Herbert and Friends - Handmade Softies by Torunn

I thought I'd share with you the panda brooches I've been working on. I haven't gotten around to any other brooches just yet but I'm still keen to try out a frog. I've been getting a little caught up in the Australian Open which is the one time of year I actually take notice of the tennis. My grandparents instilled the tennis watching tradition in me and I'm sure they're also watching it in Sweden! The final is tomorrow so I'll be back on track with sewing next week. I'm very keen to use some of this new fabric I bought from badskirt that arrived yesterday. I particularly like the umbrella print!

Have a great weekend!

Today I'm having a really nice quiet day with lots of sewing and listening to an audio book. I absolutely love listening to audio books and I go through them at an alarming rate. Sewing and audio books are just the perfect combination! At the moment I'm listening to The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas which is very captivating and confronting, I highly recommend a read.

On the sewing front, I've been working on some new softie brooches. I had a request to make a cat brooch which has inspired me to expand my range of brooches, starting with these little cats below. I'm also working on a batch of pandas and I'm thinking about doing some frogs. 

By the way, Badskirt is having a sale until Saturday so drop by here if you're looking for some awesome fabric. I bought some on Monday and can't wait for it to arrive!

I hope your week is full of adventures (however big or small)!

It turns out I wasn't too late to enter the Schmancy Olympic Challenge so I'm in! The category I was given is bobsleigh. It's not a sport I know much about so I did some research, watched some youtube videos and now I'm pretty ready to get started. It will by my first monthly masterpiece, but since I only just decided that the bi-monthly is going to change to monthly this one may not be ready by the end of January, the deadline for the challenge is 26th February. I'm excited to get started!

In the meantime, here are a couple of experiments I've been working on - a ghost and a whale.

I've been having a bit of a down week in terms of self-confidence, inspiration and life in general. I'm feeling a bit like I'm in a rut when it comes to my creativity which is a horrible feeling when your work relies on it! I've been at my day job the last two days which, while it is a lovely place to work, isn't particularly inspiring. I have spent the afternoon reading through blogs, following links and little by little it's lifting my spirits.

The most inspiring thing I came across was an interview with Tania Patritti (ninon) by Brittni Wood which you can check out here. I think Tania has officially become my softie-maker hero. Everything she makes is amazing and she's vegan and is a full-time artist and lives in the most awesome looking apartment in Berlin! I have been reading her blog for a little while and in short it's awesome. I'm saving up to buy one of her Les Monstris! She has inspired me to make more complicated pieces because they are more satisfying as she states in another interview which you can read here. Things I've made in the past like the sewing machine, giant snail and the marriage couple are so much fun cause they're challenging and take ages to make. Maybe I should change my commitment to my bi monthly master piece to a monthly masterpiece... there's a thought!

*As a side note, I just want to add that I'm melting right now! It's 40 degrees and it will be tomorrow as well. I really want to tele-port myself to the snow!!!*

Through following all the links from ninon's blog I came to Plush You! which I admittedly haven't visited for a while, I'm not sure why but it just momentarily slipped off my radar. Plush You! also really inspired me - firstly because they are taking entries for the Plush You! show which you can check out here, secondly because they're running a competition called the Schmancy Olympic Challenge (I've sent an email to try and enter but I might be too late), and thirdly because Kristen Rask, owner of Schmancy and curator of Plush You! is so pro active and organises all these amazing things.

With all this new inspiration I'm left with a sense of awe. It also got me thinking about the softie community in Australia and how I feel it needs to come together more. I feel a bit left out of all these amazing things happening elsewhere (maybe it's because I don't live in Melbourne). The point I'm trying to get to is that I'd like to organise an exhibition in Sydney of local and international softie makers to try and energise the community here. I think that would be super exciting! I'd have to apply to a grant to cover gallery costs etc but I think it's doable. I'm going to start investigating!

Thank you to all you inspiring people! xx

Last Friday I ordered some more supplies for my print gocco which I'm anxiously awaiting. As soon as they arrive I'll be all set and ready to start printing With this in mind I've been doing some sketches of Herbert. He recently took up roller skating as a hobby after seeing the movie Whip It. He couldn't see himself getting involved in roller derby, so instead he chose figure roller skating because this is similar to dancing, his other hobby. Here he is doing both.

I wanted to share some new creature that have joined Herbert's crew. The bears, Bernard and Erika, and the Yetis, Mimi and Gilbert. If you'd like to learn more about them please head over to my Etsy shop. The fabric I've used for the pockets on these four comes from Umbrella Prints which I bought at the Finders Keepers market. I'm regretting I didn't buy more of it but there's always online!

I'm very excited today because Herbert & Friends has a little feature in the online magazine Style Collective. Here's a sneak peak!

The write up is in the Urban Living section together with some other a Australian designers. To check it out click here! It's so awesome and encouraging to be written about in this way. Thank you Style Collective!

I've spent half the day doing some very necessary cleaning which always takes way way too long! Once it's done I find it fairly satisfying until I remember I'll have to do it all again in a couple of weeks. After cleaning I decided to relax and read some new blogs. Through Ninon I came across Hello Tiger which is a very cool design/craft/art/awesome stuff kind of blog. I had a look through some older posts of hers and found these photos and wished my place could look something like these! Sigh...

Hello Tiger has a list of 'The most inspiring blogs 2009' where you can find a whole range of great stuff including some mouth watering Swedish design blogs. I can't wait to go to Sweden in June and check out all the amazing and unaffordable design shops!  

Thank you to everyone that came by the markets yesterday! It was a really nice day chatting to people and being in the tunnel meant it wasn't too hot, at least not as hot as outside. Sales were a little slow but all the other stall holders were super friendly and the market had a great vibe. It was also one of the best organised markets I've been to, overall it was a good day. Despite my trying to save money and all that I did end up buying this colouring book from benconservato aka Emma. As it turned out my mum had bought a copy as well! The difference was she bought it for my nephew and I bought it for myself. I highly recomment checking out Emma's illustrations!

I also wanted to share with you this Etsy shop I came across the other day called British cream tea that sells felt food. I find felt food so alluring and mesmerising for some reason and these pieces are particularly well done.

This Sunday I'm having a stall at the Kirribilli Art and Design Market for the first time. I always get a little nervous/excited when trying out a new market. I've had a super busy week with no where near enough sewing time! I've starting on these new yetis and bears which I'll finish off on Saturday, my dedicated preparation day. If you're having a lazy Sunday and feel like an outing come down to Kirribilli! My stall will be in the tunnel so it'll be dry no matter what the weather is doing.

I hope everyone is enjoying 2010 so far!