Upcycling: Human sweater to cat sweater

Yes, I'm officially one of "those" people.

The crazy people who make clothing for their pets.

I'm not even going to try to hide it because I'm not ashamed.  My cat needed a sweater.

I hear your eyes rolling.  "Cats don't *need* sweaters, they have fur!"

Well, smarty pants, my cat doesn't have fur.  *sticks out tongue*  Well, technically she does but it's super short and curled to her body so she has very little hair compared to other cats and she is always cold.  Always.

My cat, Olive, is a Devon Rex.

And now she has a sweater that I made for her because I love her and I'm a freaking nut.

She is a very tolerant cat, which is good or me because she has all her claws and very "grippy" toes (I swear, her toes are like little monkey paws, it's a Devon thing).

She's trying to pretend that I didn't just wrap her in what used to be the arm of a thrift store sweater and take her picture that I will share on the internet for everyone to laugh at.

But while her face says "Oh for god's sake." she didn't do the typical "it's crushing me!" thing cats normally do when you put something on them.  She sat there for a bit, giving me a range of looks from "disgruntled" to "pathetic".

Then Eugene photo bombed us.

HAH!

That's Olive's older brother, Eugene.  (he's 2, she's 1, so they're both still very kittenish behavior wise).

Then she jumped down onto the floor.

Where Gene had to get up in her business (quite literally) again.  He definitely thought the sweater was odd but after sniffing it a bit (and Ollie's butt) he wandered off (lest I be able to get a good picture of him, the brat!).

Ollie then gave the chest strap a good biting which I reprimanded her for.

Which led to a bit of pouting behind the space heater.  I call this "toasting".  She likes to sit between the heater and wall, like she's in a toaster.

Once she was toasted, she took a few steps out but then had to sit again.  While she was walking normally in the sweater, she had to sit frequently (probably because it's made out of lead and crushing her delicate skeleton, dontcha know *eyeroll*).

The sweater is made from the sleeve of a felted wool/angora blend sweater I got for about $5 at the thrift store.  I used some of the super cool "all in one" velcro I got for the super hero cape project for the closures (the straps are the collar edge of the sweater).  I just eyeballed it for measuring and considering it was just a random one-of thing I made, it turned out pretty well.  And if she really does hate it, I can always use it for craft projects.

I think she might get used to it.  I don't leave it on her when I'm not around to supervise because I know she'll try to destroy it.  It is in her nature to destroy stuff (so says my tattered curtains and the spot of wallpaper behind the space heater that she is peeling off the wall).

"Gene, help me get this thing off!"

"I can't. . .she's right here. . .looking at me. . ."

HAH!  Finally got a decent pic of you, Eugene.  I swear, that cat never sits still (and for the record is every bit as destructive as Ollie. . . we got him one of those cardboard scratch boxes and it's half destroyed after only a few weeks--he LOVES tearing it up).

Linking up to Lily Pad Quilting.

For a swap: Junker Jane Inspired Doll

Time to show off another item I made for some swaps.

It was for a swap in the art doll group I joined just to see what the group was.  They don't have a ton of swaps but they're all more involved swaps so it makes sense.  The last few swaps they had were more assemblage type deals which I don't really have materials to do (and don't want to invest the time/money getting the supplies nor do I really want a finished item from someone else).  But their latest swap looked interesting.

Junker Jane inspired doll.

Now I had no idea what "Junker Jane" was so the helpful link in the swap details filled me in right quick.  Basically they're soft/stuffed dolls with a random/junky/recycled feel to them.  I can SO do that.  Now Junker Jane dolls seem to be a bit more on the "grotesque" bordering on "zombie" side of things.  Personally, that's not my style.  I can appreciate it for what it is but I don't like to make those kinds of things and I don't really like to display them.  It's just not a look I enjoy living with (but like to see and then move on).  BUT, this was just supposed to be "inspired by" not "copy".

So, what did I come up with?

Meet George V.

As you can see, he's not merely a copy of a Junker Jane doll.  But he is DEFINITELY inspired by them.

