Monday, December 19, 2016

What I made for Christmas!


The hubby requested (in a timely fashion, which is a christmas miracle in and of itself) some stuffed toys for The Bratlings (aka his nephews and niece) this year, so I obliged.

First up, for the Wee Brat (the youngest of the group, age approximately 2 years?  I really don't know his exact age nor do I lose sleep not knowing his age. . .he's a toddler that doesn't quite talk yet and is fairly skilled at walking though he bites it pretty good still).  Since the Wee Brat is still a "baby" he gets the simplest gift (much to my thrill!)




Pack Man inspired ghosts.  Like I said, super simple so I had to jazz it up a bit with the fruit print fabric on the back (prints on the front are pointless because it makes the face not as easily visible).  The eyes are just felt that was glued on (when I said simple, I meant it!) should Wee Brat take a gnaw on them, and he's still young enough that's highly likely.

Next up is She Brat (the niece, she's 4-5 years old?  again, not sure and don't really care either.  She's not yet kindergarten age but definitely older than the Wee Brat by a few years, so that age sounds about right)


I force the hubby to choose what to make The Bratlings based on patterns I have on hand (or if he finds a pattern on his own and it's in my skill set).

The "stripper turtle" (as it has be dubbed by me, because Stripper Turtle is fun to say, that would be the s.l.o.w.e.s.t. strip show EVER!) is from the book "Flip Dolls and other Toys that Zip, Stack, Hide, Grab, and Go" by Laura Wilson (no link cuz I ain't making free money for anyone here).  (oh and I think they need to add "strip" to that long ass title).

I've wanted to make that pattern for a bit but was up to my butt crack in other fluff sewing (of easier patterns that I've done before and know).  The pattern is ok but the instructions could be a bit more robust.  There's a lot of "assumption" in the instructions which made it a tiny bit confusing at points.  And sewing the face part of the turtle is a tiny bit tricky (not hard, just tricky because it's small).  I think I got some weird stretch in the fabric, too, because me turtle's face was a bit longer than the ones in the photos.  But I think they used heavier fabric for their turtles.  She still turned out ok, but I'd like to work the pattern a bit more to see if I can get a better result.

OH, and she's made with spinach print fabric and wearing a chocolate candy shell.  I love, love, love picking out fabrics for projects even if the recipients don't really even notice how effing fabulous my choices are (or I forget to point it out, because I'm modest like that).

She has three shells, which are very easy to make (the easiest part of the pattern).

Last but not least, for the O.B. (aka Original Bratling.  You may find it mean that I refer to the children as "bratlings" but it's a total term of affection from me.  Aunt Jenny is just not that into kids to start with and really, kiddos can handle being put in their place.  And all children no matter how special and wonderful and unique a snowflake they are, are brats at some point, so Bratling is a totally appropriate nickname.  That said, I don't refer to them as "bratlings" around their parents because they all as a collection have zero to no sense of humor and would be Deeply Hurt that I call a brat a brat, especially when that brat is THEIR brat. . but trust me, each and everyone of The Bratlings have lived up to their shared group nickname).

Oh, the O.B. used to be the bratling, but when the third kiddo came along I had to re-do my naming structure, so as the oldest the O.B. had to get a name change.  He's 7 (and the original) so he's currently my "favorite" (if I really do have a favorite, which I'm not sure I do).  That's only because he's more interesting than the younger ones because he has a more developed personality (and he's a nice kid).

The O.B. is deep into Pokemon and Jigglypuff is his jam right now.

So this happened.


I jigglied the effing puff out of that Jigglypuff, if I do say so myself.

I used the spider body pattern (from the Sweetbriar Sisters pattern).  It's the "mama" sized which is effing HUGE.  Ok, not huge but super big which was perfect for this project.  Jiggly is made with pick fleece and I just freehanded his features including his hair which turned out so freaking good.  If I made this again, I'd widen the ears a tad (so they didn't stand as tall) and make the back part smaller over all.

I did enlist the hubby to help with the eyes. I whipped up what was close to right and then he helped trim them and get them perfected before I glued them together then on (no annoying stitching for me cuz I'm lazy!).  How much to I love that the mouth is just a little bitty scrap of a scrap?  Right, that's some level ten recycling there, folks.

OH,and Jigglypuff there BOUNCES.  That's only because I stuffed the HELL out of him.  I did not tell O.B. this, lest he start winging Jiggly around the room (which he totally would if he knew he could get away with that crap with me).

Monday, December 5, 2016

Fluff Project and some swaps

I haven't had many finishes to show off here lately.  I share in progress pics of things on instagram.  I also haven't done any swaps in so long but I just did three right in a row so now I finally have something to show off.

Swaps first!

First one was for a Junker Jane style doll.

While you're allowed to make whatever you want, this swap did ask folks to mention if the preferred "creepy" or "cute".  My partner was cool with either one so I did my best to lean on the creepy side.

