Penny Widdison Stitchery & other stuff

These pages are for Luna Lapin, her chums and other characters designed by Sarah Peel at Cool Crafting in Kendal. There are now five wonderful books which contain lovely stories (written by daughter Grace) about each of the characters. As well all the patterns for most of the characters and exquisite wardrobe items that can be adapted and shared between the chums.

All the characters on this page have been made by me. Those made with felt are hand stitched using a blanket stitch for the seams. The festive friends are made with cotton fabric and are machine stitched. All the clothing is made by me mostly machine stitched then finished with hand stitching. Except for the lovely jumpers, these were hand knitted by a friend from a Cool Crafting pattern. The banner images show the chums trying on their new jumpers... Click on any of the images to see a larger version.

There should be a HIGHLY ADDICTIVE warning on the CoolCrafting website... Once started it is very difficult not to make more than one character, and it is impossible not to make the lovely costumes. This can be done from one's own extensive stash, but Sarah Peel is a very clever woman who knows her market!. Every year she creates special surprise boxes containing superb fabric and haberdashery to make exceptional costumes and more characters... My cupboard of opportunities now has many items just waiting to reach the sewing table... Scroll down to see each of the Chums and their wardrobes...

I made my first purchase for Luna in 2020, but I didn't actually make her until 2022. More purchases followed... Erik and Clementine came along in 2023. By July 2024 it became necessary to start a massive CoolCrafting stitchathon to work through some of the boxes and kits that were lurking in the cupboard. Two new chums and six outfits were completed, here they all are dressed up and ready to go the Rabbitty Summer Ball:

All the Chums dressed in their finery ready to go to the Rabbitty Summer Ball

Luna Lapin I and II:

My first foray into the world of Luna started when a friend said Book One was on special offer in The Works. Who could resist? There a quick click on the web and next thing I know a package from Cool Crafting with everything to make Luna arrived sometime during lockdown. However, she didn't want to come out of the cupboard too soon in case there were too many germs lurking. She eventually reached the sewing table in 2022, with the first of many Polka Dot style dresses. Then (as with the mousies...) the requests for making chums and new outfits quickly started...


Luna	Luna in her kilt and jumper	Luna in her polka dot dress	My first Luna

Luna II made a surprise appearance in June 2024. Her ears, foot pads and outfit are a lovely Tilda fabric which has been lurking in the stash for quite some while. Luna II was specially made for eldest gorgeous granddaughter Olivia who lives in London... Luna II was very lucky to receive the gorgeous tartan skating dress and fabulous velvet coat with faux fur collar for her Christmas present. Olivia was over the moon when she saw the new outfit. Luna II is best friends with Foxy Loxy.


Luna II showing off	Luna II with Luna and Foxy Loxy	The new dress and shorts	The tartan skating dress	The beautiful velvet coat with faux fur trim

Luna meets Jane Austen:

The special Jane Austen themed box from Luna's literary year (2023) has been lurking in the cupboard for a year. The contents comprise some very beautiful and delicate fabrics, so I really do not want to spoil these without a trial run first. Raiding the verrrrrry extensive stash I found an old shirt of mine, delicate pink and white stripes in a seersucker cotton. This will be perfect for the empire line gown and bonnet. I also wanted to make long drawers with pin tucks and lace trim as one of the undergarments (she also has a petticoat). A well laundered and now soft cotton pillow case is just perfect, and of course I have lots of lace purchased from the dolls house draper... Searching the stash there was a scrap of lovely red velvet, just enough to make a Spence Jacket for her (lined with pink dupion silk of course).

Sarah Peel's designs are very well researched incorporating lots of authentic period detail such as puff sleeves, gathered bodice and a very high waist. All the costumes require careful cutting and concentration when sewing.


Luna and Lizzie inspect the fabric and pattern pieces	The empire line frock	Relaxing on the sofa	The finished garments

Clementine Pussycat:

Completed January 2023. Dedicated to my very own special puss Miss Phoebe. She definitely wants to be the best dressed cat in town. More beautiful costumes will arrive soon.


