holly leaves and berries surrounding brown mouse doll tail appliqué work ready for sewing with skein of pink embroidery thread placed on left side next to spool of pink sewing threadWelcome to my blog! Here you will find all the goings on from my little workshop, and news about future dollmaking plans.

It’s winter in the little workshop now, and I have been working on little creatures that have always been close to my heart…mice! 

My little mice are inspired by favourite books from my childhood – Brambley Hedge and Brian Jacques’s wonderful Redwall series. I remember getting lost in the wonderful adventures of the mice in these beautiful fantasy world, and I am having so much fun bringing some little mice characters to life.  I’m delighted to be able to introduce you to them.

My little brown mouse doll Benji and little white mouse doll Mabel are so lively! They are good company in a quiet house while the children are out at school.  They are constantly moving and chatting in tiny squeaks. Mostly they discuss chocolate, for they cut their teeth on Christmas chocolate coins. They have a terrible fondness for chocolate, and think nothing of raiding the table for unattended titbits.  Anyone who welcomes them into their homes should certainly be kept on their toes! Sometimes they can be found relaxing together…brown mouse doll with pale skin and white mouse doll with brown skin relaxing in a basket with a brown furry blanket, against a cinnamon background …but I must say it never lasts for long – you turn around to see a flash of a pink tail, a flick of a whisker – and they are gone. Up to their next piece of mischief!

brown mouse doll with white mouse doll from the rear showing blanket stitch pink appliqué tails

I’ve been exploring techniques to enhance my appliqué work, based on the wonderful embroidery and fabric art of Salley Mavor. The use of blanket stitch to edge my little mice tails was inspired by her work.

It is a good job I found this inspiring artist, since Benji mouse demanded a fine curly tail, and Mabel clearly informed me she and Benji needed whiskers – whoever heard of mice without whiskers! Not to mention a pretty little pink nose. little white mouse doll with pink nose and brown skin balancing on a hand with a brown background

Doing these embroidery details bought such pleasure in slow sewing, and I love the end result. I look forward to using embroidery and appliqué techniques again in my new pattern. I have even started on an embroidery sampler book to explore different stitches – when I have made some progress I will share it here.

I have big plans for the rest of the winter, involving UKCA testing my full body doll pattern. It’s moving in quite a different direction than I expected… (joints!). I am also going to be working on a very special, very large custom doll.  Watch my blog for more news and updates! 

Thankyou for joining me in the little workshop this winter. I hope to be sharing blogs with you more regularly from now on, hopefully once a month. I look forward to telling you more about pattern testing in February, including (hopefully) some sneak peeks of my testing prototypes. Meanwhile stay warm and cosy this winter everyone! little mouse doll with brown skin and dark brown eyes looking outward in side profile with brown background.Hee fur is brilliant white and she has large floppy ears with pink fur inside.