I went around my craft room (and the tiny pile of junk in my computer room) looking for random items in muted color tones.  Dingy, used, scruffy, scraps.  That's what was on my mind as I poked around.  As far as a pattern went, my only thought was I wanted to make a vaguely human form (doll) versus an animal.  But even that was open to discussion.

Once I had an armful of different things, I just started playing with it to see what happened.

George's face took shape first.  When I found the lone tan stretch glove finger in my scraps (I had a bunch of fingers in other colors, but only one tan/dingy shade) I knew I had to use it.  Hey, it's easy to make them into either a tail or a leg.  Or a nose.

The face fabric was a piece I got in a swap.  When I got it I liked it but immediately wondered what on earth I'd ever use it for, what with it having really thick (decal like) printing on it (the gold areas).  But I got looking at it and the squiggle was the perfect mouth and the placement of one of the other gold areas was perfect for an eye detail.  There was even a little circle with four dots in the center, just like a button.  Since there was so much room on the face between the eye spot and the mouth squiggle, that stretch glove finger was just begging to be a big ole nose.

I had grabbed some scraps of faux fur (left over from when I made Tribbles--George's mustache is a tribble butt!) thinking they'd be hair or details and low and behold it was PERFECT for a mustache.  I just parted the hair and sewed the piece down the middle (so it would be nicely attached) then glued the ends of the fabric down.  A bit of glue to twist the mustache and there you have it.

I backed the face with quilt batting but the back was really rough and ugly.  The fabric was just wrapped and folded around the batting so there were flaps all over the back.  So I needed to clean that up (once I had all the features stitched on).  But the shape of the head is so weird and the face was semi-rigid and I didn't want to bend it too much and distort the look.  I was tempted to just back it with another fabric and lightly stuff it then attach it to a body.  Or maybe there would be no body and I'd just back it and then add arms and legs right to the face.  So many decisions.

But I had the leftovers of a felted sweater in the pile of stuff I'd gathered.

BINGO!  His body was right there in the sweater arm.  The cuff is his feet up to about the shoulder (where I split it to spread it out to make the head shape).

I sewed the face to the felt first then stuffed it.  Then I split the leg area (removing the seam) and sewed it back together (as legs) using some baker's twine I'd received as packaging on some swaps (yeah for recycling!).  Once he was basically all put together, I decided to add the little stitches at the leg/body merge so he could easily sit or stand (if propped up a bit--he's kind of top heavy).  The arms are sweater seams.  One is the seam from the legs and the other was from the other sleeve.

(sidebar:  I've gotten a lot of mileage from one sweater--this is the same sweater I used to make T.P. Day and Mr. Durr  and I still have quite a bit left for. . .who knows!)

While I was collecting my random stuff I gathered up an old tie I had bought years and years ago thinking I'd make it into a snake.  I was thinking I could use it to make a tail or a nose or something.

How about using a tie to make a tie.

That's the tip from the small end of the tie (the part that would be hidden once it's tied).  Few stitches and a button tie tack and George was dressed for success.

Before I mailed him out, I added a plastic clip on name badge with a "hello my name is" sticker inside.  I found them when I was helping clean the supply closet at my place of employ.  They were slated for the trash so let's hear it for more recycling.

Like I mentioned, George V. doesn't look much like a Junker Jane doll (no scars or "nightmare before christmas" feel) but he's definitely in keeping with the spirit of Junker Jane dolls.  Recycled, odd, but still fabulous.  Well, at least I think so.

I think I want to make some more "random" dolls like this.  And I'm also going to give tea staining/dyeing a try (with some of the fabric from The Box).

Double Dipping: Making cloth bags!

Remember the post about the Green Bag Flash Mob?

Well, I just found a GREAT way to double dip.  To make bags for the Flash Mob and for another charity:

The Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project collects bags for use by local food pantries.  So they give out the donations in a reusable bag to help reduce plastic bag consumption (and spread the word about using cloth bags instead).

How fabulous is THAT. 

The best part is, there is no requirement for the bag (don't have to use a particular pattern) so I can use the Green Bag Lady pattern (which I like a lot and am familiar with) and whip out bags easy as pie.

