Cornish Pixies (inspired by the Harry Potter Series) Part 2

We've been on a pixie hunt, Henry (my ginger cat) and I. Hoping to find a pixie nest we were sorely disappointed in our quest, although we did happen across a new pixie friend. Maybe next time we will discover where these tricky little blue cuties hide themselves when they are not causing mischievous mayhem or playful pranks. Because despite their unruly reputation as terrible little troublemakers, I just love the idea of a home filled with a gang of gorgeously clever Cornish pixies.

In Part 1 of my introduction to these beautifully designed Cornish Pixies, I compared the original pattern (here seen on the left) to the updated pattern but printed at a reduced size, that is 85% (here seen on the right). The middle pixie in this photo is made from the updated pattern printed at its correct size. As you can see the updated pattern produces a taller pixie then the original pattern. The original pattern produces a 9 inch tall pixie, whereas the updated pattern produces a pixie that is 10 inches tall, leaving its reduced sized pattern to produce an 8 inch tall pixie as described in the Harry Potter series.

Side by side it is easier to highlight the similarities and differences between the two patterns. For the most part however these two patterns are much the same, the only real difference being the leg pattern pieces that have been modified in the updated pattern, as have the wings but more about that later. Both patterns provide the same options for either a single coloured or two tone coloured pixie so I have created one of each for comparison. Both I think are lovely, so I guess it comes down to personal taste, or the amount of fabric you have.

As mentioned above, these two pixies are from the same pattern, only one is made at a reduced size. They have the same size eyes, as 10mm safety eyes are the only size eyes I have. They also have the same size antennae as I found the antennae a little tricky to turn once sewn, the tutorial has a great tip for this. Because I thought the reduced size antennae would be too difficult for me to turn I used the standard pattern piece antennae, only I shortened the length a little for the reduced size pixie. I love the different looks you get with the different sizes and one could always experiment with different size eyes, or eye colours.

As a hand-sewer it does take longer to complete a project then it would if using a machine, but the longer I sit with a project the more proud I am of how it turns out, imperfections and all. I have found that you can hand-sew just about anything that can be done by machine, you just need a lot more time and the patience to go with it.
As with the Garden Gnomes, these pixies were sewn together in pretty much the same way. Ignoring the seam allowance I cut-out the pattern pieces following the sewing line then traced the pieces to the fabric. I then cut the fabric pieces to be sewn together. I used a double stand of thread and a running stitch to sew the pieces together, however you could use a backstitch or whatever other stitch you are comfortable with. It is just a mater of following along with the tutorial but stitching by hand in place of a machine.

The patterns for the wings included with these pixies are so beautiful. There are two different designs for these, the wings at the top of this picture are from the original pixie pattern, the middle wings are those from the updated pattern and the bottom wings are from the updated pattern but at a reduced size. I wont give-away how these were made as the tutorial has great instructions for making these but I will say they are cleverly designed to be removable using pinbacks. So you can have wingless Cornish Pixies like those described in the Harry Potter books or you can have the option with wings like those seen in the Harry Potter movies.

No wizarding home would be complete without its own pack of Cornish Pixies. They are additively fun to make and honestly you can never have too many Cornish Pixies fluttering about. I do recommend that for those not so experienced with sewing that you attempt one of the regular sized pixies before making a reduced sized one if a smaller one is desired, just to get used to the pattern as the reduced size pixie can be a little fiddly in places. As mentioned previously Tiffany Hinnen (aka. Mieljolie) designed these pixies and you can find her on her blog All Things Crafty, or purchase this pattern on her etsy store HERE.

Remembrall & Golden Snitch

These two items may not be at once recognisable to the average muggle, but they are common place items for many a witch or wizard. The first item is... um... I've forgotten what its called. But don't worry, I'm sure it will come back to me sooner or later. I definitely remember what this second item is called though, it's a Golden Snitch and it is super fast.

If you have ever seen a Quidditch match then you know all about this small speeding golden ball. For those of you less familiar with this wizarding sport, this is arguably the most important ball in the game. Your team catches this ball and they score an extra one hundred and fifty points, which in most cases also means your team wins the game as the game is over once this Snitch is caught.

