Christmas orders

Happy New Year! Just a little eye candy for my first post for 2014, here are some of the guys I made up for Christmas orders, hopefully they made their way into the stockings of a few good children...

Foxy Samples

Just a quick post...working on some new patterns, here is my new fox design. This guy stands proud and he's on the run just like the foxes I've always spotted.

These are the first versions. I'm quite happy with him and his foxiness. Hopefully I'll be able to get some of these guys on Etsy soon although my haul of gorgeous wool blanket scraps is coming to an end...

I've also been making samples for a beautiful organic baby shop that I met with last week. These are two first versions of the polar bear and elephant using their gorgeous organic cotton and cashmere/wool blend fabrics... Filled with wool and embroidered with silk thread that I have dyed with rusty iron...

We Make London Pop Up Shop

I'll be selling my wares at the We Make London Pop Up Shop in Hampstead from 2-9 July. It opens this Saturday. See my designer feature on the We Make London Blog.

Here is a sneak preview of some of my handmade goodies. 

Lots of lovely things for babies and toddlers mostly...

These are my popular baby & toddler pantaloons, based on a harem pant with a wide waistband and leg cuffs, this pair is made from some natural linen I found in a Norman brocante which was originally a curtain in a Paris hospital stamped 1843. It's beautifully soft with a heavy drape. I just love this fabric. Some of it was beautifully darned too, I'm adding this bit to my darning collection!

A variation on my pantaloons, these playsuits are adorable. They are so perfect for babies and toddlers because they do not restrict the movement and flexibility like many toddler trousers do so they can sit in that perfect lotus pose that only a child can do!

 Also for little ones my patchwork neckerchiefs are made from my scraps of vintage fabrics that I just can't throw away. They are a stylish way of catching the dribbles of a teething baby and reversible too.

There will be much more at the show, please come along!

Merlin's technicolour dream quilt

I've been meaning to blog about this quilt project for a while now. When I was expecting my first baby (Merlin now aged 2), my Mum had the idea to create a patchwork quilt made up of squares created by all the wonderfully creative women in our family and friends close to us. It was completed for Merlin's 1st birthday Dec 2010. 

The result is this magical technicolour dream quilt with a whole lot of history. There are pieces of retro 70s curtains from my baby room, embroidery from the baby bib of Merlin's grandmother, Merlin's father's embroidered school badge from his uniform showing the ashford river where he grew up. There is a crochet granny square by Merlin's great grandma, stunningly detailed embroideries by Merlin's great aunt in France, wonderful silk applique by some friends living in cambodia at the time which depict little scenes with fond memories of our friendship.  There is even Merlin's knitted umbilical cord tie made of bamboo yarn that I made to avoid the standard issue plastic one (complete with mummified belly button!). I know, I know... slightly weird but nevertheless all part of Merlin's birth story. 

click on image to view detail

The quilt project had its own facebook group where the most active members, my mother and auntie Corrie uploaded pictures of their squares as they went. There were squares from England, Cambodia, Australia and France. It was so touching to have so many dear friends and family add to the story of the quilt. It gives us as a family many visual cues about those dear to us, especially considering Merlin will always be on the otherside of the world to one half of his extended family. It's a story quilt. When he gets his own bed, this quilt alone will provide enough bedtime stories for an entire childhood.

To those of you who contributed, thank you for the love and creativity you bestowed these small squares of fabric that together will keep Merlin warm and entertained for years to come. It's truly an heirloom and we will treasure it always. Sorry it has taken me so long to actually show you photos of the finished piece!

Mum sewed all the squares together with the seams on the right side. With the squares all being quite different in size many of them would have lost quite a lot of their edges. The effect is that each square is kind of framed by its selvedge.

Contributors and relationship to Merlin

Bev (grandmother)

Pat (grandmother)

Corrie (great aunt)

Marilyn (great aunt)

Faye (great aunt)

Elaine (great grandmother)

Josephine (late great grandmother)

Penny & Ellie (aunt and cousin)

Heidi (aunt)

Brenna (mother)

Dominic (father)

Kirsten (friend)

Andrew (friend)

Daisy (friend)

Nami (friend)

Janet (friend)

Mags (friend)

some individual square that were photographed before the quilt was put together, click to see detail

How to make knitted Easter bunnies

This is a great craft project to do with the kids this Easter holidays. I've seen this in an old Waldorf crafts book, it's really simple and great project for Spring. It involves no knitted shaping, you just start from a square of fabric and the rabbit shape is formed by the simple sewing up and stuffing.

Step 1: knit a square in garter stitch or stockinette stitch or for a super fast rabbit cut out a square from an old woollen sweater. A square about 18cm (7") width makes a large bunny as shown, the little one is made from a square approximately 12cm (5").

Step 2: Sew each corner up about one third of the length of the edge...

Step 3: Stuff the cavity with wool, putting a bit more stuffing in the top as this will form the head.

Step 4: Sew up the hole by gathering the top and bottom of the hole and stitching the sides of the hole together...

Step 5: Form the head by tying a length of yarn around tightly at the end you would like the head to be.