And this happened:


It may be a bit too subtle, but I had a definite intention with this doll.  Since I was aiming for "creepy" I grabbed the low hanging fruit that is T***p (yes, I'm editing that word because I don't even like to think it let alone type it or say it. . .vulgar word that it is).  This doll is a cross between T***p and that racist frog cartoon (P**e, again, censoring the word because I don't want to be associated with it in any way).  But I did want it to be subtle, too, since I don't know the person it was going to and didn't want to get them all riled up should they be a T supporter.  I'm very pleased with how it turned out.  I think it's creepy without being repulsive and it's just a wee bit whimsical (I won't say "cute" since I know what I was going for and I'd never use "cute" to describe that waste of human flesh or that cartoon character).

Orange skin frog shaped creature in a blue suit, forked lying tongue hanging out of its creepy slit of a mouth.  Dead, black eyes, narrowed in a hateful glare, surrounded by large white circles.  Head of unruly fake looking hair.

Yup, I think I nailed it.

And as if that's not enough, after you handle the doll a bit you just want to wash your hands.  The blue dye on the fabric does come off on your hands (that wasn't part of my original plan, but I did appreciate the irony after the fact).

I was tempted to make the hands super tiny but instead I went a tiny bit more subtle with:


Gold cape.  I mean, come on.  You know if he could get away with wearing a gold cape (a la the wrestling foolishness he used to participate in) he totally would.  And, I could make the cape without having to do a damn thing.  The piece of fabric was already cut in a cape like shape so I just had to sew it to the shoulders.  Doing minimal work, that fits with the theme too!  Go me!

I haven't been rated for the junker jane doll yet so I'm hoping it's just a matter of the recipient being busy and not that they got my joke and were all butthurt over it.  Honestly, too fucking bad if they are.  I made a damn cool junker jane style doll and sent it on time so. . .

Now, a palate cleanser (not that I despise that JJ doll. . .I love it and kind of wanted to keep it but it really does need to go out into the world).

Ok, palate cleanser.

This swap was for either a doll in a costume or an animal in clothing.  I went with animal in clothing.


Polar bear in a tutu and crown, to be specific.

I really wanted to put her in a bikini but after she was all sewn up it just wouldn't work.  There wasn't enough room on the chest for a decent looking bra top and this bear has some serious booty.  So tutu it was.

(side note, the minute I started working with the tulle Gene was up in my grill trying to eat it.  That cat is obsessed with tulle.  Not exaggerating, I couldn't even turn my back on the tulle or he as leaning in trying to bite it).  The wee crown is removable (but not the tutu, that sucker is tied to her waist).

I had the same partner for the tutu bear and another swap for amigurumi fruit/veggie.  So this was the full swap package:


I went super lazy and just gave her one of my sweet pickles.  I managed to get 21 pickles out of the piece of fabric I bought just to make them, so it seemed like it was meant to be.  Then I was left with 10 for fluff and 10 for mirabel.

Speaking of fluff and pickles:


I mailed the bag of 10 to Kristy at the same time I was mailing the swaps.

I also sent her a second bag of goodies:


5 spiders, 2 crabs, 1 chameleon, and 3 zip pouches.

So, 21 more items mailed off to fluff.

As of this post, I have mailed off 41 items to Fluff for 2016.

Waiting to be mailed I have:  5 cats, 5 puppies, 5 ghosts, 4 mama/baby sets, 2 pigs

Still being sewn I have:  3 rabbits, 6 deer

So, if my math is correct, after I get everything in progress done, I'll have 71 items for Fluff (for 2016)

Fluff had to take a short back seat for some Christmas sewing I'm doing.  I'm about half done with that so I'll finish up Fluff sewing right after that.

The Mirabel total might be slightly smaller than that only because I pull 5 for Fluff first for each item I mass produce.  I try to make 10 of each item but sometimes I don't have fabrics that work to make 10 total.  That happened with the Ewoks (I pulled a few of those to give as a gift, so I ended up with less than 10) and the crabs.  Occasionally Mirabel will get more of an item than Fluff, too.  With the crabs, I think Mirabel got more because I was trying to round out the 3 pouches (so added 2 crabs to it to make 5 items, since I still think in "5/month" when it comes to making and didn't feel like making more pouches).

Man, I have to get those damn deer finished.  It's not that I don't want to make them, it's just that more interesting projects came along.  I still need to do faces on them, baste limbs, turn and baste ears/antlers, and then assemble (I might have to put tails on, too, but I think I got that done).  It's just so many steps with that pattern (not hard, just kind of boring).

I'll have all Fluff and Mirabel items mailed out by Mirabel's deadline.  Then I'm going to focus on making sure I get each month done during the actual month so I can have some time for sewing things just for me (I have some quilts I want to make!).