Ecotoys

Have you ever visited the Ecotoys online store?
Now you can visit them in person! Ecotoys are about to open their new shop in Hawthorn.

Eco Toys & Baby Grand Opening
Sat 8th May 2010
9am - 5pm
651 Burwood rd, Hawthorn East 3123
(next to Auburn Village & train station)

If you haven’t heard about Ecotoys before, they sell a beautiful range of eco friendly, ethically made and locally handmade toys and they are now expanding their range to include natural baby products.

So pop along this Saturday for the grand opening. You might even see some spunkee softies flying about!

My Creative Space

This is where I spent most of my day today – in my favourite part of our garden.

I find it very peaceful here and it’s so nice sitting on the cool grass on a warm day. I blew bubbles for Maya who has never seen bubbles before and she was fascinated by them!
Then while Maya slept I finally completed this tiny babushka brooch that I had started at christmas time.
The pattern is from this book that Sean and the kiddies gave me for Christmas.
And I also photographed some of my spunkee softies in the garden. These softies are bound for my new etsy store and for the Ecotoys stall at the Baby Show in Melbourne next weekend.



Head over to Kootooyoo to visit heaps of other great creative spaces.

One turtle, two turtles, three turtles

A customer asked me at the last market if I made turtles. I said I hadn’t but I’d give it a go and this is the result.

one turtle

I thought about the idea for a few days, did some drawings then started choosing woolly fabrics. Like my sleevee teddies (so called because they are made from the sleeves of jumpers), I didn’t use a paper pattern (except for the head shape) and just began cutting and sewing. I had to unpick and restitch a couple of times, but this organic style of working is what gives each of my softies their own unique character. Then I made a couple more turtles...

two turtles

three turtles

one, two, three turtles
For the eyes I stitched pieces of wool felt into place then needle felted them. It is the first time I have done any needle felting and it worked really well. I borrowed mum’s needles which are specially designed for felting (they have barbs to grab the wool fibres and matt them together). Then I stabbed the eyes many, many times – yeah sounds brutal - with the needle until the fibres had matted together.

Here are a couple of cute mini teddies mum has made from wool fleece using the needle felting technique.
The turtles will be available at the next market on Sunday December 7th. And to the lady who asked for the turtles in the first place, thank you for asking ‘cos you inspired me to actually design and make them! If you would like one of the turtles before the market please contact me.