I also found the Satchels of Caring Foundation.  I requested more info from them because they do have their own pattern they like used.  I really prefer to be able to just make bags and give them and not have to volunteer in person, so I need to know if that's an option as well.  The only thing I don't care for about this charity is their affiliation with Susan G Komen.  I'm not a fan of The Pink Monster, but I could overlook it if Satchels of Caring fits my other requirements (easy pattern, don't have to volunteer in person, etc).

But for now I'm totally going with Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project since I can donate on my time (and anonymously) by just dropping the bags off at the Food Co-Op or Construction Junction (there are other places, too).

I love being able to double dip projects.

I'm so happy I picked up that remnant when I was out shopping.  I got it just to make a bag (or bags) but didn't really NEED it for a bag of my own.  Now I can put it to good use.

Green Bag Flashmob!

Want to get in on something fun that can help save the earth, recycle and/or bust your fabric stash down a bit?

Join Nataliya at Sistercraft Blog for a thre month long Green Bag Flashmob.  Check out the official post HERE.  (the blog is Russian but if you scroll down the post is in English too--in case you don't want to do the google translate thing).

Green Bag Flashmob?  What the heck?

No, you don't have to meet up anywhere or even spend one thin dime.  All you have to do (from Sept 8 through December 8) is make your own bags (any style, any materials) for either yourself or to give away or sell.  And then link up your bags at Nataliya's post and you could win PRIZES.  We all love prizes, right.  (really, check out Nataliya's blog for all the details).

Every re-usable bag you make can take the place of 1,000 plastic bags.  And, face it, re-usable bags are so much nicer to look at than plastic bags.  And the handles don't cut into your hands and fabric bags don't make that annoying crackling sound AND you aren't inadvertantly adverstising for a store if you have your own (advert free!) bags  (or you could advertise your own etsy store or charity).

You can got to Green Bag Lady and get a super simple basic cloth bag tutorial for FREE.

Now stop for one second and think about your fabric stash.  I bet you have some fabric in there that's just been languishing.  This would be a GREAT way to use it up.  Then you could use the bag in place of gift wrap on the next gift you give and you've spared the planet by not using paper wrapping (which just gets tossed out).

OR, you could upcycle old clothes, sheets, or fabric scraps into a brand new bag.  How awesome is THAT?!

Really, we should all be using re-usable bags whenever possible.  It's just a more economical and healthy alternative.  And why BUY re-useable bags when you know you can make one.  Even if you've never sewn before, that Green Bag Lady tutorial is so simple, you CAN do it.

Think about how proud you'll feel if every gift under your christmas tree is wrapped in a re-usable bag.  Then think about how much fun you'll have buying new fabric once you've busted your stash!

You have THREE MONTHS, folks.  Plenty of time to make a bag (or a few dozen).

Every little bit you do to recycle, reduce, and reuse is AWESOME.  Why not start by making yourself (and others) a re-usable shopping bag.

Mighty Mice!

(and I continue to bomb my blog with new stuff!)

I'm so excited about this pair I could scream. 

EEEEKKK, a mouse.  (or two!)

Meet T.P. Day and Mr. Durr.

Ok, I'm going to sound like one of those nutty parents who shoves pics of their new baby in your face and goes on and on about how cute they are and how they're the smartest and most gifted spawn in the world.

But aren't my new babies just the cutest and most special babies in the whole WORLD.  I just know they will find cures to all the major diseases and win olympic medals and just be the gosh darn bestest babies in the whole gee-golly world!

Ok, I'll stop with that joke (it's dead, I know).

And yes, I'm all "crazy parent" because they are Orignail Patterns.  Well, not really "patterns" since there are no patterns.  I just made them up as I went.

See, that's the best part about working with felted sweaters.  You just wait for the creation to pop out at you (well, at least I do).  I buy the sweater based on the color or pattern or fiber content (and price, I like them cheap) but not with a set idea in mind.  They're just potential for the sake of potential.

Itchy potential.

