Toy chest etui by Betsy Morgan: 2 – scissor case and fob, thimble rattle and hobby horse

Here are some of the sewing accessories from the Toy chest etui set by Betsy Morgan of Willing Hands that fit inside the toy box (see my previous post). I really enjoyed making these.

This is a scissor case made with pictures of an Amish woman on the front, and an Amish man on the back, in the style of Amish dolls. The Amish don’t make images of people, so these faces are left blank intentionally, as those on their dolls are.

The scissor fob is like a pencil case. The ‘box’ part of the case is a basketweave pattern in counted thread stitches. The reverse of the pencil case has a space to put the stitcher’s initials and the date.

This is a baby’s rattle. It has a wooden handle, which is cleverly  fixed into the drum through circular layers of cardboard that have been covered with silk.

The handle is held in place inside the rattle by a kind of tiny cotton reel. A thimble goes inside the rattle, and if you shake it gently, it does actually rattle!

It was really fiddly to get this assembled, but it’s come out really neatly, in the end. Betsy’s instructions are very good!

This is a hobby horse, and the stick is a laying tool. The head shape is double-sided, with a space in between for the laying tool to go. The mane is made from loops of soft silk ribbon.

The whole thing is only four inches long.

The designs are by Betsy Morgan of Willing Hands, and form part of the Toy chest etui set.  She doesn’t sell these items as kits, but you buy the whole project pack as part of the workshops which she offers, which last from a couple of days to a week, depending on the item being made (of course, you don’t *finish* the item in a few days, but Betsy shows you all the steps you’ll need to do, and you get the chance to practice, and ask questions, and get started at least!). Betsy is from the USA, but has been over to England a couple of times. If you get the chance, go and have a look at her other items, and list of course dates on her blog. In October 2016 she will be offering classes as part of the Beating Around the Bush stitching event in Adelaide, Australia, organised by Inspirations magazine.

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