Sensory Challenge

Recently I was asked to make a sensory/fidget bag by a family member who works in the health care industry. This is something I had no knowledge of before. After doing some reading and research on sensory toys I was intrigued.

These toys and bags can be made for a wide variety of people. From toddlers to people living with dementia. Naturally I was up for the challenge to make something to help an adult with profound special needs. The cherry on top is I can make her something pretty.

The first step was to draw out my idea. I wanted to make the bag as easy as possible to use on the go.

As most of my scrap fabric is summery and fun I thought a summer theme would be perfect. I tried to make each page different with a variety of ways to interact with the book.





One of the things I realised pretty quickly was that using up all of my bits and pieces of fabric is a messy business! But I think the final product will be a lot of fun for it's new owner.

The first page has some cute beads and buttons to interact with.

I like to call this page flower picking in the garden. In the pocket are some fabric flowers attached with a strand of wool. The flower can be taken in and out of the pocket without being lost.

With every summer theme you must have a bit of sunshine to brighten up your day. I sewed paper under the gold fabric so it makes a lovely sound when touched. 

This page has three vehicles that the user can take out of the pocket and drive on the summer scene at the bottom of the page. 

I think this page might be my favourite one. They colours are really pretty and the velcro adds a great interactive quality. The balloons are held on to the page with velcro. You can pull the balloons off and reattach them. The cord is sewn into the edge of the page so they won't get lost. 

I wanted to mainly focus on texture for the last page. The wool is sewn on with bias binding to hold everything in place. The lace adds even more texture for the owner to interact with.

Here is the final product in a video. The best way to understand interaction with the sensory book bag, is to see it in action. I'm so pleased that my first attempt turned out as well as it did. 

Tell a story with Story Island

Everyone has a story to tell. A Story Island toy is the perfect buddy to live out your story.
https://www.etsy.com/ie/shop/StoryIslands

Teddy Bears Picnic

https://www.etsy.com/ie/shop/StoryIslands

Working With Fur (Faux)

Since I started making bears I have found working with fur a bit of a challenge and really messy. Second hand shops a fantastic resource for practice. You can pick up fur coats during summer for a few euros. I found a fur coat that had a lovely golden brown colour, it just called out to be made into a teddy.

While I was sewing I found that the fur was getting trapped in the seam a lot. But I used a comb and that sorted the problem. Believe it or not the fur is great for stuffing. With cotton I have to stuff carefully to give it a nice shape. However the fur held it's shape straight away and it was really easy to work with despite the mess.

I can't wait to make more furry bears. They really are a joy to look at and they come to life once finished.

Cheeky Collection

There are times when I like to challenge myself to invent something a little different. Normally my bears are very classical with vintage feel. For a change I made a more simple toy, the body was machine sewed together. This made the process much faster so I experimented with different facial expressions. I can honestly say I love how they look. They looked like little cheeky creatures so I decided to name them just that. https://www.etsy.com/ie/shop/StoryIslands

Story Time

I've been working on writing a children's book lately. Between brain storming and getting distracted by shiny things I've been reading quotes from my favourite authors to keep me going. Naturally this let to a whole lot of procrastination when I decided to make a poster. Photoshop is both my friend and foe, I could spend hours happily playing around on Photoshop.

Now it's definitely time for a cup of tea and after that I promise I will get back to writing! In the meantime here is a sneaky peek of the story I am writing today.

Summer

Lately the weather in Ireland has been ridiculously warm. The sun has been shining everyday and the morale of the country is at an all time high. I've taken the opportunity to get out and about and enjoy the fine weather while we have it.

Naturally the dogs have been loving the chance to experience nature in all it's glory. Poppy is normally an avid sunbather but even she had to take shelter under an umbrella

For some reason the grass by the river is the best thing she has ever tasted! We went fishing at Milford Mills, naturally we didn't catch anything but it was the perfect opportunity to unwind and take a break from sewing.

Despite the heat I did get a chance to do a lovely photo shoot in the garden. The fabric on these latest soft toys is the nicest I've used in a while. I love the bright freshness of the flowers and the bees. It really reminds me of a vintage botanical drawing.  They are both on Etsy at the moment. There is a sale coming up so this is a good time to check out my Etsy store.

You never know you might find the perfect gift. The sale starts on the 16th of June and finishes on the 20th.