Step 6: Sew the limbs in place by sewing the front two legs together and folding the back two legs forward and stitching them to the body to keep them in place.

Step 7: Make some ears, stitch some eyes and a nose and finally attach a small pom pom or ball of yarn to form a tail. The ears can be made from cutting out a piece of felt, knitting some up or using a folded i-cord or other piece of cord or ribbon. Improvise and make your bunny uniquely yours. Happy making!

Other craft activities to do with the kids this easter holidays:

- Egg blowing and dyeing

- Making nests

- Making your own chocolate easter eggs

Master

I just wanted to share these three paintings that my two year old did today.

I know I am incredibly biased by I find them so remarkable and it was just so enchanting watching him do them.

The careful selection of colours, their placement on the paper and the wonderfully free brush strokes seemed so deliberate and considered yet so blissfully uncontrived. I found myself trying to copy his method but failed to unleash my inner child.

But it was really freeing and something I think I'll keep practising, while I have the company of such a teacher.

These are Merlin's paintings...as he pointed out whilst painting them, the top one features a Christmas tree on the left and a squirrel eating at the top of the picture. The middle painting didn't have any description but the bottom one depicts a yellow sun and a rainbow.

Free Toddler Backpack Sewing Pattern

Free Toddler Backpack Sewing Pattern Tutorial

This is a great project for using up lovely off cuts of upholstery fabrics or samples that you can often find at the local charity shop, carboot sale or fabric seconds warehouse. The upholstery fabric is tough and gives the backpack a sturdy vintage feel. It’s also super unique and a bag your toddler will be proud to wear. It’s practical too, with a button on shoulder strap connector that can be taken right off if it is not required. It’s handy for longer walks as most straps start falling off the shoulders of little ones.

The finished size of the backpack is 12” x 8.5” x 3.5”, it’s a perfect size for a walking 18month old - 4/5 year old.
If you'd like to just buy one of my ones and skip the making it yourself bit, click here!

Materials

1 x half yard of upholstery fabric or thick cotton twill (outer)

1 x half yard of cotton fabric (lining)

or I recommend using off cuts or samples of upholstery fabrics, the largest pieces needed will be 12.5” x 9”, I like using different coordinating patterns for each side of the backpack. You’ll also need a couple of long strips of fabric for the straps about 21.5” x 3.5” long.

Two small buttons

One large main button

One cord tie approx 25” long – you can crochet or knit an i-cord or use a knitting nancy to create a cord. Alternatively just buy a coordinating piece of cord that will go with your fabrics.

Equipment

Sewing machine, Iron, Fabric scissors/Pinking Shears (optional), Needle and thread

Instructions – see diagrams for more info

Seam allowance throughout ¼” unless otherwise specified

1.     Cut out all pieces as shown in the diagram below...

2.    Pin flap pieces (a) right sides together (RST), sew up leaving one long side open. Clip corners, turn out and press flat.

a.    Mark where you want your button hole as per diagram and ensure the size of your buttonhole is slightly larger than the diameter of your main button

b.    Sew buttonhole, clip open and put to one side

3.    Upholstery fabric/outer fabric

a.    Pin pieces B1, C1, B2, C2 RST (right sides together) along their long sides.

b.    Sew along each long side remembering to stop ½” before the end of each side. (this leaves room in the seam to sew in the base of the bag more easily)

c.    Press seams flat

d.    Pin base into place RST

e.    Sew around base easing gently around the corners to avoid puckering

f.     Press seams and turn out

4.    Repeat Step 3 for lining fabric, the only difference being that you need to leave a gap in one of the side seams of the lining fabric of 3 inches. This will be the hole that you will turn the piece through. Do not turn the lining fabric out, leave it with the wrong side facing out.

5.    Take the flap piece that you made in Step 2 and pin this RST with back side of the outer bag shell.

6.    Place the outer bag shell with the attached flap, inside the lining shell. The right sides of the outer and lining fabric should be together. Pin along the top of the bag and sew around all four sides.

7.    Turn bag through hole in lining fabric. Sew up the hole to close and press seams. Sew a top stitch line around the top of the bag ¼” from the top edge

8.    Mark buttonholes for the cord tie to go through as per the 1st diagram. There should be four buttonholes evenly spaced on the front and the back of the bag and one buttonhole in the middle of each side of the bag. The top of each buttonhole should start 1.5” from the top edge of the bag. Sew buttonholes and clip open.

9.    Straps (make 2)

a.    Fold strap pieces lengthwise and pin

b.    Sew down with a seam allowance of ½”

c.    Turn through and adjust so that the seam of the strap is centred on one side

d.    Insert 3 inch piece of elastic 8” in from the end, pin and sew across to fasten. You can pin a safety pin to the end of the elastic to make it easier to take hold of it and stretch it through.

e.   Take hold of the free end of the elastic inside the tube and pull tightly and pin 2” from the end of the tube, sew across to fasten. The fabric should gather in this section only.

f.    Turn the rough ends of the tube in about ¼” and sew closed. Sew a top stitch line ¼” in from the edge along each side of the strap, don’t stitch over the elasticised section.