These mice were made from part of a 100% wool sweater (the one I scored a few weeks ago at the thrift) and I was itching like MAD working with it.  I made the mistake of tossing it over my arm while I was cutting.  Bad idea.  With wool it's better to let it touch the least amount of skin as possible (and my hands don't get very itchy compared to my arms).

The face/head area is made from the button hole section of the sweater (and might I note, it had some really nice buttons that are pretty on both sides--saving them for future use).  The button hole area was doubled over but not completely sewn down along the edge.  It was only connected by the actual button holes (and along the top and bottom ribbing).  So even after felting it, the two layers were still separate and when I bent them up a bit (pushing two adjacent button holes together) it made a head shape (with the holes as the ears).

At first I thought it would become a fox.  The face shape was right and the ears were good (if cut pointy) but when I began body work it just wasn't going to pan out.

The head and body are one continuous piece.  To get a good fox (in a normal four paws on the ground pose) I would have had to make the head and body separate pieces which I'm convinced would have compromised the shape of the bottom of the chin (and I didn't want to lose that cute face shape at all).

Clearly the buttonholes weren't meant to be foxes because they are super fabulous mice (sitting up on their rumps).

That picture shows the stitching along the back.  I used a ladder stitch with a few well placed whip stitches here and there (mostly where a lot of fabric was joining, to reinforce).  Gotta love felted wool.  So forgiving. 

The bottom of the rump is a separate bitty circle piece so they would sit flat (and they do sit super well, not top heavy at all which makes me very happy).

The arms, legs, and tails are seams from different spots inside the sweater (the sweater is so funky now, with a bunch of the seams missing--it's like a funky cape).  The tails were naturally curly like that, but for the legs I just rolled the seam up on itself and left the end sticking out for the foot.  The arms are just straight seams.

It's obvious I'm super proud of these.  I just love when random one of a kind (or in this case, two of a kind) items pop up like this.  It makes me want to run out to the thrift and buy up every natural fiber sweater I can find and go nuts. 

I think there might still be a monster lurking in the remaining button holes.  The two holes at the bottom of the sweater are very close set and when turned on their side resemble (at least to me) Ooogie Boogie's eyes (from Nightmare Before Christmas).

But I need a break from the itchiness for now (and I need to work on the giant squid project).

Let's hear it for upcycling!

Crafting for Charity!

I love Regretsy . 

Yeah, yeah, it can be extra snarky at times.  But the items they snark on there bring crazy attention to the sellers so it's really a WIN.  And I adore how they lambast Etsy (as a company) for their general hypocrisy.

But that's neither here nor there.  What I REALLY like about Regretsy is the community.  In particular their generosity.

I've lurked Regretsy for some time and witnessed quite a few of their charity sales.  As soon as I got back to my crafting/sewing, I was in the Regretsy forums lurking about waiting for information on how/when I could join in on the fun.

At long last my moment has arrived.  The fat jealous losers are organizing a new charity sale and I was thrilled to offer up some fun stuff.  (I can't give a direct link to the info since it's on the Regretsy forums--go to Regretsy and sign up to access the forums and it's right there at the top)

The first item was the lovable Peen Turtle.  Yes, I got a kick out of him but I'll get an even bigger kick out of knowing he could net $10 for charity.

But one item just was NOT enough.

So I whipped up a half dozen Ewoks.  (from the free Wild Olive pattern--no, I don't consider this an abuse of the "for personal use only" request on the pattern--charity sales count as "personal use" in my book since I'm not making one cent from them--in fact, I'm probably losing money on them if you wanted to really crunch the numbers, which I do not).

My goal was to make a bunch of lower ticket items so folks on a budget could get in on the sale.  So I priced them to move at $8 each.  That sounds crazy fair to me.  They aren't terribly hard to make and don't take a lot of materials but they do have wool blend felt hoods (not cheap-o acrylic) and they are nicely made.  If I was in the market for such a thing (and it was for charity) I wouldn't think $8 was too steep.

They'll be collecting items until the end of the week so I *might* make up something else.  I'm not sure yet.  I'd love to be able to contribut 10 items but I have to get to work on the potential commission giant squid, so I may have to stop at the 7 items I've already made.

