Plush from books - Ellie!

A pair of paws balance on a book, while I needle sculpt their toes. This book is perfect for anyone who’s about to expand their family, or recently has. It’s relatable for anyone who ever suddenly found themselves a big sister or brother to be. As a three year old I can recall the chaos in the house starting the night my sister was born at home, and snippets of memories like tip-toeing past a pram, or the poo landing on the carpet, one nappy change! Oops! 

I was excited to receive an early copy of Since The Baby Came  by my good friend Kathleen Long Bostrom, and illustrated by Janet Samuel, because I knew I was going to be making a plush from this lovely story, told in poems. The family is adorable, and I’m sure my sister and I both identify with the children's gorgeous curly hair. However, I made their dog. 

This is Ellie. Can you see the E on her collar? The awesome publishers offered to include Kathleen’s dog, when they discovered the sad loss of the real life Ellie, and sent photographs to Janet. Just like in the story Ellie has a sweet tag on her collar with the letter E. I carefully embroidered this on thick felt. I also enjoyed making those expressive ears. 

Soon I will send plush Ellie across the pond, and I will miss her company. I like dogs a lot and I love that our protagonist has a faithful companion in every spread. There are 16 kinds of poems in the book, with helpful back-matter explaining and naming each kind. I usually do learn from each picture book I read, but there was a lot I didn’t know about poetry. Maybe I’ll write in rhyme for a change. Haha. 

Ellie dog is posing on a quilt I made in my 20s from an idea I had when I was 16. I shaded her ears with chalk and set them with a short spray of fixative. I think about the artist at work on the illustrations when I do things like this. Most of all I love Ellie’s toes and her gentle smile. She also has wired legs and tail so she can enjoy many author-visits and stand firm. I hope you enjoyed meeting her, I know I did. 

I do like pigeons!

I like pigeons a lot. We sometimes hand feed the ones near the RSPB reserve here in Weymouth. Look at those feathers. That sheen. Could I make one? 

So I gathered together an old (clean) sock, toy filling, string and wool, duct tape and pipe cleaners, and cobbled together this maquette. It’s a bit of a mess. But my daughter Mary adopted it after I’d finished using it to make patterns. 

Made my first pigeon using felted woollens cut without a seam allowance and oversewed with wool thread. Wings are added after the body is complete. The legs are wire covered in small pink woollen pieces and over stitched. I used beads from my stash for the eyes. 

Pigeon number 2 is made using dyed wool cloth, and embroidered thread to hint at those shimmers of magenta and green. 

I feel like their shape is better than the maquette form, and also surprisingly slightly larger. I was really pleased with them. 

This lead to a commission, to make Angus. A bit of a character by all accounts …

The wing markings were created using small fabric shapes and needle felting them. Needle Felting is like magic. 

And just so you know, here is the real Angus. 

Plush from Books …

In 2022 I entered a season of making larger plush, to help authors promote their books. I sort of lived that author life a little bit, sharing their excitement as a plush WIP was shared on social media and even hearing about new characters before everyone else gets to! 

Sometimes I would stumble upon the perfect fabric in my stash, and sometimes go on a hunt for just the right shade of blue. This long shaggy white fur was perfect for Gertie. have it on good authority that sharing her progress along with my copy resulted in some purchases of The Littlest Yak for little ones to enjoy. 

Gertie was a delight to make, as she’s deliciously cute and her strong character shines through every page. For her photoshoot I took her to tout quarry and found sweet, little rocks that only the smallest of Yaks could balance on! 

Next, the Pooka demanded to be made. Shortly before he demanded lots of tea and chocolate biscuits. Luckily I’m part Irish so know all about a decent cup of tea. I always read the books when I make characters and really enjoyed this adventure, I couldn’t put it down. Both Gertie and the Pooka have covered buttons for eyes, and do he ears remind you of anyone? I make Edward Tulane’s the same way. 

Who doesn’t love an old teddy bear? In The Witchlings Wish he helps the main character with her quest, so he’s super important. He only has one eye so I made a dent where his left one would be. Other touches the illustrator used where repair stitches, stains and sparse threads for the nose. I really enjoyed adding those but was a little nervous of the staining. I used pastels for that. 

Finally there was One Camel Called Doug! He was really challenging because his legs are so slender. I made his leg warmers from football socks and I used chalks to tint his fur and face. Oh, and fixative for that hair do! 

Most of these large toys incorporate coated wire or they would never stand. And there’s a jaunty wire in Doug’s tail to give it some bounce. I love him. 

If you are an author looking for a plush, look for @raggyrat on social media and let’s talk! 

Memory Bears, Memory Mouse

Here are three lovely big bears, who were gifted yesterday…

One pair of skinny size 8 jeans made one bear. As you can see, I also made 2 bears which are the reverse of each other. 

