Happy Little Souls

The Little HS Quilt - here it is

2009-02-16T03:47:00.000-08:00

Well here it is the finished Heavenly Stitches mini quilt and it's set of instructions, so if you have a spare afternoon, grab a cup of tea and enjoy the serenity...and the finished creation.

What you'll need:
A hand painted stitch panel (or create your own) on calico, Dark brown embroidery thread, Deep red embroidery thread, Fat 1/8th patterned quilting fabric, Cotton wadding (14 x 14 cm), Quilting thread, Embroidery needle, Embroidery hoop, Sharp scissors, Cutting mat, Roller blade, Plastic quilt ruler, Lead pencil, Fine tip permanent marker, Acrylic craft paints and round tip brush
The painting-
If you don't have a pre painted panel, they are very easy to create, simply lay out your calico centred over the top of your printed pattern. If you have access to a lightbox use this, if not hold the pattern and calico up onto a window in daylight to trace the pattern with a pencil.
After finishing, blend a dab of acrylic paint, in the appropriate colour, with water, till it is a thin watery consistancy. With a medium round tip brush, dap onto the calico - basically colouring in the sections of the pattern that you would like coloured.
After finishing with however many colours you choose, iron (with a dry setting) the panel to fix the paint - then using your fine tip marker trace over your pencil markings to embellish the picture.
The embroidery-
Position calico with wadding beneath in an embroidery hoop to aid tension.
Using two strands of embroidery thread in the appropriate matching colour, backstitch over the top of your marked outlines.
For the bears nose, using your two strands, satin stitch over the area.
Trim the panel/wadding to size (13 x 13 cm) with your rollt cutter and quilters rule.
The borders-
Using your quilters rule and cutting mat, cut off two strips of fabric 1 1/2 inches wide and 36 cm long.
Then cut the strips into two lengths each of 2 x 13 cm and 2 x 18 cm.
With right sides facing pin the top and bottom 13 cm borders to the panel/wadding and sew together using a 1/4 inch seam (backstitch if sewing by hand, straight stitch if sewing by machine). Iron to flatten seam.
Repeat for the entire top to bottom length now with the 18 cm borders.
Using the printed fabric cut out a square 17 cm x 17 cm
With right sides facing, take front and back panels and stitch around the edges with a 1/4 inch seam leaving a 2 inch gap to turn through. Close the opening with a small ladder stitch.
Then iron once again to flatten seams.
To finish off - optional -
If you like, further embellish the quilt with some naive running stitch around the calico seam, adding a button in each corner, using the embroidery thread to tie each button off.

And so begins his journey....

2009-02-16T03:08:00.000-08:00

to the exact opposite side of the globe to where he was created (from fabric that was created on the opposite side of the globe- love the irony!!).
I will miss this little fella - he has been with me on my desk for the last month, just waiting for his little ears to come about, he has been a great companion - but my how handsome he looks with those ears on now.
And so his time has come to pack his little bag and jet off to "sunny" UK, may his trip be quick and turbulence free.
I'll post a new picture after his new Mum has received him, hope she is pleased :O)

Ooops! Nearly forgot to put up the original shot of Jimmy- as in Little James Cook, his new Mum in England, Laurie - has received him, even though customs tried to hold onto him....he finally made it!

Have you ever....

2009-01-29T21:18:00.000-08:00

put your hand up to do something and then wonder a little later why?
Well let me go back to the beginning- one of the events I manage is small craft Fair now 3 times a year, and the first is coming up this Sunday at Eden Gardens. It should be a lovely setting- for those of you unfamiliar with the venue, it is as it sounds- just heavenly, not why I chose it although what a great tie in for the "Heavenly Stitches Fair" right!
So back to the point, a little while back I was thinking of ways to enhance the fair and thought back to a time when we handed out mini bear kits to the first 200 visitors, people walked around with a smile on their faces all day and to this day- nearly 5 years later, people still comment to me how much they loved making their little chap.
Lightbulb!!! I'll tie in a kit with the theme of the Fair, why not the little logo bear as a stitch kit, so I make a sample and yes it is feasible.
Off I go to get the supplies for the kits, then screen print the little calico panels and then at 9.00pm reality hits- handpainting 100 little bears and cloth dolls....well after 2.00am I gave up for the night - they just never seemed to end. I'll have another session tonight with what time I have left.
The silly part is no one was expecting them, why do we have these great ideas???

Arggghhh!!! I hate mentioning how fast time goes....

2009-01-19T06:41:00.000-08:00

...so I won't.
At the mention of a new project, Paula from All Bear has got me back up onto the blogging 'horse' let's call it, after a few months in the trenches with web code and content management systems, don't ask!!!
Anyway things are chuffing along well here, I actually even managed to finish off a new Happy Little Soul for a giveaway on the new Society site.

Wonders never cease! I also have just got to do a few finishing touches on another little chappy that is going to go off and live in England any day now. I have no disillusions about getting any made for shows this year, they will definitely be for select occasions.

I'm going to cut it short now anyway, sleep has to be fit in somewhere these days, but tomorrow it's off with the postcards and visitors packs for the few shows I'm organizing, and if time allows before I pick up the kids from preschool, the welcome packs for Society members.
Take Care all
Mel

Better give this one a title hey! Let's just say: UPDATE!!!

