Things I Have Recently Made

OK, so the images aren't fantastic, but at least it's documentation.  Proof that I'm doing more than swimming and asking myself 'which mall shall I go to today?'.  Actually, we have to tighten out belts here so I think I'll be making more things this week.  And 'teksi' rides can be expensive.  I'm a little shy about working out the public transport system on my own.  Maybe I'll make my own commuter 'softie' and feel more empowered.  

The following softies I made from patterns that came out of, funnily enough, "Softies".  I posted about that book last week.  I make my own softies (you can see some at made by maude) but this is the first time I've ever followed a real, proper pattern to make them.  It may well be the first time I've followed a pattern to make anything since high school! 

'Dorian the Dog' - original pattern by  Chika Mori.  I used different colours to those used in the book, but I learnt how to blanket stitch, daisy chain and make a french knot! Oh la la.  Dorian is tiny, about 5 x 8 cm, and I think he's pretty sweet.

This chappy here is 'Snow Bunny' - original pattern by Tamar Mogendorff.  My bunny is very different to the one in the book.  I've used completely different fabrics and didn't follow the instructions to the tee.  I really didn't think I liked where this one was going when I first assembled the body, but after I embroidered the face it got some personality and the whole softie came alive!

This is a particularly shoddy photo.  The whale looks far more interesting in real life.  This is called 'The Lookout' - original pattern by Michelle Valigura.  It's called 'The Lookout' because the original softie has a bird perched on top.  The bird used foam and feathers and a googly eye. The whale originally has a googly eye also, but I embroidered one for her instead.  I can't quite reconcile the fabric and plastic mix.  I'd feel strange popping a bead on something textile based I'd made.  A button though, no drama.  I wonder why that is?  I think I'll make the birdie and see how I feel after that.  I am impressed by the whales gloomy disposition though! 

In case you're new to links in text, you can click on the artists names above and visit their websites.  They're all wonderful and inspiring.  Highly recommended! 

Oh Hello!

This is Bangsar, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur. We live here, somewhere. So here I am, after a week or so of incommunicado! So sorry about that but it was difficult to get near a computer with the Internet. And now we have the Internet on in our apartment, so these updates should be regular as clockwork once again!
Kuala Lumpur is lush and steamy. The first thing I noticed was the abundance of trees. I could see their outlines in the predawn as the plane taxied in Sunday morning. There was a bit of an airport fiasco, Thistler and I not actually seeing each other for about 45 minutes. Ahem. Not quite the reunion I had imagined. Tired, grumpy and fending off over enthusiastic 'Taksi' drivers is no way to meet your beloved after a significant absence. Never mind, we managed to get a giggle out of it eventually. So far I have explored a mall or two (a mega mall, mind you) and our local burb. And the swimming pool. We are going for a country drive this weekend, up into the highlands! I've also been making things, but have no pictures yet unfortunately. I can show you this though...




'Softies, Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals' by Therese Laskey and Leah Kramer. My sister in law gave it to me before I left. What a clever and thoughtful lady she is! Can you believe it's my very first contemporary craft book? Not a very good record for a contemporary crafter. It's a lovely book and I've already made two softies from it. I'm trying to be good and follow the instructions to the tee, but I can't help skipping some and embellishing others. Oh, I know that's what it's all about, but I wanted to try and challenge myself by actually FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS instead of skipping ahead and troubleshooting later. Still, they are LOADS of fun to make. What a thoughtful sister in law I have!
Thank you for your comments. Yes, we are making a bit of a nest here. We're not allowed to hang anything on, nail into or stick anything the walls here so it'll be a challenge to get around that one!

The Comforters

I have just finished reading 'The Comforters' by Muriel Spark for the third, maybe fourth time. I've lost track of how many times I've read it. Why why why read a novel three or four times? Sigh. I am a sucker. 'The Comforters' encompasses so many literary elements I hold dear. A house set in seaside England, a touch of London bohemian and of course a litany of eccentric characters. And by golly it's funny. So funny. Witty. Caustic. Critical. But gleefully so, and thus endearing. You can read more about Muriel Spark here. I think she may have been a little 'cool' if you knew her personally, but from a distance she's a Lady I Really Like.
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Don't you think she looks a little like Susan Kennedy on the back cover shot?
P.S. I'm really sorry about the text being underlined today, I have no idea how it got here or how to turn it off