Look at me!	Proudly showing off her sailor collar dress	what a cute face	Clementine showing off her fine tail

July 2024 Miss Clementine said, "Could I have the Dreamy Dress please" (a make me again kit from CoolCrafting - design and fabric by Sarah Peel) which has been lurking in the cupboard for 18 months. It looked so simple, this won't take long, she deserves a special treat... a lined bodice with a gathered skirt made from tulle, no sleeves. Ha! First off being careful while adding the decorative velvet ribbon to the front of the bodice. Cutting the tulle, sorting into the correct order of colours, gathering six layers of tulle from 60 inches down to 13 inches.... then making sure it was the right way round for attaching to the bodice. It was a real trial to get the gathering to work until i found a very useful hint on FB, that suggested using dental floss with a very wide zigzag - who knew! The tulle was very carefully stitched into the bodice, very neatly sewn down. Then Horror of Horrors it's the wrong way round, the lighter tulle is on top rather than the darker tulle - Yes it really did make a difference to the look of the dress. Fortunately the bodice is reversible, except there wasn't enough ribbon to added another from decoration... Then me thinks this dreamy dress needs a Spencer jacket - where is that lovely blue crushed velvet?.. Anyway I love it, and Clemmie looks gorgeous. Is that another fettled finish? Yay more Hurrah's, Jigs and much waving of PomPoms, and One more fettling point for this month. And while we had the velvet box out of the cupboard there was enough gorgeous red velvet in the box, so Luna got a Spencer Jacket as well to complete her outfit.. Then she says, "Oh by the way Erik will need a suit so he can take me to the ball..."


THe Dreamy Dress	The Blue Velvet Spencer Jacket	Posing as only a pussycat can	Posing as only a pussycat can

Cowboy Cat... My younger step daughter said, "Oh could I have a black cat please?, and could he be dressed as a cowboy?". He is based on Sarah Peel's Clementine Cat pattern from CoolCrafting. My black felt seemed to be a little bit 'thin' so I used iron-on light weight vilene as a stabiliser. I had forgotten how tricky the head and ears are to stitch, and they are even more tricky when everything is completely black! The nose was also tricky and took several attempts to get correct. Eventually I used a piece of the dark pleather to give a bit of texture and contrast on his face. The outfit comprises jeans and a spotty shirt, a pleather waistcoat (all adapted from 'Alfie's' patterns). I made a belt, neckerchief, lassoo and a Stetson to complete the outfit. It took three attempts to make a Stetson that looked reasonable good. How big is that cat's head???, then realising iron-on pelmet vilene instead of bonda-web for the stiffening on the crown and rim would be a good idea. Eventually I am happy with it (hubby's Tilly hat was a very handy a guide for the shape). Phew! Cowboy Cat is ready for a certain small grandson's extra Christmas present.


Cowboy cat with Mr Paxton Cat	Half dressed	In full outfit	The stetson	That troublesome nose	Trying to stitch the head!!!

Erik the Polar Bear:

Completed January 2023. A very special bear, with a definite style of his own. The beloved husband of Clementine Cat. He is patiently waiting for his full Svarlbardian duffle coat and kit.


What a dapper bear	Erik falls in love with Clementine	Such a cutie.	Erik ready for finishing

At last The Svarlbardian patterns and fabrics have come out of the cupboard


Erik's new duffle coat	With waistcoat and scarf	the ensemble	the ensemble	ready for inclement weather

However My Hubbykins said "But Erik needs a Black Tie outfit so he can take Clemmie to the Ball with all the others" ... So off I go to the boxes of stash to see what I have got. Oh Yes, some suitable black fabric and black ribbon for the suit, some cream silk for his shirt, some flambouyant silk scraps for the waistcoat and bow tie. Well why not! Cut, Cut, Cut, Sew, Sew, Sew,... and here he is: The Jacket and waistcoat are adapted from the CoolCrafting patterns in the Jane Austen box, the shirt and trousers from Alfie's wardrobe patterns.


