Cuddleee the Sloth - Aura Collaboration

A blog party! How could I say no to a collaboration with Little Moo Designs and Mister Domestic!! Two extremely creative and fabulous makers.

Aura is the second fabric collection Mister Domestic has designed with Art Gallery Fabrics. The collection captures the feelings, colours and beauty that Mathew (Mister D) experienced with his daughter on a daddy-daughter trip to Hawaii. How sweet is that!! If you love this fabric, check out the hashtag #agfaura for loads of inspiration.

Little Moo Designs is based in South West Queensland and one of my absolute favourite Aussie makers! Kylie is a self-taught sewing artisan with a passion for sharing her love of sewing with others. With a happy and positive vibe, Kylie is one of my go to girls. So when she asked... "Hey Mandy, we should collaborate together on something awesome... I was like, "HECK YES".

I'd like to introduce you to Little Moo Designs new pattern release - Stacks On Duffle Bag, featuring Mister Domestic's Aura Fabric and my latest applique pattern - Cuddleee the Sloth!

Isn't it so CUTE!!!

The Fabric - The Bag - The Sloth!

We are so in love with this creation and we hope it inspires you too.

Above is a pic of the gorgeous Aura Fabric by Mister Domestic, which Kylie and I used to create our bag. This fabric is beautiful, highly saturated and the prints are interesting and unique!

I also mixed in a few other fabrics, like wool felt for his nose and claws. I used a Black PU Leather for the glasses, which has a geometric texture. I also incorporated cork leather for the branch! Cork is not only amazing for bag making, it is also a great medium for applique or sensory projects... the texture is amazing! Cuddleee the Sloth is appliqued onto an iridescent see-through vinyl (available in my online shop). I constructed the sloth on an applique mat and then transferred the entire applique unit to the vinyl using an acid-free glue stick.

When sewing this cutie, I used the bernette b38 sewing machine by Bernina Australia and it stitched through the layers in the applique with ease. As you can see to the left, I used an open-toe foot which is included in the machine accessories.

For the small applique shapes, I used a 2.0mm x 2.0mm blanket stitch. You'll notice in the image above, I featured a decorative stitch around the sloth's nose. With the thickness of the cork and also stitching onto vinyl, I used a top-stitch needle, which worked a treat.

If you look closely, you'll see I've used shiny threads! These give Cuddleee extra dimension and interest. I used Madeira Embroidery Thread for the applique... it is my absolute favourite thread to use for my appliques. The colours and the quality of the thread are both amazing.

Cuddleee was designed by myself and my partner, Nick as a special block for my Mum's 50th Birthday Quilt. Mum loves sloths and this adorable sloth put a huge smile on her face. Mum's name is shortened to Lee, that's where his name comes from... Cuddleee!

If you want to create Cuddleee the Sloth you can find him in my pattern store! Remember you can put him on something pre-made.. make a cushion OR make Kylie's bag!!! Stacks On Duffle releases today. I have seen some of the amazing versions of this bag, the creative possibilities are endless. Find the pattern here.

More about the Stacks on Duffle Bag

The Stacks On Duffle Bag is the perfect carry-on luggage. A breeze to make and easy to carry, you'll love making this practical and fun bag. It features a zipper closure, internal zipper pocket, comfortable shoulder straps and large exterior slip pockets at each end of the bag. It has a soft finish using fusible fleece, making it easy to store and pack in your suitcase as an extra bag when needed. Make one for yourself and one for the kids to go to grandma’s house. The construction of this bag is magic with a non drop-in lining, you will be whipping these up before you can say “STACKS ON.”

Sewing Level: Intermediate (some experience sewing with layers and zippers is helpful)

Approximate Finished Size: 15.5” (40cm) Wide x 9.5” (25cm) High x 11” (28cm) Deep

Design notes:

Fabric: Mister Domestic

Stacks On Duffle Bag Pattern: Little Moo Designs

Available from Sew Quirky:

Cuddleee the Sloth Pattern

Iridescent see-through vinyl

White/silver shimmer webbing (straps)

We hope you love our creation! Keep a look out for a giveaway on our social media pages! If you have any questions about either patterns or fabric, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Big smiles,

Mandy xx