My mothers house-coat became three tiny mice. One can be found nestled in among my youngest child’s plush. I don’t know if they have a name yet, but one of my twins called her mouse Jenny, almost immediately! I was reminded of my 50 for 50 last year. I hadn’t made a mouse since then … well not one like these! 

Snuggle Time Easter Stories, and plush rabbits

 It’s always good to have a special friend. And so for my friend Glenys Nellist’s brand new book I felt I ought to suggest she had both of the bunnies that feature on every page of the book. 

I made the little patched rabbit first and hand coloured the markings. 

When they were both completed I told them they were off to meet Glenys, in Michigan and as you can see they were very excited. They have big ears, to listen to the author sharing her stories. 

The book is available in all the usual places and of course it’s perfect for sharing now, during lent. 

Both rabbits popped up in Instagram recently, keep an eye out for them. I love making rabbits and these two are really rather special. Hey, I wonder if they met little Mole? 

Want plush for your book events? Just drop me a line … 

January is cold and dark ...

But in the darkness, hope can always be found. 

And on a cold, cold day you can always put on your warm hat and coat and go outside...

I decided to create in plush Little Mole, because he’s such a dear little character, dreamed up by Glenys Nellist, and drawn so sweetly by Sally Garland.

Interesting to discover that Glenys is Lancashire Lass, like yours truly, and that Sally and I both attended Edinburgh College of Art. Small world? 

I think he likes his book, don’t you? 

I’m going to make something else from a picture book now ... 

Mouse number 1 #50forfifty

The first mouse was listed today to help fund places on Court Confidence and I think he’s found an admirer already! He’s made from a short faux fur and fills the hand nicely. 

Tomorrow there will be another listed on all my social media, so do keep an eye out. 

This mouse is a compete one off. Some may appear in short series, and I’ll be aiming for mice of different shapes, colours and sizes, just like us! If you see a mouse you love, just get in touch to make an offer. 

The Roy Dog, a Portland tail ....

Have you heard about The Roy Dog? If not I am sure you are about to have a bit of a Google! Legend tells of a black dog who lives in a cave ...

He has one eye that glows red and one that glows green, but I’ve omitted the eyes that dangle in his shaggy mane, those of his victims! 

After all, this is a birthday gift for a young lass. She requested not to have all those! 

Roy dog has a vintage nose, plundered from my sewing chest. It looks nice and glossy in the evening sun on Portland. 

In Tout Quarry my plush version met the Portland stone version who’s been there for quite some time. 

He’s now waiting for socially distanced collection, in my gallery. 

I’ll miss him as he’s quite a character, much more than the real Roy-dog I suspect. I had fun deciding just how much of him to make shaggy to balance out that lovely mane, and I think he’s turned out quite well, with some needled sculpting of the face and paws. I’m looking forward to an unboxing, maybe on TikTok if I’m lucky! 

Made a teddy ferret ...

I have wanted to make a teddy-ferret or a ferret doll for some time .... 

He was inspired by a Facebook post, ‘Found, Golden Ferret’, and I knew I had just the mohair!

Of course pink eyes would be perfect but my 6mm beads were too small so I used these amazing metallic ones ...



Then I took him outside to play! And he was adopted almost immediately ....

Black Phillip from The Witch ....

It's not easy both sewing of photographing black objects! But I was asked to make a black version of my goat doll, and then I tired to make him look natural by taking him into the tree house!

Actially Black Phillip shows off our tree house quite nicely while himself still playing hard to get with my camera's exposure settings ...

His eyes, being hand tinted rimmed buttons, change in different lights which I think is nicely spooky! Eventually I got a good picture of him indoors against the white walls!

Bee-cause I wanted to!

I had a real urge to make some bees. I wanted them to be at least based on the

Anatomy of real honey-bees but based around a pair of cool black and yellow socks... 

Using the filled-width of the socks, I made a full sized drawing to help make the patterns. Those lovely knee socks bee-came the abdomen!

I chose a dense-quality fur from my stash. I can get 8 bee abdomens from a single pair of long socks. Amazingly I had exactly enough black fur to complete all of them! Some thing's are just meant to bee. 

A completed torso, with pipe cleaner legs, looks like a tic!

The 21mm solid black eyes are the right size, but needed the yellow border to keep the bee looking friendly!

Now the wings sent me digging in my bag of lace and mesh fabric. This mesh gave a good effect, but the wings were floppy. So I sewed all the mesh to pieces of acetate, and i had just enough sheets of acetate to complete all 8 insects!

but the acetate and mesh creation still bends, so i added three folds - problem solved! And the folds look like veins too!

Finally the wings are attached with buttons, so they can be moved a little too. The first bee admires my prize flowers ...