(and yes, I did go through stuff I've already made but most of it wasn't "good enough" for a sale.  A lot of the stuff I keep for myself is first runs of a pattern so it's a little wonky or I made it from cheaper materials and I'd feel bad expecting someone else to part with hard earned cash for it.  And those "cheap" things I made have kind of grown on me, becoming part of my Misfit Toy collection).

I'm toying with making up some cloth bags and offering them for a few dollars each but would someone want to pay the price of shipping to get an inexpensive cloth bag?  Maybe I'll poll the Regretsy community and see what they think (and save that idea for the next charity sale).

Don't fret.  I'll pimp the sale once I have more details on when it happens.  But if you want to learn more about the charity (it's an individual, not a big name charity) or details on participating, I urge you to go to Regretsy and sign up to access the forums (sign up is non-invasive--and they won't spam you later or any of that).  Please note:  Regretsy can and does contain "adult themes" (usually of a nudity persuasion) so anyone who's easily offended has been warned.

Thrift SCORE!

This weekend I did something I haven't done for quite some time.  I shopped ALL DAY.

My sister visited for the weekend and we (along with my long suffering wife) made a day of shopping including hitting up the thrifts.  I haven't been on a good thrift run in so long. 

Want to see what I scored?

100% wool sweater slated for felting.  I found a few cashmere and other natural fiber ones but they were a bit pricey considering I didn't have a project planned for them.  I was glad I passed on them so I could get this one (for only $3.99) instead.  No, I don't have a project planned for it but it was inexpensive enough that I don't mind having it as a stash item.  AND as a bonus, the buttons are really nice (and it has a spare one sewn in at the bottom--this must have been a higher end sweater when it was new).

Sizzix punches (only 95 cents for three!) and two packs of floss bobbins (again, only 95 cents for the pair).

I've been curious about the Sizzix things (read about them somewhere) but then learned they don't make them anymore (except on ebay where I'm sure you'd end up paying way too much) so I let the curiosity fade.  Until I spied these at the Red White and Blue (fabulous thrift, by the way).  No, I don't have the sizzix mallet and mat but I do have a heavy rubber mallet and a cutting mat (or a stack of cardboard/paper) so I'm thinking I can find a way to get my dollar's worth back from these.  Even if it's just something I play with once and don't enjoy, I'm not out much.  And the floss bobbins?  Yeah, I have some plastic ones but I don't like them because it's too hard to label them.  These cardboard ones I can write on and it won't smear off, so I'm very happy.

Now, to the fabric.

All that in one bag for $7.95.  I was very happy with how many really cool pieces there were.  Not too many duds at all.





Check out the tag I found on three of the pieces.  It's from G.C. Murphy Co.  The tag was folded over card stock PINNED (in a kind of staple way) to the fabric.  So it looks like I scored some truly vintage fabric.

I'm not really a big Christmas pattern fan, but these ones I do enjoy.  I think they are all the roughly the same age (with the exception of the light colored one that has the cartoony santas and reindeer on it) since they look like they are from the same fabric stock and design collection (they match that well).

I even used a bit of one of these in my first foray into patchwork.  I'm working on a small drawstring bag and so I snipped up a bit of the pink with blue flower (first picture, the fabric right above the pepsi print).  It works well with the random patches I already had cut up.  But I'll have more on that when I finish the bag and post it.  Suffice to say, so far so good in my first attempt at patchwork (we'll see if that holds true when I fire up the iron--I got a new one this weekend, one that doesn't leak water!--only $9.99--I figured why spend more when I don't have to).

Speaking of good deals, I was initiated into the Joanne fabrics coupon club this weekend.  I used five of the coupons they have on the back page of their flier.  I've never used that many Joanne's coupons before.  I got a quilting ruler for half price (so I bought the largest one, of course and it ended up being only $8), a 5 lb box of poly-fil for half price (only $12), and a pattern for the skirt I want to make (it was on sale for only 99 cents--and the notions I bought for it were all half price with the coupons).  I even got a roll of craft paper (to draft up the pattern for the giant squid) for half price.

