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dPICTUS 100 outstanding picture books list

11/9/2024

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So excited to share that my new children's book 'What Stars Are For' (published by Affirm Press) has been selected for the 'dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books' list for 2024. 
'The ongoing 100 Outstanding Picturebooks selection features the titles
 which have been highlighted by the most guest curators, and includes
 an eclectic mix of picturebooks from around the world. The selection is
 presented in a physical showcase at the Bologna Children’s Book  Fair,
 and on the dPICTUS platform'.
It is a complete thrill to see my book sharing space with such a gorgeous list of picture books from around the world. Hooray!

I wish I could have gone to Italy to see it at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. Living in Australia means it's a bit far :). 
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WHAT STARS ARE FOR cover reveal

19/3/2024

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Autumn is slowly creeping in here. The nights are getting cooler, the camellias are flowering and the twilights are longer. My favourite time of year :) 

And I'm excited to finally be able to share with you, the cover of my new children's picture book 'What Stars are For', published by the wonderful Affirm Press.
WHAT STARS ARE FOR by Margeaux Davis
​The story follows a shy and inquisitive snail named Henry, who spends his days hiding in his shell and his nights wondering one thing; what are stars for? It's a story about curiosity, overcoming your fears, and the possibility of finding a friend.
Margeaux Davis working on WHAT STARS ARE FOR
This book has been an absolute dream to create and I can't wait for you to see it.

'What stars are For' is out on the 30th April, and is available to pre-order  via Booktopia now. 

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'Giovanni' picture book trailer

19/10/2023

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'Giovanni' is now officially out in the world. I'm so happy with the way it's turned out and it was a joy, not just to illustrate, but to research the (true) story of four-year-old Giovanni and his family's harrowing journey from Italy to Australia in 1881. 

Written by Crystal Corocher
Illustrated by Margeaux Davis (me!)
Published by Wombat Books
Translated by the Volpato Family
This trailer was created by Romi Sharp of Books on Tour PR & Marketing
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Christmas painting

24/12/2018

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Wishing everyone a safe and happy Christmas. I hope that the new year brings you peace and maybe something exciting. 

​I made this little painting of a fox and owl enjoying a Christmas tree in a snowy forest, as a card for my children. We are in Australia so Christmas doesn't look like this for us, but this is the Christmas I dreamed of as a child. Next year it will be a wombat and wallaby gazing at a decorated gum tree :) 

Best wishes,
Margeaux
Forest Christmas by Margeaux Davis, 2018
Forest Christmas by Margeaux Davis 2018. Watercolour, pen and ink.
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Fairy wrens and rain

15/10/2018

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School holidays means drawing instead of sewing. I don't know why. Also there are lots of fairy wrens flitting around at the moment. If I sit very still, they come through the windows and hop around on my desk. Here's a little watercolour drawing I made, inspired by my little friends.
Fairy wren, Margeaux Davis, 2018. www.willowynn.com
We've had almost a week of steady rain here in the Northern Rivers so I've been sketching my boys with their gumboots and umbrellas, among other things...
Boy with umbrella - Pencil sketch - Margeaux Davis, 2018 www.willowynn.com
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Soft toy clothing patterns

17/4/2018

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I've been busy designing some little clothing pieces for my Willowynn stuffed animal dolls. So far I've made a jacket (with or without hood), overalls, pants and some little dresses.
 
​I hope to have the sewing patterns / templates for these clothes available for you to download and print in a couple of weeks.  I can't wait to see the clothes you make for your Willowynn stuffed animal dolls! 
Willowynn stuffed animal dolls - clothing sewing pattern
Willowynn stuffed animal dolls - clothing sewing pattern
Sewing patterns for jacket and overalls coming soon
Willowynn stuffed animal dolls - clothing sewing pattern
Willowynn stuffed animal dolls - clothing sewing pattern
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Make your own Easter bunny soft toys

16/3/2018

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An alternative (or an addition) to the chocolate eggs for Easter... and a little present that can be handmade by you. My bunny and bear soft toy sewing pattern is available to download via my online shop. Plenty of time to sew this before Easter!
Easter bunny rabbit softie sewing pattern by Willowynn
Bunny rabbit soft toy sewing pattern by Willowynn
Bunny rabbit plushie / soft toy sewing pattern by Willowynn
This little bunny  rabbit softie would be an adorable companion for a baby or small child. Designed to be endlessly carried around and looks so sweet nestled in amongst a child's pillows. I think this is the perfect project to upcycled that piece of fabric you’ve been saving for something special, like an old baby blanket or soft flannelette sheet.

​To make the bunnies you see here, I used an old woollen blanket and soft pieces of grey and pink flannelette from baby bed sheets.

​Happy Easter!




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Platypus sewing pattern

2/8/2017

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Platypus soft toy sewing pattern by Willowynn
​Well it's taken me a lot longer than I anticipated but my platypus sewing pattern is now available for you to download.

