Jumbo flower

Can you spot the elephant in the flower? I couldn't resist this cute elephant print fabric contrasting with the delicate flower print, and think that spotting the elephant in the flower is a fab touch!
I used bondaweb to join the two fabrics together, and the pattern came from the liberty sewing book.
More Jumbo fun soon,
Hailwood Handmades xx

Introducing Sock Piggies!

This week I've been playing around with socks. Out of just one pair of old socks I have made two adorable pigs! Each piggy takes almost all of a sock to make, and uses a few buttons for the face. They have lovely little feet underneath so they can stand up properly and even have curly tails. Probably going to pop them for sale on Folksy.com. What a fab way to use up old socks!
Maybe more sock critters soon,
Hailwood Handmades xx

Head!

Today I've had a fab time playing with my hubby's face. First I traced a picture that his artist friend Stuart Giddings had drawn of him, then cut out all the bits! I then transferred all the bits onto bondaweb, pressed it onto fabric in the right colours and textures and popped those bits together on some background fabric. After that it was simply a case of stitching a button on for his pupil and stretching the fabric over a canvas! Both he and I are chuffed with the result.
Maybe more face art soon (apparently I have to do mine as well...)
Hailwood Handmades xx

Groovy guy

I made this lovely little fella for my friend who loves the edf energy mascot. I made him out of double knitting yarn on 4 double pointed needles. He's quite simple up until the top of his head where you end up knitting a tiny i cord for his quiff. His face is made of felt and stitched with tiny stitches onto his head. From the reaction I got when I gave him to my friend I think she liked him!

Felt sheep!

Check out my lovely felt sheep! He's inspired by the same drawing that inspired my country garden cushion, only using felt gave me the opportunity to give him a more 'fluffy' shape. He has a small tail on the back, and I'm thinking of making another one from black felt with a white face and legs. Maybe I'll make them into key rings to sell on folksy.
More soon,
Hailwood Handmades xxx

English country garden

Hi again!
Here is a cushion I've made, appliqué sheep and clouds on a patchwork field background. The design was inspired by a picture I used to draw when I was at school. The sheep's bodies are silk, and their faces and legs are made of cotton velvet. All of the appliqué is secured with blanket stitch in matching colours of embroidery threads.
I might make another one with rabbits on it for a friend who loves her bunnies!
More soon,
Hailwood Handmades x

Duo of owls

These are the lovely cuddly owls that I made to sell on folksy.com. They're made from felt, and stitched together with embroidery cotton. For the pattern I just cut out a shape that looked right, measured around the bottom half for the length of the gusset and stitched them together! I also drew around the basic shape so I could make more the same. The buttons for their eyes came from my grandmothers button box - always worth a rummage!
More felt fun soon,
Hailwood Handmades xx