All in all it was a good weekend.  Now. . .I have one more post to make. . .something about a giveaway?

Upcycle: From placemats to purse

I can't believe how fast this one came together.

Wait, let me back up for just one second.

A few weeks ago I was at my local Goodwill (there's one a few blocks from my house--on Saturday's I can go to the farmer's market then over to the Goodwill in one fun walking trip) and found two super cute placemats for only 50 cents each.

Super cute, right?

The minute I saw them I thought, "Those could be a bag."

And a few weeks later, they were.

There are two straps and they're long enough to wear the bag either on one shoulder or across the body.

These stitch closeups are kind of hard to see (what with it being black thread on black pattern fabric) but I used a zig zag stitch to make the straps and to attach them.  The straps are from my remnant stash (it's the Ghastlies collection, I think this is called Ghastly Brambles).  It's a very light purple with black squiggles all over it.  The straps are triple (?) folded?  I took the strips (approximately 44 inches long--or whatever the width of the bolt is/was) and a couple inches wide.  I didn't measure.  I just took the remnant I had and folded it in half then cut on the fold.  Then I took each half and folded it in half then brought both sides in until I had a size I liked.  Then I just finger pressed/pinned it down eyeballing to keep the width about even.  Then a quick zig zag stitch along where the fabric came together (and slightly overlapped, so no worries about not catching all the layers and having a mess).

I measured the placement of the handles by pinning and just holding it up to myself to see how it hung (I pinned both palcemats together along the top line between the ears to make sure both sides would match pretty well).

The only major flaw this bag has is with the ears.  Since the placemats aren't mirror images of one another, they don't line up perfectly.  It's noticable only at the ears but since I didn't stitch all the way up the ears, they kind of flap a bit so the mismatch isn't as noticable.  It matches very well along the rest of the bag.

And. . .the bag is really roomy.  A bit roomier than I expected.

There are three magazines and a day planner in it and there's still plenty of room.

Now I don't see this as a very practical every day bag.  The outside fabric is kind of like a faux suede so with a TON of wear it would probably give up the ghost.  But I'd anticipate this bag to last farily long with moderate use.  I also don't think it would wash well AT ALL given the outside fabric on the placemats (so don't get caught in a rain storm!).  I think the construction would hold up to moderate use.  And if for some reason it all fell apart after only a few uses, the straps could be salvaged (just tear out the seams) and I'd only be out the $1 I paid for the placemats (and about an hour of my time constructing it).

All in all, I'm very pleased with how it turned out and I think it's going to get a lot of attention when I start using it (my mother will adore it--she loves black cats).

Up next?  I really need to get to that robot and the embroidery on that last tattoo doll.  BUT. . .the fabric I bought to make a skirt arrived yesterday so now I'm all "gotta make a skirt, gotta make a skirt" but I need to get the right size elastic and get the best tutorial (and/or pattern) for my skill level (beginner's beginner) so the super cool BIKE PRINT fabric (Lucy's Crab Shack collection--it's cream color with navy blue cruiser bikes randomly printed all over--which should be very forgiving for making a skirt--no worry about matching the print up on both sides) will have to wait just a wee bit.

EDITED TO ADD:  Lucky me, I found a great blog that's having a competition that this project works for so. . .



Check it out and join in!

For my cat nephew

So, this is the ewok I made from the Wild Olive free pattern.

Yeah, it's cute but I'm still "meh" about it in general.

But I think my cat nephew (Lowell) is going to enjoy it.  Especially after my sister sprays it with catnip spray!

In fact, I think this pattern is perfect (yeah, I had to stop myself from typing "purrfect") for cat toys.  It sews up pretty quickly, makes a decent size (good for kitty to kick and wrestle), and can be made from recycled/inexpensive materials.  In fact, this is made from a pair of corderoy pants I got from the thrift store (and cut up) and a bit of acrylic felt.  I'd imagine the corderoy will withstand some good cat wrestling (the hood might get mauled easier though--but making a new one wouldn't be a big deal).

I texted my sister a pic of it and told her it was for Lowell.  I can just picture her rolling her eyes and sighing "He's so SPOILED!".