10. Secure straps to bag

a.   Pin straps on to back of the back at points indicated on 1st diagram. The top of the straps should sit above the buttonholes and in line with the top of the bag, but about 1” in from each side of the bag

b.   The bottom of the straps should sit ½” from the sides of the bag and about 1” from the bottom of the bag.

c.   Sew up as indicated in the diagram above.

11. Make strap harness piece

a.    Fold piece lengthwise RST and pin

b.    Sew ½” seam allowance

c.    Leaving wrong side out, adjust so that seam runs down the centre of the piece and sew a point on one end as shown in diagram below

d.    Clip and turn out, press flat

e.    Turn rough end in ½” and sew closed

f.      Sew a topstitch line ¼” in from edge around all sides of the piece

g.    Mark buttonholes slightly larger than the two smaller buttons one hole on each end of the piece approx ½” from each end.

h.    Sew buttonholes and clip to open

12. Finishing

a.    Sew on main button to correspond to placement of buttonhole on flap

b.    Thread cord through the buttonholes and tie

So there you have it, one lovely handmade extra special backpack for your little one. If you use this pattern, please write a comment below and let me know how it was for you. I am writing up more cute patterns for both children and adults and would love the feedback, being new to all this pattern tutorial writing. If you have any queries, please leave a comment and I'll try to respond as soon as possible.

©Brenna Jensen | This free pattern is for private use only and not for commercial gain, for further information please contact me.

In the meantime, have a look at my Etsy shop for more of my handmade goodies.

Additions to the Owl Scout Family

My owls were very popular at the Christmas fairs and I'm pleased that there will be lots of fluffy woollen owls under Christmas trees this year. Here are a few more made out of a refashioned icelandic woolen sweater. Alas the green baby owls have already gone but the others are soon available on Etsy and Folksy...

More papoose babies

Just packed up all my babies ready for this weekend's Advent Craft Fair. Here are some more Papoose babies,  I just love them all huddled together like this.

Nesting Elephant Puzzle

I just love the Made By Joel blog, he's a dad who makes lovely simple toys for his kids on an almost daily basis! Lucky lucky children. Anyway, I was inspired to make one of his Elephant Puzzles for Merlin. I wanted to try my hand at a bit of woodwork. I had memories of doing this kind of thing at Montessori school, drawing a design and cutting it out by hand with a children's coping saw. I remembered it being quite easy so I was surprised to find that actually cutting through an inch thick beech Ikea chopping board was not the gentle carving motion I had in mind, but actually a sweaty, curse inducing labour of love. Anyway, with cutting over, I sanded it well, and gave it a couple of coats of Danish tung oil (which is a beautiful natural wood oil), and I was quite pleased with my efforts. Oh, and so was Merlin for whom I was actually making it, umm I think, or was I making it for myself? I get muddled sometimes.

owl scout family

I've two more Owls finished. Each time Merlin wakes from his midday nap, the owls have multiplied. I'm thrilled that he is so smitten with his owl buddy. I can't wait to make more, I think I'm going to make a whole Forest Critters Scout Series, including red robins, foxes, squirrels, deer, owls, badgers... we'll see how far I get before the next project consumes me! But for now, it's all about owls.

If you fancy one of the new owls, I have just listed them on my Etsy store, take a look.

owl scout

I'm making a series of owl scouts out of recycled felted woollen sweaters. Merlin loves owls and I was inspired by a felted kids jumper i found at a carboot sale which had all these cute scout badges on it from 1981 so they are nearly, what, 30 years old, wow so they are vintage now I suppose. I think owls make the perfect scouts.

I'll be putting the other owls up for sale on etsy as I make them so watch this space!

Autumn Leaves

busy Merlin in the woods

Autumn is an incredibly exciting time in London, it feels as if everyone is busy creating. This must be some lingering instinct from bygone days when Autumn was an industrious time of harvesting, pickling and preparing for a long sparse winter. Well, whatever it is, I like it. I've always liked Autumn, but now that I'm a knitter, Autumn signals an excuse to get those pins out and produce layers of woolly warmth for loved ones.


As a tribute to Autumn, I made this pretty mobile out of waxed tissue paper, that celebrates the leaves changing from green to brown.

Here's how you can make your own Autumn Leaves paper mobile:

• Trace a leaf - I found the typical leaf shape more effective than a maple style leaf...
• Cut out shape in layers of tissue paper in colours from greens through yellows, oranges, reds and browns (about 5 layers in each leaf)
• Place half a pipe cleaner in the middle of each stack of 5 paper leaves and stitch a holding stitch either end of the pipe cleaner with a loop between. Then attached the hanging thread in the middle of the loop so that the leaf balances straight. You can then fold up and down some of the layers of the leaf to reveal the various colours
• Make a ring out of some wicker or a pliable vine, or use some wire and cover with fabric strips or ribbon. Add four ties to the ring and tie with a loop for hanging, make sure it balances well
• Hang the leaves in stages so that they spiral down (I've used eight leaves because it worked well with the four ties)

Hang and enjoy. Light a candle underneath (not too close) and watch the leaves twist and turn.