And the winner of the traveling stash giveaway is. . .
Comment #7. . .
VROOMANS QUILTS
---------
I've sent the "congratulations" email. Vroomans Quilts, please reply to that email so I can get the stash moving on to you.
THANK YOU, to everyone who participated.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Crafting for Charity: Stockpiling! (and a fail!)
While I was waiting for the socks to arrive (so I could begin the Great Sock Monkey Commission), I wiled away a few hours making a few things for the next Regretsy Charity Sale (or any other charity thing that may come along while I wait).
First up, some more ewoks.
I was going to do a tutorial for these (even took photos as I was making them) but in a word, the photos sucked and Wild Olive (where you can get the pattern) already did a tutorial (with good pics) so why re-do something that didn't need re-doing?
I will note that I have altered the original tutorial. For non-felt ewoks I sew and turn (meaning sew on the wrong side then turn the item right side out) versus sewing on top (the original tutorial uses courderoy and is sewn on top--meaning no turning). I prefer a more finished edge. So my ewoks are a tiny bit smaller. Except for the felt one (he's on the left). With felt I surface sew (no turning) and the finished product was a little bigger. I think all three are super cute. I'm planning to make at least three more once all my commissions are done.
But I don't want to fill my charity coffers with just ewoks.
My charity coffers need. . .KITTIES!!
MEOW!
You can't tell from the pic, but the black one does have stitched whiskers and leg lines. But they're black so don't stand out. As anyone who's had black cats can attest, sometimes if your cat is sititng just right they kind of look like a big black blob.
The second cat is so cute I almost want to keep him for myself (and I may have named him Graham--he looks like a Graham). Graham is the first kitty I've made who had dimensional whiskers and I like the effect. He's also the only pattern I hadn't yet tried out (the patters are over at Nuno Life --just look through that whole blog--tons of great stuff there). I like how you can mix and match the heads and bodies (and that one set is clearly a Siamese).
OH, and so you can see just how small these are.
Graham posing next to a regular sized teaspoon (aka "eating spoon"). So they're pretty small. But very easy to make. I made this pair while I was visiting my family. They take about an hour each (from cutting to final stitch).
While the kitties alone are definitely worthy of being added to the charity coffers (I've used coffers THREE times now--let's see how many more times I can use it!) I wanted to offer something else along with them, kind of sweeten the deal.
What about. . .a BAG. Just a simple little drawstring bag. In fact, it's the same tutorial for the patchwork drawstring bag only without the patchwork. So even easier.
Kitties on one side. Sushi on the other.
The only snag?
This bag is a big ass FAIL. It's a drawstring bag that doesn't "drawstring". I made the cord area too narrow so it only pulls down about a quarter of the way.
OOPS.
So I need to make a new one for the charity coffers. This one will join my Island of Misfit Toys (or I might include it with a charity purchase as a "free bonus"). It's still usable but just not as it was intended. And it is made well just (technically) not RIGHT.
I have enough of the kitty fabric to just one more (but plenty of sushi fabric and the polka dot fabric). These bags and the ewoks are perfect for fat quarters. I can get a whole bag out of one fat quarter (or two halves if I'm doing different fabrics for the reversibles).
I think I'm going to make one more kitty for this set so I can title it "Three Little Kitties". Or I might go with "Sack of Kittens". I plan to make "Sack of Puppies" as well. I want to continue the "sack" theme and make different cats/dogs (from other patterns) for inside cat/dog themed bags. And other animals. I have some super cute circus fabric that I could use to make a "Sack of Circus" or "Sack of Zoo". I can also make handled bags to go with toys that are larger.
And I do have this super funky OPOSSUM fabric. I want to figure out (or find) a pattern for an opossum toy so I can have a "Sack of Possum". Or maybe a "hillbilly" animal sack, with a possum and a groundhog.
What else have I been up to lately?
I sent out my charms for the Shades of Grey charm swap I joined. Happy to report I didn't mess up anything so the extra half yard I bought is now mine to do with however I see fit (it's the ghost print from the Guising set, so I think I might make a halloween themed set of something or other for the charity coffers).
I'm also done with the embroidery on the last spoonflower tattoo doll and have the limbs all sewn together. Just have to put it all together and it's done.
But first, I have to get to the sock monkeys. I need to either find or draw up a sock monkey sized bib for them.
OH, and I'm thinking (for myself). . .Sea Monkey Sock Monkey. Yes, a combining of two fun things in one. But first I need to get all my commissions finished.
First up, some more ewoks.
I was going to do a tutorial for these (even took photos as I was making them) but in a word, the photos sucked and Wild Olive (where you can get the pattern) already did a tutorial (with good pics) so why re-do something that didn't need re-doing?
