I'm having fun designing new elephant dolls (which are now available as a sewing pattern). Right now I'm trying to perfect their elephant heads by sewing prototype after prototype... using the fabric from an old bed sheet.

This is my favourite stage of soft toy design - looking at pictures of baby elephants, trying out different shapes, testing the scale of the trunk / ears etc... trunk up or trunk down (I've decided to include an option for both). Lots of fun and also a bit of a brain strain, and I'm happy to report that they're coming along nicely.

These guys will be similar to my other animal dolls that can be downloaded as sewing patterns. I also have patterns to sew their little overalls, dresses and coats. 

* Edit / update... the digital sewing pattern for my elephant soft toys is now available to download and print. Happy sewing!

As most of us are staying at home right now, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I thought I'd offer this soft sculpture / embroidery tutorial as a free download ​... in case you're looking for something to do.  
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It's also a great beginner sewing project for school children - for those of you at home with kids (me included). You can sew these using the sewing machine or by hand, and then decorate them with some simple embroidery stitches. 

​​The pattern includes instructions for stuffed fabric star, tree and round ornaments which are easy to sew, make great presents and look lovely hung on a garland or mobile (or anywhere really). I've put together some simple instructions, photos, an illustrated embroidery stitch library and templates. You can download the PDF sewing pattern here, for free, ready for you to print at home.

I hope you enjoy making these. You'll find more Willowynn sewing patterns available to download here.

My boys and I found an old dollhouse at our local tip shop a while ago. It was in pretty poor shape so we took it apart, cleaned it up, painted it and made tiny floor boards out of paddle-pop sticks (more about that here).

We've (I've) had so much fun collecting the odd bit of dollhouse furniture from op shops (thrift stores), making our own furniture and adding bits and pieces here and there - like my old watch for a wall clock, postage stamp pictures, corks for chairs etc. Last weekend I made some new bedclothes for the bed, cushions for the couch and little curtains... and spent a weekend blissfully arranging everything in the little house... all the while imagining how much I would have loved this as a child. I've even installed little lights... 

​Now I just have to make a tiny version of my dolls to live in it :) 

I'll have a group of three new dolls available to purchase via my online store from 10 am, Friday 28th February (Australian Eastern Daylight time - AEDT). 

All three dolls are handmade (by me) from reclaimed fabrics and stuffed with wool. They're not intended as a toy for small children due to delicate hand-stitching, but rather a little art piece to display. Each doll is around 25 cm tall and is priced from AU$380 + shipping. 

My dolls sometimes sell out fast so be sure to move through the checkout process quickly! Again, they will be available in my online store from 10 am (AEDT) Friday 28th February at 10 am.

I hope you like them.
Margeaux

I've been looking for a more eco-friendly / plastic-free way to package my sets of greeting cards, postcards and art prints. Up until now I've used the standard resealable 'cello sleeve' to protect my card sets and prints when posting out to customers, thinking that these were cellophane and made of cellulose (plants).  A couple of weeks ago, I ran out so went to order some more and found that, here in Australia, the resealable 'cello sleeves' are mostly not cellulose at all, but plastic. In fact, I read that (correct me if I'm wrong) if they are resealable (in Australia), they are almost certainly plastic. 

As I'm trying to reduce the amount of plastic I use, I had to find a new way to package my cards for mailing to customers. So I did a bit of research and here's what I discovered...

These are made from biodegradable cellulose, which is a product made from plant fiber. Just make sure they are not plastic and that they are definitely made from cellulose (plants). The bags come in a range of sizes, look and feel like plastic but can be home composted. I couldn't find any that self-seal here in Australia (lots overseas but I'm trying to shop local) so ordered some open cellophane bags at Buy Eco Green.  I just use my logo sticker (paper) to seal the bag, and I think they look great. You could even use a bit of washi tape (made from paper, see below) or tie some twine or cotton string around the whole thing.

Glassine is a specially pressed, smooth, shiny and transparent paper that is apparently water, air and grease proof. Much stronger than tissue paper and doesn't tear easily. It's also acid free and PH neutral so is perfect for storing precious artworks, photographs and collectible stamps.

You can buy it in sheets for wrapping, or as envelopes or bags. I ordered small glassine envelopes for packaging my card sets. I think they look really sweet and I love that they're completely compostable and recyclable - I'd love them even more if they were made from recycled paper.  

Plastic sticky tape has always made me feel uncomfortable. Every Christmas morning as a child, I would try to take the sticky tape off all of the used wrapping paper strewn across the living room floor, before either carefully smoothing and folding the paper, or putting the un-salvageable paper in the recycling bin (a big job in a family with five kids). But what do you do with the sticky tape??? I guess you could put it in with the soft plastics recycling at your supermarket (if you have that in your area) but even that concerns me. What did we do before sticky tape?

