Tilda with a Twist

Tilda "bugs" /Christmas beetles from Spring Ideas book

Many of you know that I spent some time in Finland in 2001 and recently returned for a visit and also renewed my love of Scandinavian fabric design. I have always loved Marimekko, so it didn' t take much for me to develop a liking for Tilda - the clean, crisp, softer and appealing designs by Tone Finnanger from Norway. My local doll supply shop, Anne's Glory Box, has recently stocked the delightful Tilda fabrics. books and accessories, so of course I really couldn't resist... And the laces have been hand dyed at Anne's Glory Box to match the Tilda fabrics.
The bugs from the Spring Ideas book are my favourites ( image above) and they will be great gifts for my daughter and daughter-in-law, as I give them a handmade ornament for their Christmas trees each year . Tilda has also become a bit of a craze with some of the cloth doll makers in my Hello Dollies group. Here are a couple of gorgeous Tilda dolls made by a friend, Vicki Leeke of Victori Dolls.

Tilda dolls by Vicki Leeke

If you are not familiar with Tilda dolls and characters, here is a description from the Tilda website
"Tilda is most known for the whimsical, comical and naive characters in the form of animals and dolls. Tilda's world is without a doubt a feminine one, and the most recognisable features are the faces, with two dots for eyes and rosy cheeks."
I certainly did not or would not change the Tilda style, but I added an Australian twist to the gingerbread men I made from the Crafting Christmas Gifts book. The fabric for these little gingerbread men was hand dyed with brown onion skins and syzygium leaves. The syzygium is better known here as Lilly Pilly - an evergreen Australian tree which has glossy dark green leaves and small edible berries or fruits, mostly used to make jam. I thought the dye recipe of onion skins and syzygium turned the calico into a good gingerbread fabric.

Gingerbread Men, pattern from Tilda Crafting Christmas Gifts Book

And for a bit of fun... here is my Chinese bug - Tilda style if that's possible? certainly Tilda with a twist?

#SeptTextileLove26 Day8

SeptTextileLove #stl26day8 ‘Inspiring Exhibition’ … earlier this year , the Wednesday Makers Group at Timeless Textiles ( Newcastle, Australia) celebrated International Women’s Day with their exhibition, “Inspiring Women in Stitch’ - congratulations - inspiring women honouring inspiring women . link to video

#SeptTextileLove26 Day 9

‘ Craft or Art?’ … a continuing complex question, with, I guess, has no definitive answer. I’ve often wondered about traditional practices especially … as an example , temari ( Japanese stitched thread balls ). Even authorities on temari have called it ‘an ancient folk craft ’ as well as a traditional, highly artistic culture and skill in that each design shows the unique characteristics of the maker’s free ideas and creativity. ‘ (Japan Temari Association)… My mother taught me to make temari and she would always consider her own creations ‘craft’ and to me they are ‘art’! Craft or art? Does it really matter what we call the techniques or the outcome of what we create ?

#SeptTextileLove Day 10

#SeptTextileLove #STL26Day10 ‘Low Impact ?’ … today I am highlighting an admirable decision by Newcastle ( NSW Australia) textile art gallery , Timeless Textiles . When you purchase from the gallery shop, the protective wrapping is made from recycled fabric - donated abandoned textiles, repurposed clothing and household linens, and sewing project scraps. Not only is this packaging practice low impact on the environment , it doesn’t cost much and making these bags requires minimal effort and only basic skills. However it has high impact as a thoughtful, aesthetic and sustainable retail practice. What other practices have you noticed retailers are using for a lower impact on the environment?

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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