After grousing about a lack of time in my last post, I then had oodles of it, delivered in the form of Grandmama. Yesterday morning we chatted and played bookshops with Dinosaur-boy (I love his shops, even when you give him the exact money he still insists on giving change and his reasons for recommending books are always completely dear), but after lunch Dinosaur-boy, and later Zebra-girl, got rather embroiled in building not just a Lego village, but an entire Lego planet under Grandmama's enthusiastic tutelage, leaving me to sit snipping at small bits of material and generally doing my own sort of playing. Ian brought home Pizza Express pizzas for us, so the only thing that I actually had to remember to do was warm the oven up.
I have been meaning to make Zebra-girl a doorstop for nearly a year, but I'm pleased it took me so long as it meant that I was able to make use of lots of the fabrics that I'd been given for Christmas. Namely some 1960s vintage fabric that Ian had sourced for me from
Country House Antique Textiles, which was good for doors, windows, apple trees....even providing a Beetle 55 with some daisy-style wheels. Not that the car ended up looking like a Beetle, but that was what I had attempted to model it upon.
There is also a little bit of Amy Butler on there to make this cherry tree...
Some Heather Bailey Freshcut on the handle, which Zebra-girl had asked me to fashion into a stalk with leaves, with a flower blooming from it...I made and stuffed this one below...I hope it's what she had in mind.
I loved creating this as, unlike most things, there was no need for it to be tasteful, co-ordinated or even well-proportioned. Dinosaur-boy has commissioned me to make one for his room too. He has asked for blue flowers...which I thought was so lovely: he is obviously aware of the colour choices that boys and girls might be expected to make....but hasn't yet got to the bit where he also realises that most boys don't want florals in their bedrooms. What to do? I want him to have confidence in his own taste, but then he's off to school this year, and I don't want to merrily create a room full of things that may lead to him being ridiculed.
Ho hum, perhaps I'll have a think under this tree....Hope you all have lovely weekends. x
Some Heather Bailey Freshcut on the handle, which Zebra-girl had asked me to fashion into a stalk with leaves, with a flower blooming from it...I made and stuffed this one below...I hope it's what she had in mind.
Its just adorable and the car is brilliant! I'm sure she loves it.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous doorstop. I always get so inspired on these blogs...and it inevitably adds to my to do list!
ReplyDeleteI think it is lovely to relish in the innocence of childhood as very soon there will be no more pink or blue florals just boring 'boy'colours. My son was three when we were buying him cute little hand made shoes in lovely colours. He was allowed to pick and he really insisted on cerise pink....so pink it was! I still cherish them as he really loved that bright colour. (He is 17 now!) But you know he turned into a schoolage boy who would only wear red,bright blue or purple. Grey brown and black were way to dull for him until he reached about 11 years old and then he found jeans!!
ReplyDeleteI love the door stop and all the posts about the things you do with your children as it reminds me of the times I used to craft with mine :( Sadly they grew up!
Oh Florence that door stop is a-door-able. Sorry about that. The children must love it when mummy is making them things, is there nothing that phases you?
ReplyDeleteTake care
Love Hazel
xxx
You are truly amazing, as always gorgeous sewy things and beautiful fabric! xx
ReplyDeleteGosh what a week can do. I have spent the entire evening catching up on bloggy loveliness.
ReplyDeleteLove the Door Stop - I aspire to make one - one day. I just need to find the perfect fabric....oh and get some talent first.
Take Care
Clare xx
Lovely Florence, so cute. Gorgeous fabric. What do you fill these with? I'm imagining rice or lentils? Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteLina x
Oh that's just lovely Florence! What a wonderful creation, I bet she loves it!
ReplyDeleteNo idea what to do about blue florals for your boy. Made me think about a little friend of Olive's at a birthday party today, firstly out of the dressing up box he selected a pirate outfit. But what he really wanted was a red and orange dress and spent the rest of the party in it quite happily. And I have to say they were definitely his colours! What a shame he will probably spend most of his grown up life in browns and blues.
Oh Florence it's just lovely!! What a pretty addition to a girl's room. I love the tree and what a great idea to make the handle a stem, leaf and flower. With three girls I haven't had to tackle the whole boy thing but I think a little subtle blue floral won't upset the world and will make a little boy happy!
ReplyDeletemmmmm pizza express pizza,now that's something that I haven'thad in,hmm let me count,1-2-3 ahh yes,seven years!!1 ah their dough balls were a staple of mine when I lived in Hampstead.To go please and off to the heath we would trot:0)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to visit ol' blighty again:0(
Anyhoo,I love that doorstop.The car just makes it!!!
Thanks for the info BTW.
Cheerio
It's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteOf course it's lovely, and I so love the idea of your thinking it's not co-ordinated or in proportion, since it looks both of those things from here. But I do know what you mean - the freedom to just play and see what happens gets subsumed sometimes under the notion that everything must turn out beautifully in the end. I must try to remember that wonky can be beautiful too.
ReplyDeleteThat is just gorgeous Florence. You are so talented - get that shop open!!! xx
ReplyDeleteI love the doorstop - it's beautiful. Maybe dinosaur boy could have some flower loving dinos on his? Dinos love flowers, even t-rexs ;)
ReplyDeleteThat is really lovely - and if she doesn't like it perhaps you could send it over here because we do!
ReplyDeleteLovely lovely doorstop. I'm sure your daughter appreciates it. And what a wonderful Grandmama. My mother is so far away that she's unable to 'watch' the kids for me, but when she did, I reveled in that time.
ReplyDeleteGosh! It's so great!I love it!
ReplyDeleteI would like the same for my baby!!!
I really like the way you did the "appliqué".
Can I try to do something similar?
Would you accept to tell me how it's done and if you have a pattern?
Please....
;-)
I love your doorstop - it is so pretty, I look forward to reading your blog regularly! - Natalie x
ReplyDeleteThose unexpected free monets when you can loose yourself in a project are life savers aren't they!
ReplyDeleteHi there, me again - I remembered you had said that you had got 'Sew Pretty Homestyle' for Christmas and wondered whether you had the Easter book by the same Author? - It has some equally adorable projects in it - I have just made some Bunnies and some Geese, the pics are on my blog if you want to have a look - Natalie x
ReplyDeleteHi Florence,
ReplyDeleteYour day sounds like it was just perfect - all the right ingredients for some well-deserved you time.
The doorstop is just adorable - I love your incorporation of vintage fabrics.
I've really enjoyed my visit to your blog and have added it to my Bloglines list. Thank you for your kind comments.
Susan
When reading this post and the next one you wrote on your doorstops, I thought, "Cute," but passed right by. Today, a month later, when the spring wind is blowing through my house, and the bedroom door just slammed, "Bang!", and I hurried down the hall to put a small table in front of it, I reconsidered and thought, "Hmmm. I need to make one of Flossie's doorstops." Geez, this blogging is so educational! -- Michele
ReplyDelete