Some alternatives to plastic sticky tape: 

• If your item is wrapped (in recycled or reused paper of course :), use string or twine to tie it all up, or,
• a sticker made of recyclable paper - printed with your logo, an image or text.
• Washi tape - a very beautiful Japanese paper tape made from bamboo, hemp or tree bark, is completely compostable and recyclable, and comes in an endless range of colours and patterns.
• A paper bag.
• Wrap your item in nice fabric or use a fabric drawstring bag.

For packing boxes and mailers:

• Paper packing tape - a gummed, water-activated, kraft paper tape. I get mine from my local art and framing store as I use it to stretch my watercolour paper (but that's another story). It's compostable and recyclable, and you can write or stamp on it. 
• Glue (non toxic and biodegradable) - you could seal reused envelopes or tough mailing bags (or even boxes) with a strong biodegradable craft glue. Just make sure it's made from natural ingredients (not petrochemicals), biodegradable and the packaging is recycled or at least recyclable. 
• Biodegradable cello tape - made from cellulose so it's biodegradable. Though I feel this should be avoided and only used as a last resort. I need to do some more research on the biodegradable sticky tape and how biodegradable it really is and what would happen if it goes in with the paper recycling...

Tough paper or rigid cardboard mailers and envelopes are great as they can be composted or recycled (as long as there's no plastic tape). ​You can even go one step further by re-using old mailers. I keep my my used cardboard mailers (and my local post office holds on to their used mailers for me). I'm a bit over particular about how things look so I've started turning mine inside-out and making new tough envelopes for mailing my card sets to customers (see pics below). I find it fun :) 

Anyway, these are my thoughts on the packaging I'll now use for my cards (and other things) and I hope it's been helpful. Maybe you'd like to share some ideas that I haven't thought of, or correct me if I've got anything wrong! I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments below. 
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Margeaux

This year I've spent spare moments here and there, creating watercolour paintings that represent the Christmas of my childhood imagination. I've just had them made into holiday cards which you can purchase in sets of three or six, via my online store.

Ironically, Christmas here in Australia does not look like the Christmas of my childhood imagination (or these cards). I guess all of the Christmas stories, movies and images I enjoyed as a child were set in the northern hemisphere - hence the snow, pine forests and foxes in my illustrations.

I promise next year, I will paint wallabies and wombats gazing at a decorated Eucalyptus tree... and probably no snow :)

The Forest issue of the beautiful Making magazine is out this month. It's more like a book than a magazine and is full of amazing knitting, sewing and craft projects. And I'm extra excited for this issue as I've contributed a sewing pattern for a simplified version of my fabric mushrooms! These mushrooms / toadstools have velvet or linen tops and feature embroidered gills (rather than the more advanced pleated gills in my other mushroom sewing pattern). They're very easy to sew and I hope you love making them. 

To get your copy of the Forest issue of Making magazine, go to www.makingzine.com to subscribe, order online or find a stockist near you. 
*Edit* - As this issue of Making Magazine is no longer available, you can now access this mushroom sewing pattern in my online store. 

I've been happily working away on a commission for vegetable drawings this month, which will be used to illustrate recipes. Such a satisfying job and so nice to have a little break from sewing. Here is a selection of the images I've finished using pen and water colour. 

I'm making the finishing touches to my latest group of tiny dolls this week. They will be available to purchase via my online store Friday 23 August, from 10 am (Sydney time - AEST). 

These ladies have taken me almost two months to complete. I think I'm getting slower! I have been working on some other things in that time though, so I guess that's ok. I wish I could make a lot more each year, than I seem to be able to manage...

Each doll measures around 20 cm and is handmade from carefully salvaged second-hand and vintage fabric and firmly stuffed with wool. Bearing a small 'Willowynn' logo hand-drawn onto the inside of one leg, each doll comes with a small signed, dated and letter-pressed certificate of authenticity, in a recycled cardboard gift box made my myself.

​​Please be aware that my dolls are intended for display only and are not suitable as a toy for young children; due to delicate hand stitching, hair and small buttons. ​

They are priced from AU$380 each + shipping from Australia. I should also point out that I (regrettably) don't have a reserved cart in my online store. So you'll need to move quickly through the checkout process!

I designed a simple barn owl stuffed toy years ago which has been one of my most popular soft toys. I think I've made hundreds of them and have even adapted it to create a larger, more sculptural clawed barn owl that also has wings - which I still make today. 

Anyway, I've decided that it's time to offer my little barn owl softie as a digital sewing pattern, so that you can enjoy making them for your little ones. Their cute Babushka-like shape reminds me of the shape of a chubby penguin, so my sewing pattern also includes templates and instructions for making penguins! 