The Jacket	Silk shirt, Waistcoat and Trews with matching Bow Tie.	The full kit	Close up	with his beloved Clementine

Freddie the Badger:

Completed March 2023, Freddie a.k.a. Humbug because of his stripes... He's not grumpy at all, it's just all those early mornings required of a gentleman farmer... When properly dressed he is very dapper in his gorgeous waistcoat and trews. Luna was so pleased when Freddie arrived so she didn't have to play gooseberry to Erik and Clemmie... Freddie does like a bit of flamboyant Liberty fabric for his waistcoats. In 2024 Freddie acquired a tailcoat to match his corduroy outfit. This was a practise for the Jane Austen tailcoat fabric destined for Alfie.


Freddie all ready for his outfit	Every gentleman farmer should have corduroy trews with flamboyant waistcoat	Freddie meets Luna	All the chums together 2023


The new tailcoat

The Baby Bunnies:

Completed September 2023. Four of them were originally made, two found their way to a special friend, and the others are now waiting for some more little friends and clothes...

November 2024 an extra project managed to push it's way forward onto the sewing table. There are moments like this, when a very large stash cupboard comes into its own! Why it's ten baby bunnies. Two were stitched earlier last year, so eight more needed in time for Sssshhhh you know what but with only a week to go before the end of the month the only way to do this was be methodical. Cut them all out, stitch all the bob-tails on, get those ears in place, then stitch all the heads, then all the arms, all the bodies, ready for stuffing and final construction.

Miss Lizzie Mouse with the two older baby bunnies kept a careful watch to make sure all the pieces were stitched properly. Arrrrhhhhh I don't have enough tiny buttons for the eyes. Quick some on-line shopping... Holding breath, will they, won't they arrive before the end of the week???? No they didn't. Off to Boyes for a back up purchase. Oh no! No tiny buttons, but they did have tiny dolls eyes. Quick unpick five heads, insert safety eyes, sew up heads, stuff heads, attach bodies and arms. Phew! all done by 28th November. And everyone in the sewing room does a very merry dance, with jigs and much waving of pom poms as we manage another tick on the list of things to be done in time for Sssshhhh you know what.

Completed December 2023 - Merry Angel, Florin Longfoot, and Pere Hiver. A very quick turn around for these three lovely characters. They certainly made a splash at the family Christmas get-together. However, Merry Angel found her way to London in January 2024 as a certain small person fell in love with her. Now she wants a new outfit... and I need a new Merry Angel. It was October 2024 by the time I was reminded that I had also promised a new outfit for the London Merry Angel... Evie the middle gorgeous granddaughter with small snaffling hands, chose the fabric for a pretty blue dress with matching shorts and a headband (rouleaux are sooooo fiddly!) but the outfit is very cute ... And now I need another Festive Friend as I 'borrowed' Florin's body to model the blue dress and that too has gone to London with said grandchild. Oh well, A granny's work is never done...

Having lost two of the friends to a certain small person, they had to be replaced in time for everyone arriving for the 2024 Festive season. Fortunately Florin's costume was safe. But Merry's costume had to be replaced. I had such fun making Merry Angel's new frock. I rather got carried away with sparkly braid and fur... And, of course, she must have matching pantaloons, and snow boots (oops! got carried away with fur and sparkly braid again!), and this time she has her wings. I think she is rather gorgeous, but I have been warned she might be too tempting for that certain pair of small snaffling hands...

Completed May 2024. Foxy Loxy is dressed in a vintage Tana Lawn fabric. The is the full version of the Polka Dot pattern dress, with collar and patch pockets. She has matching shorts. Foxy's ears, foot pads and the collar of her dress are a matching cotton print. She is all ready to go to London for the youngest gorgeous granddaughter. Luna needs to make sure Foxy is ready to leave home with Luna II.. Foxy Loxy was very lucky to receive a new outfit for Christmas 2024. Here she is modelling the Twirling Dress in Gold Satin, with a fully lined Red Velvet Cape. Imogen loves her...

My sister-in-law was so taken with Foxy Loxy I, she commissioned me to make her a fox dressed as Master of the Hounds....

