About Me

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I am a lifelong fabric artist who loves bringing a home to life with quirky, unique and sumptuous pieces of textile art. I learnt my craft from sharing many a happy hour sewing with my talented mother. I particularly like collage, free-machining, needle-felting and creating home furnishings using a combination of machine and hand sewing. I love incorporating vintage and reclaimed fabrics, buttons, beads, jewellery and other items in my work to give them a second chance at being beautiful.

Wednesday 9 September 2015

WOYWW - Needle-felted miniature gardens, a trip down memory lane and fairground fun

Morning all! Well it's been another busy week at Tilly Tea Dance Towers. Birthday planning continues with gusto ahead of Ben's first birthday, Ive been listing all Ben's baby clothes on ebay and I've finally got round to moving some of my stored items out of my parents house (more about that later). Despite these jobs I've still made time for some dumfing (a.k.a needle-felting).

Here's the workdesk this week...

Now that I am once again absorbed in dumfing, I decided that I needed to stock up on my supply of embroidery threads.

Ok so to be totally honest I was casually browsing the shelves of TK Maxx and spotted this package of brightly coloured skeins and felt that 'have to have it' warm glow we crafters get when we see something nice. You've got to admit it does look tempting. The question is, will I ever disturb the lovely neat rows of thread to use any of it!!

The dumfing I started last week is also on my desk, now embellished and ready to mount. I bet I've got every mount except the sizes I need!


New dumfing has taken place almost every evening. I had almost forgotten how good needle-felting is for helping you to wind down.

I have used the large background piece from last week's desk to start another poppy picture which will be free-machine embroidered, and I've done a few more miniature backgrounds which will be hand embroidered and made into cards or small pictures.

I'm sure by now you will have noticed some extra little friends loitering around my workdesk this week.

These are my 25 year-old Sylvanian families which have been reunited with their loving owner having been boxed up for decades. The intervening years have been spent lodging with mum and dad and, as they've been moving house, I felt it was time to relieve them of their duty of care! I'm not quite sure what I'll do with my vintage Sylvanian empire just yet. The little man may inherit some, whilst other bits might find a new life via eBay. Whatever the future holds for these woodland furries it's been lovely looking back over my childhood!

My last little pic is from earlier in the week when I took Ben on his first carousel. The boy loved it! He definitely has his mum's love of rides so no doubt we'll have many a fun time in the years to come whizzing around Alton Towers, Disney World etc.

Ill be popping over to Julia's Stamping Ground and look forward to catching up with other crafters taking part in WOYWW.

Happy crafting x


17 comments:

  1. Those poppies and pansies are gorgeous.

    Fiona #11

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  2. Needle felting is fun. I used to do the one needle , needle felting of animals.Loved it, but so time consuming. Love these backgrounds.

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  3. Hi Maxine, fabulous dumfing...love it all, Ben is too cute. Enjoy your week RobynO#19

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  4. Gorgeous work - the pansies are beautiful and I love the poppies too - they both look spectacular on the longer length of wool. Hope you have a great week.
    Diana #23

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  5. I do remember the Sylvanian stuff. I'm sure there will be some collectors willing to buy on Ebay.
    The photo of Ben is gorgeous. The look on his face is priceless!
    The needle felting is truly awesome. Absolutely beautiful. Well done you.
    Have a good week,
    Lisca#17

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  6. Love the latest dumfing Max. So good to see the Sylvanians have come home....hope they brought the tiny wooden boxes your Grandad made for them too. :-) Fab photo of Ben.
    Hugs,
    Annie x

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  7. I must say I'm not at all familiar with the craft of neddle-felting! I find it fascinating, mainly because I have no idea how it's done. Love your little characters - think twice before selling them! We had a huge clear-out this summer too and I downsized my son's Lego collection. I was sad to see some of it go, but we just don't have the space for large sets:( Your little man is so cute! Happy crafting! zsuzsa @ InkyDinkyDoodle #28

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  8. Oh, I love carousels too!! I'd have been there with you whizzing round :-)
    Gorgeous dumfing as ever, I do love the letterbox mode, it's a bit different. I would have bought those skeins too, even though I don't often use embroidery silks...it's the colours, I wouldn't have been able to resist!
    And you'd have made a fine brass player ;-)
    Hugs, LLJ 12 xx

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  9. We are storing the kids legos... Just make sure you don't give your vintage goodies to Ben too soon. It's easy to think that eg a five year old is old enough (even younger would obviously enjoy them too), but if they are in good shape because you got them at ten years of age, you'll find everything getting inevitably broken in use!
    Happy dumfing, looks great!
    Kristiina #18

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  10. Love your felting! lots going on here!
    thanks for visiting!
    Robyn 1

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  11. My daughter used to collect the sylvainian families . I have had a go once at needle felting and made a bowl ( around a small plastic ball) such fun! I adore your especially those tiny ones- beautiful. Thanks for the earlier visit. soojay 15

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  12. Thank you for showing us your wonderful felt makes. Gorgeous things. Happy woyww Jill #8

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  13. Such a lovely post Max - so full of gorgeousness and fun! x Jo

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  14. So much fun and gorgeous crafting what more can you ask for. Thanks for the visit to mine, have a good woyww and happy crafting, Angela x 22

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  15. Hi Max, love your story of the hedgehog puppet. What a lovely thing that your little one gets enjoyment from it now, as well as all those children your mum taught. Full circle.
    Thanks for your lovely; comment.
    Judy 39

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  16. I wouldn't have been able to resist the embroidery skeins either! Colors are gorgeous. Remind yourself they are meant to create something beautiful and when the right project presents itself they will be there waiting! Diane #21

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  17. ah Tilly love all those darlink dumfings but the heartease are my fav after all :D and yes did see the little people there .. they seem to approve of your dumfing too :D and Ben is very happy little man!
    Thanks so much for popping over.
    Happy Belated WOYWW! Shaz in Oz.x #25

    {Shaz in Oz – Calligraphy Cards}

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