I've really loved creating this unusual Australian animal soft toy and I hope you enjoy sewing it. It's a fairly simple tutorial, full of step by step photos, which includes machine sewing and some hand sewing.  Great for advanced beginner sewers wanting to tackle a slightly more complicated soft toy project that includes darts, gussets (and some soft sculpture techniques for making the webbed feet). You can download the pattern via my website or my Etsy store.
Platypus soft toy sewing pattern by Willowynn
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Fox, wombat and platypus soft sculptures

24/6/2017

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June has been a very busy month for me. I've been working on some new designs, new sewing patterns and creatures. These three (above) will be available in my online store from 10am (Sydney time) Monday 26th June.

​My fox is made from an old (and very vibrant) orange woollen blanket. The other guy is kind of a wombat/bear blend... also made from an old woollen blanket. I'm actually not sure what he is but I like him. I'll just call him a wombat. And then there is a platypus. There's more about him in my last blog post... what a journey. I hope you like them!
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Platypus soft toy

22/3/2017

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My son needed a platypus (and this photo of me making it) for something at school. It took me several prototypes to get the shape you see here and there are still things I'd change... but I'm thinking of maybe offering it as a sewing pattern. Would you make a platypus? They're pretty fantastic creatures.
Margeaux from Willowynn making platypus soft toy prototypes. Sewing pattern coming soon.
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New sewing patterns - hanging ornaments and fox/wolf doll

22/11/2016

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​Would you like to make these little hanging fabric ornaments? I've put together a sewing pattern for them which is available here. These ornaments make great little presents, and not just for Christmas trees... enjoy!
Fabric Christmas ornaments - downloadable PDF sewing pattern by Willowynn
...and my fox and wolf toy sewing pattern is also now available to download. Phew... these ones took me ages. Thanks for waiting so nicely.
Fox and wolf sewing pattern by Willowynn
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New fox doll pattern coming soon...

25/8/2016

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I've been working on a new design for a little fox softie using the basic shape of my bunny and bear dolls. This is what I have so far...

​His face is longer and more pointy, he has a tail and I've given him a white ruff and belly. I'm planning to make this into a sewing pattern which will hopefully be available by the end of September. *Fox soft toy sewing pattern available here.

​This particular fox is made from scraps from upcycled woollen blankets and stuffed with organic corn fibre fill.
Wool fox doll / soft toy sewing pattern by Willowynn
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New whale sewing pattern now available

27/4/2016

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My blue whale sewing pattern is finally finished and available in my online shop as a PDF download. I'm so excited about this as it is one of my favourite toys to make...and they make the perfect gift for a small person. Enjoy!

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Tiny baby doll

7/2/2016

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A tiny baby I made for Alma's doll.
I couldn't help putting her in a nest... she's off to Denmark this afternoon.
​*I've included this image in a set of postcards available here.
 

Tiny baby doll by Willowynn
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go to sleep Jessie!

29/8/2015

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Just bought 'Go to sleep Jessie!' by Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood. Such a beautiful little story... and if you look carefully, you'll see a little grey Willowynn fox hiding throughout the pages (thank you Freya!).

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Illustration from 'Go to Sleep Jessie!' by Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood.
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Bunny and bear soft toy pattern 

2/7/2015

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Well it took me months and months to get this finished but finally the sewing pattern for my bunny doll (and bear) is ready for you to download. It's full of easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photos and is the perfect project for the advanced beginner sewer wanting to tackle a slightly more complicated soft toy project that includes darts and gussets.

Some hand and machine sewing experience is recommended but really, I think anyone could give this one a go...and you get a cute little friend at the end of it.
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Bunny doll sewing pattern by Willowynn
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I can't wait to see how you go...please just ask if you have any questions and I'd love to see photos of your finished bunnies or bears.
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New bunny sewing pattern coming soon

12/5/2015

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I'm busy working on a new sewing pattern and tutorial explaining how to make my bunny dolls. It will (hopefully) be available for you to download very soon. So excited... 
​*Update: My Willowynn bunny and bear sewing pattern is now available here.

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watercolour set 

4/3/2015

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There's a pan of watercolours, brushes, a jar and watercolour paper in a cardboard box in my workroom, which my little boys use whenever they feel like it.