Speaking of teams, my Quidditch team is the Woollongong Warriors. If they were to play in the Quidditch World Cup in place of our Australian National Quidditch Team then maybe we would have won a World Cup since 1966. But I'm not here to complain about our performance in the World Cup, no matter how disappointed I am with it.

Snitches have flash memories and this Snitch, like Harry's, is also able to open and concealed within is the Resurrection Stone. This Golden Snitch is made from 3D printed plastic pieces about 3.5cm diameter and painted gold, contains magnets to hold it closed and has two feathers or wings attached to help it fly about. The ring was obtained separately but seemed a must companion item.

Oh, I remember! Remembrall! This is a Remembrall. Although if I now remember, then why is it still red? Unless there is something else I have forgotten...
A Remembrall is a clever little item for that forgetful witch or wizard. It turns red when you've forgotten something and clear when you've remembered. Only problem is, it doesn't tell you what you've forgotten. This is made from a 5cm clear plastic ball, 3D printed plastic ring painted gold and filled with pieces of cotton pleads painted pink.

These two items are designed to replicate those seen in the Harry Potter movies. The Golden Snitch, less the feather wings, was purchased from ebay HERE, you can see more about this piece HERE. The Remembrall was also purchased as a kit from ebay HERE, and you can see how this was put together HERE. Alternatively you could make a Remembrall with a clear plastic ball, red wool and a golden ribbon.

Harry Potter Wand Wallpapers set7 - The Dark Lord

This set of wallpapers are centred around the Dark Lord. Born Tom Riddle, this young boy grew up to become one of the most powerful Dark wizards the wizarding world had ever seen. So dangerous and feared was he that many were even afraid to call him by his newly given name, Lord Voldemort, and simple spoke of him only as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

These wallpapers are all for the Dark Lord in his many names, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Tom Riddle and Lord Voldemort. To download click on the picture of the wallpaper you want and "Save Image As" to save to your computer or alternatively you can select "Set As Desktop Background". Please let me know if your having any problems with these. Hope you enjoy.

View all the wallpapers in the Harry Potter Wand Wallpaper Collection HERE.

Cornish Pixies (inspired by the Harry Potter Series) Part 1

These ridiculously cute little tricksters have been not so subtly making their presence known, much to the dismay of Henry (my ginger cat). So far though they have not been too much trouble, which is not that surprising since they're not really very dangerous. Although I do make sure to protect my ears when I hear their shrill little nonsensical voices approaching. As yet I have only spotted the two pixies but I am certain that there are more waiting to be discovered, which I hope to do once I find the location of their nest.

These iconic magical creatures have been expertly designed to resemble Cornish Pixies down to the last detail. The one on the right is made from the original pattern and stands about 9 inches tall from head to foot not including the antennae. The smaller pixie on the left is made from the recently updated pattern but printed at 85% to create an 8 inch tall pixie as described in the Harry Potter series, again measured from head to foot not including the antennae. Both pixies have jointed arms and legs, bendable wire in antennae and ears, and have the option for removable wings (that I will go into more detail about in Part 2).

The tutorial for these lovable little mischief-makers provides detailed instructions for making pixies including a full list of all materials and tools needed as well as any optional supplies that may be used. Handy tips and notes to help in the creative process are also found throughout along with a great many pictures to accompany each step in the process. These instructions also provide options for creating single or two tone coloured pixies, fabric covered or plain blue chenille stem antennae, and velcro or pinback removable wings as mentioned in the updated tutorial.

As with the Garden Gnome tutorial created by the same talented artist, there are a number of ways here provided in the tutorial to affix the pattern to the fabric before sewing the pieces together, however as a hand sewer I found it easier to cut out the pattern pieces, ignoring the seam allowance, and trace the pattern directly to the wrong side of my fabric using a water soluble fabric pen. From here on I followed the instructions provided in putting these little blue Cornish Pixies together.

