



I'm no longer making bears - they're just too time consuming. It takes a lot of skill and intense work to make a bear so I won't be taking on any custom orders or repeating patterns. What I have left in my Etsy shop is my attempt at downsizing what remains of my bear making days - they're the last of a lovely lot!

I have one small box of tools and premium mohair packed away just in case I have a family request in the years to come. Other than that, it's a hobby that I've enjoyed and moved on from.

Interestingly, my own DDs didn't have bears as children. Both were interested in dolls- and goodness knows I've made a few of those! They do both have a hand made bear of mine now, but they chose them in adulthood and I believe both are currently stashed away in boxes!

Did you have a special bear in childhood?  Do you still have it? Or did you have dolls?

WOW: Dabbling in the Garden

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Wrong time of year

Wrong time to pot

Wrong time to be outside

But I've spent so much time indoors this year so far,

sorting out my sewing studio, going through all my stuff, downsizing all my stuff, that I couldn't resist picking up this potted flower bunch when I was out grocery shopping.

I thought it was a lisianthus when the flowers were tightly curled, but it turned out to be a Prairie Rose.

And whilst I'm out here, I may as well get some weeding done. Before it heats up for the day.

Next week is the final part of the applique block installments of the Mystery Bom,

does it feel like the almost (nearly...) end yet??

I'm already excited about the next one.



What's Your WOW?

WOW: Oh, Not Much...

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

I'm not much of a WOW host, am I?

I spend all my time tidying up, cleaning out and generally in a bit of a state. I should be showing all my WIPs to the wider world, one UFO at at time, I mean, it's only right and it's why I started WOW in the first place.

But I think I can be forgiven today, as I happen to be working on the next Mystery BOM. Yes, another one!

I shouldn't. My 'mystery' this year should be to unearth all my WIPs and get them done.

It's only right. And it's been so long since I started them that they probably would all my mysteries to me. But I can't help creating new things, so here I go again.

Add Your Own WOW!

WOW: Finding My Patterns

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Downsizing doesn't get any easier. I wish I could report on my progress since last week, but there's been so little of it. I thought I had enough room for the essentials, but it looks like I'm going to have to re-think what those essentials are. I haven't even started on my stash yet, and looking at my boxes I know more than half has to go. But what to do with it? It's all so beautiful which is why I chose it to begin with..and that's what makes it so difficult to part with. I keep re-finding old ideas with each new batch of prints, even though I know full well that each new quilt usually requires the purchasing of new fabric. I have to get around this or I'll never have the space I need.

On the plus side, I found a folio of my quilt patterns and I'm having a good look over what I want to make and looking at my calendar thinking about reasonable dates to get around to making it. There's another BOM in here somewhere and I'm deciding between mainly pieced or mainly applique? I feel like some piece work after FMN, but applique never loses it's allure either.

What's your Wednesday?

WOW: Look What I found ...

 WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Look what I found this morning - I guess there really are some perks to clearing out your sewing room! I have loved this little Ming Dynasty Japanese vase for over 20 years! It's been missing for a good five years, I was sure I last saw it in my DDs bedroom, so I'll have to admit right now that I actually found it nestled in my aqua/yellow fabric stash. It was bundled up which must be how I missed it when I packed my fabric boxes up. I think I must have been matching it...for a table runner or a complimentary applique plate wall hanging, or maybe I just wanted to make some cotton serviettes to serve with tea and biscuits? They all sound like nice ideas.

This little find coupled with the fact that it's Wednesday and I don't have any WIP progress to show because of my sewing room situation, makes me all the more determined to make more progress today.

What's your WOW?

Columbine & Iris

 

Forget Me Not: Part 12 is launched

Columbine & Iris

 

Once again we are working in size "A" which is the smallest block size in this quilt. It's fiddly and requires patience, and that's also why size A has come in for the last 3 blocks. You know you're reaching the end, so hopefully the extra attention required won't feel too difficult!

 

 

 

These are blocks from Part 12

of my free 2012 Mystery BOM Forget Me Not

 

Yes, anyone can join in:

You can download this month's block via my website or my Yahoo Bom Group

Minimising the Sewing Room

And I really thought I could do this in just a few weeks!!

My sewing room has been in need of some serious attention for years. Somehow, there's always been something more pressing to attend to. There were times I purchased the same item 2 or 3 times because I forget I already had some...or more often, couldn't find where the existing supply or item actually was. Then there came the time when my shelves couldn't take any more, then came the time when I found it hard to really do anything too productive because I had to dig myself into and out of areas. And it doesn't matter how large the space is, it seems I can always fill it...and have mobile sewing stations set up around the house as well. I really dislike the word 'minimising' because it always sounds to me of getting rid of things when you don't want to. And I do want to. This isn't about going without. It's about having the best use of what I already own.

The problem with going through all my stuff is that I keep finding interesting things!

I realised that I had too much stuff. The problem is, it's all useful. And it's all served a purpose. But, like a lot of things, I reached a point where I had to minimise. I want to go back to essential items and plenty of space. The fact is, although I have so many useful tools and time saving devices (such as specialty rulers), I always do things the same way and mostly use a small handful of the same things over and over. So who am I saving all these items for?? I was holding a lot of stuff for my DDs...but they've proven over and over that they're perfectly capable of buying things themselves. So I've decided to let a lot of unused items go to good homes. And I'm minimising to maximise my quilting time.

I've let go of literally hundreds of magazines which has given me so much space. Since blogging came along I don't buy magazines regularly anymore and I'll be holding onto just a shelf or two of essential quilting and inspiration books. Over the next 2 weeks I will be unpacking my fabrics and downsizing The Stash.

I'm really excited about my new neat shelves. Well, they will be neat. Soon.

When I started my clear out before Christmas, I really thought I could get it done before New Years. Ha! My fabrics are still boxed up. My Wips are still bagged up. It's just something that can't be rushed. I don't want a single unnecessary thing cluttering my space. I've sorted, boxed and moved everything out of my sewing space. I've re-positioned the shelves back to back, library like, to maximise room. I'm going through everything to have only the things I really need around me. I have so many projects I want to see completed over the next year or two, and this will be a real pick up in my working pace. I don't want to do it amongst clutter and disorganisation.

I really miss having my own sewing room to retreat to. I've started sketching over my shopping lists because I can't the box with all my journals. I've already started designing new quilt elements, so I'm going to need my new improved sewing space very soon; I'm going to have to just get on with it, no matter how long it takes!