autumn decorations

I'm indulging in a little felt embroidery.

The big red mushroom is a fly agaric (had to look it up - thanx google translate)
Apparently you can call these mushrooms  'punks' or even 'spunks' in English. In my language they are called 'zwam'.  I liked to sew the spores - that's the detail to make it look real.

catching some late rays of sun

So I guess the little baby on the swing-chair can be called a baby punk..... although he doesn't look the part... Maybe I should 've gone a little more crazy on his hairdo. 

I'm putting it on display under a glass bell.  In Flanders, in the fifties & sixties, every home used to have a glass bell with a madonna + child under it.  In the zen-nineties they became really old-fashioned and were thrown away or sold at flea markets. I bought one there, threw away the (plastic) madonna and now I fill it with other objects.  It's vintage revival.
Feeling pretty hipster now. :-)

Swing along, little punky.

making dolls

Do you remember the Hollie Hobbie dolls that were soooo popular during the 70ies ?  My sister and I made one from an old sheat of cotton and made knitted clothes for them.

These days, there seems to be a revival of those sort of dolls.  In her book 'My rag doll' by Corinne Crasbercu, the hollie hobbie doll has become a real little princess.   I tried out some of her patterns, and this is the result :

a gorgeous blonde

now with my hat !

a prima ballerina in her tutu

brown pigtails are cute

2 skeins of mohair for the hair !

she is ever so soft

I don't know if these dolls are meant to play with.  The construction of the hair is really delicate.
I think they will prefer to be 'on display' rather than be played with....

Oh, and remember Sarah Kay's Hollie Hobbie ?

int. doll and teddy bear show in Brugge

some pictures of a lovely day in Brugge !

bears & dolls, great combination

the show was at the centre of Brugge : the Belfrey

the colourful bears of Andy Cunningham

lots of dresses, hats, accessories

and who was there too ?  Bart & Francis - how lucky was I ?

owww - those new silks and their colours !

a little bear-quilt, sooooo lovely

Don't you love this old sewing box ?

this little fellow, I want !

these were knitted by my friend Barbara

floddertje - a clumsy kid

My friend Amandine is a kindergarten teacher.  She spends her days among the little ones, aged 4 years old.  She teaches them small things like the days of the week, or the weather, and she likes to tell them stories.

As a teaching aid, she uses many items.  She crochets a moon and a sun, makes birthday crowns, and a birthday chair they can sit in.  This year, she has the help of 'floddertje'.

Floddertje is a well known little girl, created by the Dutch writer Annie MG Schmidt.  Floddertje is a little girl who has a golden heart, but always messes up.  She and her dog try to paint the room, but end up covered in red paint.  Or they try to make tomato soup, and the kitchen needs refurbishing afterwards.

The little children love these stories, and Amandine wanted a doll just like Floddertje, to help her telling the stories (and teaching them about hygiene I suppose).  That's where her mother - in - law, Monique, came to the rescue.  Monique is a brilliant crafter, who has made the most beautiful things.  Amandine asked for her help to make a 'floddertje' and this is what Monique made :

I wanted to share that with you, because it is one of the many items this amazing lady has made. She has very patiently studied the drawings made by Fien Westendorp and made a perfect pattern.  This is the Floddertje she made : a soft doll, with legs that can fold so that she can sit up.  The little dress is a perfect fit, with the ribbon just like in the pictures.  The hair is made of dark orange wool, and watch the legs, she emboidered the stockings with minuscule little stiches. The doll even has fingers, and the face has the cute expression just like the drawings in the book.

What a wonderful job !  Monique, if you are reading this : respect !