He is.

Adventures in Upcycling: Sweater to Alligator

I've been dieing to felt up a wool (or animal fiber blend) sweater and make something from it but I just hadn't gotten around to the thrift store to search out a sweater victim.  I'd been meaning to (there's a realtively new Goodwill two blocks from my house I've been meaning to check out) but just hadn't gotten around to it.

Friday I finally went to the Goodwill.

I was on the look out for clothing I could upcycle and/or fabic sheets.

For $10 I scored a pack of small styrofoam balls (still in original wrap), a pair of mens corduroy pants (ear marked for wookie and/or ewok creations), a flat bed sheet in a ticking pattern (I've wanted some ticking print fabric so this was a great score) and as I was just about to give up the hunt (as all the sweaters were cotton/acrylic) a 100% wool Eye-talian sweater.

A hideously ugly 100% wool Eye-talian sweater VEST.  Honestly, it was so small I wondered if it was mis-hung in the adult section (or maybe it had already been felted accidentally?).

I didn't take any before pics but this gives you a great idea how heinous it was.

In case the pic doesn't do it justice, that's a dark green with alternating orange, red and pink stripes.

Did I mention it was a sweater vest?  SWEATER VEST.  (yeah, that just needed repeating).  It felted up nicely after only one wash (hot, "rough" cycle) with a few green towels (in case they made lint it wouldn't look too freaky agains the green sweater).  And after felting it was only a few inches smaller (no joke, the original size had to be a kids size--right before I took this pic I held the scrap up to my chest and it was just barely a crop top size, I bet if I actually put it on it would be more like an ample sports bra).

And you can see what I made from it, too.  Well, from only 1/4 of the front and one strip of the arm hole piping trim.

CHOMP!

(oh, I did use one little scrap from the back fabric for the eyes).

It was a simple "make it up as you sew" pattern.  From the 1/4 of fabric still pictured you can see pretty much what I did.  I just folded the fabric over so the shoulder strap part became the tail (and the stitching would make the warbly back bumps).  When I got to the head/face I added a gusset at the top and bottom to get the flatness needed.  The eyes are from a bit cut from the back fabric (two pieces stitched togther for stability and to hide the stitche attaching the google eyes).

The eyes were from my stash.  Something I wasn't sure I'd ever use but they're spot on fabulous (if I do say so myself) here.

AND, s/he stands on her/his own thanks to WIRES.

Yup, my first real stab (pun intended) with armature.  My first idea was to make two side pieces (that included the side of the legs) and then two gusset pieces (for belly and insides of legs) but the fabric didn't lend itself to that.  I wanted to get the most from the fabric (in keeping with the upcycling theme).

After I got the body done was was pondering the legs and was almost ready to give up and just make floppy bean bag style legs (that wouldn't support the weight and would definitely compromise the alligator feel) and then I remembered I had some floral wire.

Ok, great.  I had floral wire but now I had to make a pattern for the legs.  Poo.  WAIT!  HOLD THE PHONE!  I spied the piping around the arms and neck and it was PERFECT.  Because it was multiple layers it hadn't felted as fully as the rest of the piece.  So I could just run one half of my scissors down into it to make tube for the wire. 

Sweet.

Take the wire and stab it through the body.  Bend up the ends (to keep pointy pieces from jabbing through).  Slide the piping over the wire and stitch top to the body and then take a scrap (from the trimmings from the body) to make a set of toes (each toe is not individual--that would be nuts).  Sew toes to the bottom of the piping tube leg and BAM, you have a leg.

Now since I was just eyeballing everything, the front legs are a wee bit longer than the back (did the back first) but that kind of worked out since alligators do kind of have uneven front/back legs.  AND I managed to get what I really wanted which was an alligator that not only stood on its own but got its full tail up off the ground (just a bit).  I really wanted this alligator to look somewhat realistic body wise (flat head, eyes popping up off head, stands on own, can hold tail fully off the ground).

I'm loving this alligator and. . .

I'm open to suggestions for naming (and what else to do with the rest of the fabric).