Spring cushions at Mini Magpie

Firstly, thank you all for your welcome back messages! It feels good to be blogging again and catching up with everyone.

Well I promised to show you what those pastel ribbons were for...

I've used them to trim the backs of some Spring cushions.

A major fabric tidy up and sort out in the autumn made me realise how many lovely vintage fabrics I had featuring baby animals. They get their own drawer in my cabinet! Laying them out together they are all very pastel coloured and Spring like.

I decided pastel stripes and coloured vintage wool would make nice contrasting backs.

So a batch of 5 have been run up for Mini Magpie at Poundbury.

Some used the final pieces of favourite fabrics I've had for years which is always a bit of a shame.

So that's enough of the backsides are you ready for the full frontals?

We have pink rabbits, lambs and ducks...

Beige calves, foals and bunnies

Lilac lambs, piglets and a frog

Cream mischievous ducklings

and yellow kittens, pugs and kids

 

So I think that pretty much covers every farm animal you can think of!

I've still a couple of other fabrics to cut and will be topping up my stock for a couple of Spring events (see my sidebar).

 I love them all. Which is your favourite?



New ventures

Firstly a huge thank you to all you virtual customers out there. I've been overwhelmed this year by the email, fb, blog and IG requests for my makes! I'm now often found hanging out at the Post Office on my days off.

Another little venture has been selling via a rather lovely shop Magpie in Poundbury, Dorchester.

They have just opened a children's shop next door to their main store and I'm thrilled they are stocking my cushions and some other bits. If you're local it's well worth a visit. Lots of lovely things - perfect for present shopping!

I was even more thrilled when they messaged last weekend for more stock!

So I've been making like mad to fill the shelves..

Love this sweet pink fabric with kitch 50's kittens and ducklings

This atomic style animal print is always a favourite

Can never get enough Noddy in blue

or white!

Using up scraps to make some mini lavender bags for Custard Hall

All backed in old wool.

This was an order for a lovely lady who wanted 6 pillows all with the bird design.

And finally this lovely chap arrived too late for the old toys post last week but spotted on good old Facebook was on his way to a new life in Devon within 24 hours!

So THANK YOU virtual friends and customers!

xXx 



Etsy update

Just to let you know I've popped some new makes in my etsy shop

Let me introduce you to the Winter Bunnies

Similar to their cousins the blankety bunnies but more wintery!

They love to snuggle up against the alpine cushions

 and hey presto

they match the cushion back!

 

These lovely old Christmas postcards dated 1909 were the inspiration

for Christmas lavender pillows

All stuffed with 100% lavender and embellished with bells, bows and hand stamped tags

Naturally they are all backed with vintage fabrics

Well you wouldn't expect anything else would you?



 



Elsewhere things have been too quiet for my liking at Custard Hall so I've desperately been filling the shelves with all things festive and wintery

  

Whilst customer orders have helped keep me ticking along

Thank you to everyone who 'likes', 'shares', orders, pops into Custard Hall and helps keep this little bit of my life going!

A busy 10 days making

Goodness, I hadn't realised my last post was 10 days ago! I feel a bit out of the bloggy world and will be catching up with your news over the weekend. Work and Jelly Jam have both been busy as we hurtled towards the end of term and Easter.

Those of you who found Jelly Jam's Facebook page will have seen (and purchased) some of these things already - sorry for the repetition!

These mini tote bags are just right for collecting Easter eggs and caused quite a stir. I had to whip up a few more to keep everyone happy!

 The baby animal fabrics were disappearing at full speed through the sewing machine and coming out as cushions as well!

These are two of my most favourite fabrics. I'm now right out of the duckling print. I always hate using the last bit of a vintage fabric in case I never see it again! I've kept a cushion for home and I think might have to make sure I hang on to one of these too.

Easter wouldn't be Easter without some blankety bunnies and I was really pleased when I realised one I posted off was heading to a blogger's home!

As well as sewing there has been some spraying going on. Not my idea but pinched from numerous blogs where I've seen these jars now. They've been a top seller so much so that when the girls at Custard Hall told me there were only three left last night I resorted to looking through the fridge and tipping screws and tacks into other containers in my quest for more small jars! A lovely cream set emerged this morning only for me to discover nowhere in town has any mini eggs left. Oh well I shall be ahead of myself next Easter.

Whilst the paint was out this swan got the same treatment. I rather like it.

 I've tried to make the shop look as pretty and Eastery as possible...

...you'll spot a few of my makes and some of the china I potted up on this shelf. I don't know who makes the birds but they look great altogether.

 Meanwhile this is my unit upstairs.

Happy Easter to you all. I'm looking forward to popping by your places in the next few days!

x

Eastery stock

It was a slow walk to Custard Hall this morning to drop off a couple of furry friends. How many old toys does a girl need? Anyway they're there for now and sporting new velvet ribbons...

Meet Lamb

 and Bunny.

Poor Bunny was ear and eyeless when I got her in a box of old toys. Finally I've got round to fixing her up with old Laura Ashley fabric ears backed in wool and some fresh eyes so she can see how lovely she looks. I wonder how I knew she was a rabbit?

 

The spring fabrics have been out in abundance this week.

I've been making some spring stock for my shelves. I know I said no more cushions but then I sold some more so really I'm just topping up.
I love these mischievous ducklings.

 

This is a different fabric I'd not seen before. I bought it from Donna at Trull a few weeks ago.

This cute pink one is backed in a vintage wool blanket.

 The ever popular yellow farm animals fabric. I've lost track of how much I've made from this. I had metres of it all unused but now it's running low... 

Find them on my etsy shelves or at Custard Hall.

 Tagged and ready to go...