Willowynn
  • About
    • Press
    • FAQ
  • Shop
    • Textile art / dolls
    • Sewing patterns
    • Cards and prints
  • Portfolio
    • Soft Sculpture
    • Illustration
  • Blog
  • Contact/follow

Dolls for October

21/9/2017

4 Comments

 
Tiny doll dress by Willowynn
Tiny doll dress by Willowynn
The group of cloth dolls I'm working on right now are taking a LOT longer to finish than I anticipated... and school holidays start next week. Soooo I hope to have five new dolls available here in early October rather than September (as originally promised). Here's one of their tiny dresses...
4 Comments

How to sew French knots

10/9/2017

6 Comments

 
How to sew french knots. Video demonstration by Willowynn.com
French knots on one of my mushroom hanging ornaments
I made a little video demonstration (below), showing how to embroider French knots. I found this embroidery stitch quite tricky when I first tried it and looking at diagrams in embroidery books didn't really help me. But I've since taught myself how to sew them so thought I'd show you how I do it.

​The key is to hold the thread taut with one hand while you wrap it around the needle and insert it into the fabric. Hold on to the thread until just before it is pulled all the way through the fabric (see video below).

This is an example of a singular French knot but you can make them larger by wrapping the thread around your needle twice rather than once. This video shows how I stitch the French knots onto my fabric mushroom hanging ornaments.

​... and here is a little diagram showing French knots in more detail. I drew this a while ago for one of my sewing patterns. Enjoy!
French knot diagram. Copyright 2016. Margeaux Davis - Willowynn.com
6 Comments

My favourite 'thimble'

4/9/2017

2 Comments

 
My favourite 'thimble' www.willowynn.com
Thimblettes with leather disks glued inside - great alternative for hand-stitching.
I've been searching for the perfect thimble... comfortable but sturdy enough to protect my finger. Hours of hand-stitching and embroidery can result in a very sore (or even pierced) middle finger tip, but the hard thimbles always seem a bit cumbersome to me (maybe I'm not using them right?).

​Anyway, a while ago I found a rubber thimblette, usually used for handling paper... I tried it out and now I never hand-sew without one on my finger. They are very comfortable, but a bit too thin to protect your finger when pushing a needle through thick fabric, so I cut a little disk of very hard leather and glue it to the inside of the thimblette, in the tip. The rubber helps to pull the needle through fabric too.

It works really well and feels so comfortable that I often leave the house with it still on. You can get them for around 70 cents each and they come in different sizes. I buy mine from my local office supply store.

​I know there are a lot of different thimbles on the market that will probably do what I need. and I'd like to try them out, but these do work pretty well for me. What do you use? Can you recommend a good thimble? 
2 Comments

    Margeaux Davis aka Willowynn

    Hello and welcome...

    My name is Margeaux Davis and I make cloth dolls, soft sculptures and sewing patterns. I also illustrate stories.

    ​I live with my young familiy in the beautiful Northern Rivers region, in Australia.  

    ​Here I'll share what I'm making (sewing or drawing), as well as some hints and tips to help you sew your own soft toys... 


    Categories

    All
    Children
    Craft/DIY
    Dollhouse
    Illustration
    Sewing
    Sewing Patterns
    Soft Toys
    Tutorials
    Willowynn Artworks
    Work In Progress
    Work Space

    RSS Feed


    Sewing patterns

    Bunny and bear stuffed animal doll / soft toy digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Blue whale soft toy digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Fox and wolf stuffed animal doll / soft toy digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Doll coat digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Doll overalls and pants digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Doll dress digital sewing pattern for 3 doll dresses by Willowynn

    Fabric moth and butterfly digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Pleated mushroom / toadstool digital sewing pattern / Christmas ornament by Willowynn

    Stuffed animal doll sewing pattern set of six / soft toy digital PDF downloads (10% discount) Bunny, bear, fox, wolf, elephants

    Doll clothing digital sewing pattern set / miniature dresses, overalls, coats and pants by Willowynn

    Embroidered hanging Christmas ornaments digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Platypus soft toy sewing pattern PDF by Willowynn

    Dolphin stuffed toy digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Whale & dolphin soft toy digital sewing pattern set by Willowynn (10% discount)

    Barn owl and penguin stuffed animal digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Embroidered Mushroom / toadstool hanging ornament digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Elephant stuffed animal doll sewing pattern / soft toy digital PDF download by Willowynn

    Set of two mushroom / toadstool digital sewing patterns. Embroidered and pleated / beginners and advanced / 10% discount

    Snail soft toy digital sewing pattern PDF


    Cards and prints

    'The fox and the crow' print by Margeaux Davis of Willowynn

    Pack of 3 Christmas greeting cards / Watercolour illustration by Margeaux Davis

    'Summer ramble' art print by Margeaux Davis of Willowynn

    'The fox and the crow (2)' print by Margeaux Davis of Willowynn

    Art postcard set of 4 / watercolour illustrations by Margeaux Davis of Willowynn

    Willowynn art doll postcard set of 6

    Willowynn nature / soft sculpture postcard set of 6

    Christmas / holiday greeting card pack of 4 by Willowynn

    Willowynn postcard set of 12 | nature and art doll cards

    Toadstool / mushroom Christmas greeting card by Willowynn

    Baby in nest Christmas greeting card by Willowynn

    Mushroom / toadstool Christmas greeting card by Willowynn

    Embroidered ornament Christmas greeting card by Willowynn



    Archives

    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013


Bio
Contact
FAQ
Subscribe
Sewing patterns
Art dolls
Cards 
Art prints
Illustration portfolio
Soft sculpture gallery
Blog
Follow Willowynn

©2013 Willowynn. All rights reserved.
  • About
    • Press
    • FAQ
  • Shop
    • Textile art / dolls
    • Sewing patterns
    • Cards and prints
  • Portfolio
    • Soft Sculpture
    • Illustration
  • Blog
  • Contact/follow