Meet Thread Bear

Thread Bear is Mr. Furly's alter ego. Unlike Furl, he stays in this bedroom all day and only dreams of traveling to meet animals in faraway places. He reads a lot of books which help him imagine these adventures. Thread Bear is a bear, something for which Mr. Furly hates to be mistaken. Thread Bear exists in our imagination, and this is how he gets out of bed.

PS. Does anyone know what size I can render my movies to not get this horrible black border? Please email me if you know?

Make It Snappy

I made this Mushroom Miniskirt from a vintage Simplicity pattern. You step into it when it's unsnapped, and snap up a faux pocket front once you're in (as usual, click to enlarge photo). The fabric is from Superbuzzy, where fabric gems abound.

Stop Clownin' Around

Chocolate Clown Cupcakes have come to work with me today, recipe from this book, which I got for my birthday. Decorated with fire balls, red hots, Twizzlers, and blue jelly beans.

High Tea: Chocolate Cupcake

I used the smocking machine again, but this time I sewed the edges of the fabric before I pleated. This chocolate cupcake has white icing and a chocolate button on top!

Mr Furly: Garden MisGnomer

When last we heard of Mr. Furly, he had burrowed out of Alcatraz and was vacationing in Hawaii. Beavers being cold weather animals, the novelty of this climate soon wore off and he asked me to fashion him an outfit that allowed him to travel through neighborhoods far and wide.


Armed with furniture from the house, he's been making his way through streets, parks, and forests incognito.


I'm convinced this is only a temporary solution, as he's already complaining of back pain. Not that, you know, I've seen or heard from him...

Front Yard Jumpsuits

To match the House Frocks, I made 2 Front Yard Jumpsuits from a vintage baby clothes pattern. I like how they came out, but I'm not making them again. Halfway through, I realized that every pattern in the envelope required you to wrap the edges of every garment in bias tape and add tons (in this case 8) buttons or snaps. I don't like to do either, so I chucked the pattern out.


Still, I think these are a sweet complement to the jackets. I'm anxious to see a small person wear the house + front yard. With multiple siblings, you could set up a whole neighborhood. Next time, however, I think some poofy shorts will do the trick.

Berty in King's Cross

I made Berty in the last few months I lived in London. I used to work in Soho, and go to Liberty's over my lunch break. Twice a year or so they'd have a fabric sale, and now I regret not buying up the place. I did buy this fabric however, and Berty (now a good friend of Furl) is one of a select few that has relocated successfully and still lives with us.

Domino Brownies

I love cookbooks for kids. They generally have a picture for every single recipe and it gives me great satisfaction to know that what I've baked (sometimes) matches the photo. Domino brownie idea and recipe comes from this book, which I picked up at the thrift store for $2. I should have used mini morsels, but recipients of these baked goods were more than pleased with full sized chocolate chips.

Skirting Labor Day

I had 2 days off in a row! It's been weeks since that happened. So I sewed myself some Fall skirts. The flower and spore skirt (as I call it) are made with Ikea fabrics.


The horsey one is from the extra canvas from Fungi Foot Stool. I found this great horse border for the bottom, scanned it into my computer, enlarged a horse, traced it out of fabric, and appliqued it on. We have a match!