One of the trickiest aspects of creating these creatures has been in turning the sewn pieces, in particular the antennae which are slim and small, however the tutorial has great instructions and tips for this. With this smaller pixie I used the same antenna pattern piece as the original pixie pattern only I shortened the length slightly, as I thought the smaller antenna pattern piece would be a bit too small and difficult for me to turn. The smaller head was also a little awkward to turn with the antennae and ears having wire inserts but the adorable face on this pixie is well worth the effort.

This smaller Cornish Pixie is an ideal size to replicate those as found in the Harry Potter series, or possibly to have hanging from your ceiling. The other pixie created from the original pattern is a better size be handled by little hands for play or hugs. At either size they are adorable little tricksters that can be left wingless as described in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, or there is the option for removable wings to resemble those pixies seen in the Harry Potter movies (more about these wing in Part 2). Tiffany Hinnen (aka. Mieljolie) designed these pixies, you can find her on her blog All Things Crafty, or purchase this pattern on her etsy store HERE.

Harry Potter Wand Wallpapers set6 - Death Eaters

Another group of Harry Potter themed wand wallpapers, these are the Death Eaters who followed Lord Voldemort in his quest for power and ideal of the supremacy of pure-blood wizards. Draco, although originally a school bully and rival to Harry during his years at Hogwarts, becomes a Death Eater after his father is imprisoned in Azkaban. Lucius is Draco's father and participated in the First Wizarding War as a Death Eater. Bellatrix was also a Death Eater during the First Wizarding War however she stayed loyal to the Dark Lord even after his initial downfall. 

These wallpapers are for Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. To download click on the picture of the wallpaper you want and "Save Image As" to save to your computer or alternatively you can select "Set As Desktop Background". Please let me know if your having any problems with these. Hope you enjoy.

View all the wallpapers in the Harry Potter Wand Wallpaper Collection HERE.

Pygmy Puffs (inspired by the Harry Potter Series)

These two cutie fur puffs are Henrietta and her beau Barney. This adorable little couple was discovered recently when they woke me in the night tickling my nose... funny I know. I think Henry (my ginger cat) had a good laugh too as he did nothing to stop them, just sat watching from the foot of the bed before he curled up and went back to sleep.

Despite being woken in the night, these friendly little fur balls are a very welcome addition to my growing family of magical creatures. Just look at their precious little faces. They look so much like Ginny's pet pygmy puff Arnold with their tiny little noses and big shiny eyes, and they are the perfect size to sit upon your shoulder.

They also have the cutest little feet that are almost hidden in their big puffs of fur. The fur balls are actually 8cm fur keyrings that I purchased online, I just removed the keychain part so that I was left with just a couple of fur balls. I brought pink and purple of cause, to match the colours of the pygmy puffs sold at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

The body parts, that is the four feet and the head pieces, were also purchased online. These pieces are actually 3D printed plastic pieces that are painted and pieced together to create these little critters. Initially I used acrylic paint on these plastic pieces as suggested by the seller, however I noticed that the paint could easily be scratched off so I instead decided to use nail polish. To see how these were put together visit HERE.

These pygmy puffs were designed in the likeness of those seen in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie, not just in looks but also in their size. The fur balls and 3D printed pieces were purchased separately, the 3D pieces purchased from ebay HERE, however the same seller also offers kits that include a fur ball if that is preferred. Such a simple craft with such a lovely result.

Harry Potter Wand Wallpapers set5 - Members of the Order

These are the newest Harry Potter themed wand wallpapers. All were members of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret group formed to fight against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Sirius was an Animagus and Harry's godfather. Lupin was a lycanthrope and Harry's Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor in Harry's third year at Hogwarts. Lastly we have Tonks, Lupins wife, who was a Metamorphmagus and who, along with her husband, named Harry as the godfather of her son Teddy.

These are the wallpapers of Sirius 'Padfoot' Black, Remus 'Moony' Lupin and Nymphadora 'Dora' Tonks. To download click on the picture of the wallpaper you want and "Save Image As" to save to your computer or alternatively you can select "Set As Desktop Background". Please let me know if your having any problems with these. Hope you enjoy.

View all the wallpapers in the Harry Potter Wand Wallpaper Collection HERE.