Foxy II was stitched while on holiday in Sicily. Then back home the start of making the outfit. First the pleather knee high boots (pattern from the Austen set). They were sooooo fiddly with many strong words being muttered and took two attempts to get them somewhere near usable... Then a proper sort out of pattern pieces from various CoolCrafting books and cutting out so I could have a clear run at making the clothes. Whoooohoooo! Mr Fox has a lawn tunic (Hamish's Thespian Tunic), that was nice and easy, and next the jodhpur style breeches (adapted from Alfie's Jeans), another quick sew. The yellow waistcoat (another of Alfie's patterns) was next, and finally the red tail coat (adapted from the Jane Austen set) which took quite a bit of time to do. The waistcoat and tailcoat are fully lined, and with proper buttonholes, so look extra special. I'm really pleased he is finished and I think Mr Reynard Foxy looks verrrrry spiffing. I thought I was done when Mr Hubbykins said "Shouldn't he have a top hat?" arrrrhhhhh How do I make one of those???? Cardboard circles and a tube covered with felt of course!!

My sister-in-law also wanted a lady fox as companion to Reynard. In January 2025, Victoria Vixen was completed, as a surprise birthday present. Her outfit comprises the Twirling Dress in a delicate rose and floral fabric trimmed with lace at the hem, she has matching shorts in the same fabric. She has a scarlet velvet Opera Coat (from Freya's wardrobe), lined with the same floral fabric and trimmed with lace at the hem. The outfit is completed with a pair of scarlet felt shoes. I am quite a convert to making proper buttonholes on coats and jackets now, and have used them on the shoulder tabs of the twirling dress.

Reynard was completed in October 2024. Here he is in his Master of the hounds outfit, followed by Victoria Vixen in her stunning evening outfit.:

It's Wilhelmina's turn at long last. July 2024, and it's time to get the Jane Austen inspired box from Luna's Literary Year out of the cupboard. I was a bit nervous for The Outfit, what if I mess it up! However, having practised on Luna, I have to do it, just get on with it... Cut into those lovely fabrics, what can go wrong? Don't let the spacing on the box pleats defeat you!, you can do the gathering on the bodice, you won't stitch the sleeve on the wrong side of the armhole... I leave it to your imagination to guess how many times I tried with the pleating, and if I did have to unpick the sleeve... ... Well we got there in the end, and I'm very pleased with the outcome. I think I've got the hang of these puff sleeves and collars now.

Alfie's Regency Outfit comprises: Breeches, Boots, Shirt, Waistcoat, Cravat and Tailcoat. There was a lot of tricky stitching for this outfit, and most items needed special adjustment to get a better fit for Alfie. I even forced myself to pour a glass of wine then watch 'Death Comes to Pemberly' again - just to get an idea of now the costumes should look, and not because I am an Austen addict... I am really pleased with the finished outfit, and a little bit in love with Alfie. The boots were really difficult to get a good fit and took two attempts to make them look reasonable, and all those tiny buttons on the breeches and waistcoat. The original pattern suggested using French knots but I thought they were not good enough for such a lovely outfit, and I already had the tiny buttons in my stash... BUT why do chaps have buttons on the opposite sides to ladies, and WHY did I keep forgetting and have to do them again, and again..

Completed October 2025. As soon as I saw this pattern I knew I had to have it. A certain grandgirlie just loves elephants. With a birthday coming up what could be better for a surprise. Making this character was a bit different from my usual method. In making Uma I used much more machine stitching. Partly because I was on a very tight deadline and because the head with trunk and very large ears needed to much be more secure. I also machine sewed the front seam of the legs. The rest of the body was hand stitched.