I've spent the past couple of months designing the penguin soft toy and putting together a new sewing pattern for both of them. It is now available to download via my online store.

Of all the embroidery and hand-stitches, ladder stitch is the one I use the most. It's how I close up all of my soft toys, dolls and soft sculpture, sew on extremities like ears and tails and attach tiny sleeves to doll dresses.

I recommend ladder stitch in all of my soft toy sewing patterns and, as I am often asked how to sew a ladder stitch, I thought it was time I filmed a little demonstration for you.

​Please excuse the poor quality, my less than lovely gardening nails and the sound of macadamia nuts being harvested on the farm across the road!

If the seam turns out a little puckered (as it has in my demo), you can go back over it with a second row of ladder stitch to smooth it out, or just make your stitches a bit closer together. 

​I also drew a diagram (below)... 

I hope that helps! 

To celebrate International Womens day this year (March 8) I decided to make a collection of cloth dolls inspired by the suffragettes of the early 1900's who campaigned and fought for the right for women to vote.  

They are wearing Edwardian-style clothing and 'Votes for Women' sashes, in the suffragette colours.

All three dolls will be available to purchase via my online store from 8 pm Monday 11th March (Australian eastern daylight time - AEDT). Each doll is between 20cm - 25cm tall and costs AU$380 + shipping from Australia. 

Here are some recent pictures of my work table this past month or so... doll making can be a messy business but also provides me with some surprisingly funny little scenes, when I walk into my sewing room / cabin of a morning. 

The art prints of my paintings 'The fox and the Crow' (inspired by the Aesop fable) are now available to purchase in my online store. Hooray! I'm so happy with the way they turned out. They are professionally printed on the most beautiful art paper and are available in two sizes. 

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

A free afternoon for a little bit of painting.  I'd like to be hanging out in the shade under that tree right now :) 

This painting is now available to purchase as an art print.

After a few requests, I thought I'd demonstrate an easy technique for turning out very narrow sewn shapes for stuffing, with a short video demonstration (below), If you have ever tried to sew and stuff really tiny doll legs, arms or the stalks in my mushroom sewing pattern, you will know how tricky and seemingly impossible it is. 

I've found a brilliant technique for doing this with ease, using a drinking straw and something long, small and pointy - like a small crochet / knitting needle or skewer. 

My next group of dolls are almost finished. I'll list all four little ladies in my online shop on Monday 3rd December from 7pm Sydney time (Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)).

Each doll measures around 20 cm and is handmade from carefully salvaged second-hand and vintage fabric and firmly stuffed with wool. Bearing a small 'Willowynn' logo hand-drawn onto the inside of one leg, each doll comes with a small signed, dated and letter-pressed certificate of authenticity, in a recycled cardboard gift box made my myself.

​Please be aware that my dolls are intended as a treasure for display only and are not suitable as a toy for young children; due to delicate hand stitching, hair and small buttons. ​

They are priced from AU$380 each + shipping from Australia. I should also point out that I (regrettably) don't have a reserved cart in my online store. So you'll need to move quickly through the checkout process!

I'll also have a couple of my finished dolphin soft toys available to purchase as well. I hope you like them!

A couple of my recent drawings... moody eucalyptus trees (based on a photo taken by photographer Ian Brown), and a crow. I've found that drawing branches is quite relaxing, the more twisted and wonky, the better. 

And this little crow was a good exercise in varying tones and getting the blackest blacks from my pencil. Also, I really like crows :) 

I'm busily working on some new cloth dolls which I hope to have available by end of November (but probably early December). Looking up just now, I caught sight of these two little heads resting in crochet cotton balls and smiled... they looks so content. So thought I'd share that with you :) 

I'm spending this lovely rainy day sewing clothing for my new collection of cloth art dolls. The dress I'm currently working on is Victorian inspired, and I've found that to get that lovely Victorian dress shape, the dolls really need to wear a petticoat and bustle underneath. 

This next group of dolls should be finished and available to purchase via my online store by the end of November. To see some of my dolls, take a look at my gallery page or have a look back through the Willowynn artworks category on my blog.

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.

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...

My new dolphin soft toy sewing pattern is now available to download via my online store. My boys and I really love marine creatures and I was inspired to make this one after our regular sightings of pods of dolphins swimming in the sea at our local beach.

This sewing project is nice and simple and works really well with old denim or cotton sheeting. Enjoy! 

Another scene from the Aesop's fable, 'The fox and the crow'... a little challenge (see previous blog post) I set for myself this year. This one is watercolour, pencil and ink and is now available to buy as an art print, in my online store.