Country cats

Still looking towards the early summer craft fair, I came up with these:


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They don't take too long to make and as they don't take up much fabric they use up left over scraps. They are just 5 inches high and almost as much around, can stand up on their own on their fat bottoms and I think that several of them will look bright and cheerful on the stall.
(Here's a fat bottom)



But:
here's the problem. In trying to come up with something handmade that is cheap and cheeful enough for people to buy at our local craft fairs I'm getting further and further away from the intricate and labour intensive embroidery that I love but that people are not prepared to pay for.

Catch of the day!

I'm still playing with the felted fish. There's lots of room for experiment and improvement in the technique:


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Some are just felted, some are spotted and some are heavily embroidered, like this pair:


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The smaller of the pair, just a little adornment.

And his flamboyant big brother


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stitched and seeded, primped and preened:


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Having great frustrations and fun with these!

Squawk Squawk!!!!

Still looking to make something cheap and cheerful for the seasonal craft fairs that people might actually buy. Maybe something more appropriate for a coastal town, in the hope that summer visitors might buy it as a souvenir? So, as they woke me up at the crack of dawn today, I thought of seagulls.

Here's the first tryout:


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I made these from my favourite synthetic suede fabric, with scraps of vintage Laura Ashley print for the wings. I think they need to have dark beaks. The Boss says they need to look "fitter, more athletic and aggressive" he thinks these are a bit soft and flabby and more like pigeons. I prefer the look of the lighter coloured one, I think it's the angle of the wings.

You can see from the colour of the sky that it's a beautiful day here. I didn't venture outside to take the photo though. See the reflection of the conservatory roof? I'm staying in here, it is bitterly cold!