On to the clothes. I already had some beautiful Tilda fabric in may stash so finding suitable fabrics for the Kantha Jacket was not a problem. However, I wanted to place the main floral motif in prominent positions on each section. With so many small pattern pieces this was quite tricky. Eventually I managed. Then it was onto the Kantha stitching though three layers of fabric. At one point I thought I'm never going to get this done in time before travelling to see the grandgirlie in question. But with a truly concerted effort I managed to make the jacket in about six hours - I'd be no good on The Sewing Bee if it takes that long for me to stitch such a small garment. Next morning it was the turn of the barrel leg jeans - I thought these will only take a couple of hours... Ha Ha! got about half way through stitching and my sewing machine has an enormous hissy fit with the tension and I really struggled to put it right. Yes there were a few naughty word uttered. But eventually I got the thread tension sorted out and the clothes are complete. I have to say, despite machine difficulties I really enjoyed making Uma, and her clothes are just beautiful. Sarah Peel does such a fabulous job in her designs, and the instructions for making up items are brilliant. It's going to be a struggle to give her up - perhaps I'll make another one for me... or will it be another two, someone else I know likes elephants...

Was it a mistake to show the grandgirlies the CoolCrafting website? Was it a mistake to show them this page with all my makes so far? Conversation with six year old: "You've finished Uma, might there be a bit of time to create another chum?" ... Who can resist the plea of small grandgirlie... Her eyes became as big as saucers when she saw Hugh. "Oh Please can I have a DogDog" says she, "Of course you can my darling" says I, "But can he become a girl", "Well we'll have to think of a different name, and we'll have to think what clothes you want for her..." So could she be Bernadette Barker? Noooooo. Could she by Wendy WoofWoof? Noooooo. Shall she be Delores DogDog? Oh Yesssss please.

I'm not a doggy person, so I wasn't as enthusiastic in making the hound... To be honest I was dreading the head... those jowls (Flews???) the chin.... the ears.... the neck construction... Fortunately the body and limbs were straight forward and the tail insert started to make DogDog look a bit more DogDog. Thank goodness, as always, the instructions in the book are incredibly detailed with helpful sketches. There's no denying this is the most difficult head I have stitched, but I got there. I sewed the two ear flaps together to give a bit more substance - I like this becasue they do slightly bend up as if she is moving her head. All in all, the little DogDog character came to life, and yes, she is very cute (I'm still not a dog person), but I do know a small person who is going to love her very much.

The pink wellies were a struggle to get on Delores - I need to make the ankle a bit wider in future. The Peacoat is quite similar to the Jackets made for other animals, so I managed the collar and lining attachment quite well this time. Doing the top stitching in such a contrasting colour meant very careful stitching - only a couple of slip ups..

The Moon Hare from the Shakespeare Box: See conversation above with the six year old. Moments later a conversation with the nine year old: "What about me... Who can I have?" This is the girl who loves rabbits. Me: "Oooo what about this?" shows picture of The Moon Hare dressed as Titania from A Mid-summer Night's Dream. Enormous eyes "Oh YES PLEASE" came the squeal of delight.

Compared with the hound, the Moon Hare was a doddle to make, apart from trying to sew the arms in the right place. Eventually I gave up and used buttons to attach the arms to the body as for all the other animals.

Well I'm glad the animal was easy, because the Elizabethan style bodice was a real s*d!!! 100% cotton velvet for the outer and back lining. You just had to look at it and the edges started fraying. I still have tiny bits of green fluff turning up... There is a peplum lined with Liberty fabric to match the skirt. Titania has a set of wings made from snippets of crystal organza edged with gold thread. To finish the outfit she has silk pantaloons, and a broderie anglaise lawn petticoat - I added the petticoat as a memory cloth. The fabric came from the German grandma's collection of bits and pieces.

Unfortunately the velvet fabric was so fragile at the edges some of the seams split when turning through the shoulders and side seams. I had some sparkly braid to add to the edges to hide the problem areas. She is absolutely lovely and I'll be sorry to let her go.

Hamish the Highlander, Ziggy the Hedgehog, Freya the Fawn, The Mousels (Dickens Box), The Dutch rabbits (from the 10th Anniversary box), and The Beach Donkeys continue their hibernation, quietly snoozing away, patiently waiting for their turn to come to the sewing table. Ooops! A slight accident at the Knit & Stitch show ... Levi the Lion and Gracie Grenouille have joined the chums (they will have to hide in the cupboard of chaos though), as well as two more knitting patterens. Lots more chums and outfits to follow, and I really must learn to knit in 2026. Granny PenPen receives more requests from her family to make characters and outfits for them....