Beautiful little paintings keep appearing...
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Christmas ornaments

11/11/2014

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I love the special (and weird looking) ornaments on my Christmas tree. My little boys have been making theirs and I made these...
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Christmas ornaments by Willowynn
Then I made some more... I actually can't stop making them now :)
I think I'll make a sewing pattern for them. Do you make your own ornaments or Christmas decorations? Feel free to share a link in the comments below. I'd love to see...
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Christmas ornaments by Willowynn
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Egg carton mobile

28/10/2014

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My little boy asked if we could make a decoration to hang above his bed...so we made this.
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We made it by tearing up old egg cartons (for some reason I can't bring myself to through away egg cartons...) and dropping the bits into dye pots (just food colouring and water). Then we left them to dry in the sun. They really look like little flowers...
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Then we made them into garlands using a large needle and strong thread and hung them from a stick...
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I got the idea after seeing this post about a window display made from egg cartons at Anthropologie.
Have you made anything lovely from egg cartons you'd like to share?
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Button tin

23/9/2014

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My little boy sorting through my button tin...he's made a rainbow.
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Tiny cardboard ship tutorial

26/7/2014

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My little boys and I made a few of these little tiny cardboard ships the other day. They wanted a little ship for their whales to swim underneath...
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Once we'd designed and made a template, we sat down and made lots and lots of little ships using cardboard from an old box, craft glue, a wooden skewer and paper. If you'd like to put your ship in water, you could use waxed cardboard from an old milk or juice carton.
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Here's the rough template we came up with (below). You could save this photo and print it off to make your own boats. Here's how...
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Cut out this template and draw around it onto a piece of cardboard. Cut it out and fold it into shape, using glue to secure it all together. We used clothes pegs to hold it in place while the glue dried.

For the base inside that holds the sails up, just cut out a small rectangle of cardboard and fold it to give it three sides. Then poke a hole in the middle (for the skewer). Position it into the boat with glue and poke the skewer piece into the hole.

You can make sails however you like. I made three little sails out of some paper from old book pages. Just poke holes at the top and bottom edges of the paper and thread them onto the skewer. Have fun!
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New blue whale

27/6/2014

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Have I mentioned my little boy loves blue whales? I made this one for him. I made seven (!) prototypes before I was happy... *This design is now available as a sewing pattern. 
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Cardboard houses

20/6/2014

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Today my boys and I turned some old cardboard boxes into houses. Something that I thought would be a fun thing to do for maybe half an hour, ended up occupying them for the rest of the day. I just cut in some windows and a door and stuck on a roof with masking tape...
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Here are the houses at night with a lamp inside one of them. Pure happiness. I can't believe how happy this made them (and me).
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    Margeaux Davis aka Willowynn

    Hello

    My name is Margeaux Davis. I'm a doll-maker, sewing pattern designer and children's book illustrator, based in northern New South Wales, Australia.  

    ​Here I'll share what I'm making, as well as things I've learned and behind-the-scenes peeks to help you on your own creative endeavours. 


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    Sewing patterns

    Snail soft toy digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Bunny and bear stuffed animal doll 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

    Fabric moth and butterfly digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

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

    Pleated mushroom hanging ornament digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Barn owl and penguin stuffed animal digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Dolphin stuffed toy digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Platypus soft toy sewing pattern PDF 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

    Stuffed animal doll digital sewing pattern set. Bunny, bear, fox, wolf, elephants

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

    Mushroom / toadstool digital sewing pattern set of 2. Embroidered (beginners) and pleated (advanced)

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

    Embroidered Mushroom / toadstool hanging ornament digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    FREE Embroidered hanging Christmas ornaments digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Miniature jumper & cardigan knitting pattern (digital download) by Willowynn

    Orca / killer whale stuffed toy digital sewing pattern by Willowynn

    Willowynn Gift Card


    Cards, prints and books

    'Giovanni' Picture Book. Written by Crystal Corocher. Illustrated by Margeaux Davis.

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

    Christmas / holiday greeting card pack of 4 by Willowynn

    'The fox and the crow' art print by Margeaux Davis

    'Summer ramble' art print by Margeaux Davis

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

    Art postcard set of 7 / watercolour illustrations by Margeaux Davis of Willowynn

    Baby in nest Christmas greeting card by Willowynn

    Toadstool / mushroom Christmas greeting card by Willowynn

    Embroidered ornament Christmas greeting card by Willowynn

    Mushroom / toadstool Christmas greeting card by Willowynn

    Willowynn art doll postcard set of 6

    Willowynn nature / soft sculpture postcard set of 6

    'Voyage on the Sea' art print by Margeaux Davis

    'Fairy tale' art print by Margeaux Davis

    'What Stars are For' Picture Book. Written and illustrated by Margeaux Davis

    'Henry's Garden By Day' art print from 'What Stars Are For' illustrated by Margeaux Davis

    'Henry's Garden By Night' art print from 'What Stars Are For' illustrated by Margeaux Davis

    'Henry and Celeste' art print from 'What Stars Are For' illustrated by Margeaux Davis

    'Star Gazing Snail' art print from 'What Stars Are For' illustrated by Margeaux Davis

    'Henry and Bee' art print from 'What Stars Are For' illustrated by Margeaux Davis

    'Tucked inside his shell' art print from 'What Stars Are For' illustrated by Margeaux Davis

    Willowynn Gift Card




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