2008-06-24T03:54:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness- another comment on how fast time flies! Just a quick update on how things are progressing: unfortunately I've had to postpone my website meeting with my designer about the Society site, but that will just leave me with some time to gather more information- it really is a data intensive site that needs a lot of attention. So hopefully we will be launching something in the next few months- slow and steady!!
The Art of Teddy Bears is now online and almost fully active- I still have a heap of products to be inserted but the thought of matching up over 100 photos for fabrics is giving me the chills....but at least I have over 1/2 of the tools listed!!!
Heavenly Stitches is now in full swing, this September is going to be great- we have waited far too long to get a Fair that represents quality, original craft to the people in this area- one thing is for sure it will be beautiful....
This craft and teddy business is managing to consume so much of my time and energy- but I love it!!! :O) today was like Christmas, when my "packaging options" arrived - I am so thoroughly loving the craft process.
My sore fingers have almost healed enough for me to start sewing again, so that means a heap of more samples will be born (if only my hands could keep up with my creative buzz, life would be sweet!)
I'm a bit choppy tonight, must be the fact that the kids got an early night and I am going to try and finish some work off- I won't speak too soon though :O)
Happy stitching folks!!!
Mel

What A Weekend!

2008-06-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

Well I've just gotten back from the Jupiters, Gold Coast Teddy, Doll and Bead Fair where I launched my new supply boutique: The Art of Teddy Bears. The weekend went really well and I got to speak to so many teddy enthusiasts it was great. It nice not to be running around the whole time, but to be able to concentrate on teddy bears.....
Won't go on for too long now, still have to unpack and then get the new website www.theartofteddybears.com up to speed with all of the great new things we have. It'll be a busy day!
Melissa

Inspiration!

2008-05-26T06:33:00.001-07:00

I've just gone and done it again. I find it so hard to write anything- it's kind of like a form of torture. See my problem is not (as you can see) that I cannot find ideas or words, more that I have trouble slowing them down and picking and choosing what I say. Generally if I give an opinion it is usually regarding all aspects of the subject. Not my finest character trait.
I'd love to be someone who can give an opinion and then move on, or even dwell a little less on something that I can have no affect on. As my Mum always says "circle of influence!"
I'm going to can it for tonight, just to prove to myself that I can occasionally shut my pie hole, the other reason is I just know that I'm going to be woken up with the birds by one of my two little men- time will tell which and since it's nearly midnight I must try and get a little "beauty sleep"....

Mel

The State of Affairs

2008-05-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! Has it really been a month since I logged on to blogger? Unbelievable that so much has happened in such (what seemed to be) a short time. Though a month is a decent amount in anyones book. So where am I up to these days.... let see, TT has me thinking about future plans for the industry- initiatives if you will.
Realistically they have been on my mind for some time (a lot of this time I've been waiting for someone to take the obvious challenges up- but alas no one has yet), and most of which have taken up most of the last month in planning and preparation, but in some kind of cosmic twist it seems that I'm to formalize it all much sooner than I had anticipated.
The world wide bear industry is in, like so many other creative pursuits, in flux. I can list 2 dozen reasons why it is so, but they don't count for much, it is just the nature of the beast we call our world. Things change and we must adapt. Technology advances and we must progress with it.
I for one have spent a few years getting my "life" sorted, reassessing priorities. At one stage I couldn't get far enough away from this work. But as the months turned into years I got the vibe back. That eagerness to actually create again. I haven't stopped thinking about it since. Not only my own creations but others'.
So in the very near future many of things will be changing in my world. Much more work of course and much less time with my family, but they'll be there backing me up as per usual-trying to help where ever they can. Plus two little boys to boot will keep me on my toes. I'm in the midst of starting up a little web boutique supply concern, definitely a mouthful but you get the idea- I'm not planning on bringing every fabric put on this earth to folks, just some really nice notions and bears that should get folk smiling.
I also have two other projects that will require momentous effort and energy to bring them to fruition, but if they work (which I'm betting they will) it will be the start of a new era in not only my life but hopefully this will flow onto those who also hold teddy bears so close to their hearts. Bring along the needs of a show or 4 and you'll see that I'm up for a lion fight- but if anything I have come to realize a few things about myself and like minded arctophiles in the months just gone.
As individuals we can make a difference and as a group we can create a bear revolution!!! It starts at the entry level, encouraging new makers and collectors and fostering them with information and a helping hand when needed. I'll post more information as it comes to hand (don't want to spoil the surprises!) but jeez is this an exciting time for teddy bears.

Just one of the new little tackers for the Happy Little Souls Pattern Collection

Just Starting Out!

2008-04-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well this is all very interesting, many a time have I looked at other's blogs and thought one day! Well it seems today is the day.... in another of my to attempts to keep up with the modern world and stay connected with the traders and collectors of my Fair, folks who like my patterns & bears and students who need to know whats happening (and now that I have a little spare time) I endevour on this new journey of blogging- who'd of thought!
My hope for this space is that I can share with all of you all the new exciting happenings and goings on in my neck of the woods, without all of the hurdles of my websites.
Of course it may be a little while before we are off and running, but I've always said there is nothing wrong with baby steps.
This week I'll be very busy updating websites and sending out emails, letting everyone know about The Sydney Teddy Bear Fair, the Competition Winners and Silent Auction results and then I'll be embarking on next years plans- all the while making sure the kids get enough Mum time after a very hectic few weeks.
Stayed tuned....
Mel