I will note that I have altered the original tutorial. For non-felt ewoks I sew and turn (meaning sew on the wrong side then turn the item right side out) versus sewing on top (the original tutorial uses courderoy and is sewn on top--meaning no turning). I prefer a more finished edge. So my ewoks are a tiny bit smaller. Except for the felt one (he's on the left). With felt I surface sew (no turning) and the finished product was a little bigger. I think all three are super cute. I'm planning to make at least three more once all my commissions are done.
But I don't want to fill my charity coffers with just ewoks.
My charity coffers need. . .KITTIES!!
MEOW!
You can't tell from the pic, but the black one does have stitched whiskers and leg lines. But they're black so don't stand out. As anyone who's had black cats can attest, sometimes if your cat is sititng just right they kind of look like a big black blob.
The second cat is so cute I almost want to keep him for myself (and I may have named him Graham--he looks like a Graham). Graham is the first kitty I've made who had dimensional whiskers and I like the effect. He's also the only pattern I hadn't yet tried out (the patters are over at Nuno Life --just look through that whole blog--tons of great stuff there). I like how you can mix and match the heads and bodies (and that one set is clearly a Siamese).
OH, and so you can see just how small these are.
Graham posing next to a regular sized teaspoon (aka "eating spoon"). So they're pretty small. But very easy to make. I made this pair while I was visiting my family. They take about an hour each (from cutting to final stitch).
While the kitties alone are definitely worthy of being added to the charity coffers (I've used coffers THREE times now--let's see how many more times I can use it!) I wanted to offer something else along with them, kind of sweeten the deal.
What about. . .a BAG. Just a simple little drawstring bag. In fact, it's the same tutorial for the patchwork drawstring bag only without the patchwork. So even easier.
Kitties on one side. Sushi on the other.
The only snag?
This bag is a big ass FAIL. It's a drawstring bag that doesn't "drawstring". I made the cord area too narrow so it only pulls down about a quarter of the way.
OOPS.
So I need to make a new one for the charity coffers. This one will join my Island of Misfit Toys (or I might include it with a charity purchase as a "free bonus"). It's still usable but just not as it was intended. And it is made well just (technically) not RIGHT.
I have enough of the kitty fabric to just one more (but plenty of sushi fabric and the polka dot fabric). These bags and the ewoks are perfect for fat quarters. I can get a whole bag out of one fat quarter (or two halves if I'm doing different fabrics for the reversibles).
I think I'm going to make one more kitty for this set so I can title it "Three Little Kitties". Or I might go with "Sack of Kittens". I plan to make "Sack of Puppies" as well. I want to continue the "sack" theme and make different cats/dogs (from other patterns) for inside cat/dog themed bags. And other animals. I have some super cute circus fabric that I could use to make a "Sack of Circus" or "Sack of Zoo". I can also make handled bags to go with toys that are larger.
And I do have this super funky OPOSSUM fabric. I want to figure out (or find) a pattern for an opossum toy so I can have a "Sack of Possum". Or maybe a "hillbilly" animal sack, with a possum and a groundhog.
What else have I been up to lately?
I sent out my charms for the Shades of Grey charm swap I joined. Happy to report I didn't mess up anything so the extra half yard I bought is now mine to do with however I see fit (it's the ghost print from the Guising set, so I think I might make a halloween themed set of something or other for the charity coffers).
I'm also done with the embroidery on the last spoonflower tattoo doll and have the limbs all sewn together. Just have to put it all together and it's done.
But first, I have to get to the sock monkeys. I need to either find or draw up a sock monkey sized bib for them.
OH, and I'm thinking (for myself). . .Sea Monkey Sock Monkey. Yes, a combining of two fun things in one. But first I need to get all my commissions finished.
Friday, August 24, 2012
The first Noel (a christmas crocodile)
At long last!
*trumpet flourish*
She is complete.
And her face is on the correct end (no more butt fah-say!).
Jeepers creepers, check out her peepers!
Now, I have to say a few things about the pattern and all that. The pattern is from the "Toys to Sew" book. Yes, the same book I gave away a copy of a while back.
While this is a good book (lots of cute ideas) it's not very user friendly (for beginners). There aren't a lot of step by step tutorials/photos and it really does assume you have a more than basic knowledge of sewing.
With this pattern in particular, I found the piece of patchwork they say to make was a little stingy. True confession, I was not super careful when laying out my pieces so I ran out of patchwork when it came time to make the legs. So some sides of the legs are single pieces. But even if I had been very careful I still think the piece of patchwork fabric wouldn't have been quite big enough.
That's my one major criticism of this pattern. I think at the very least the instructions should have reminded folks to place pattern pieces very carefully (or advise to make patchwork a bit bigger if you're worried you may run out).
As for the instructions, here are some tips the book doesn't give that I feel would have been helpful (even though I have some decent sewing experience, these tips always bear repeating).
1. BASTE. Yes, it's annoying but it's SO worth it. Especially if you're attaching limbs at the same time you're sewing the sides of a piece together (versus attaching limbs to finished bodies). Basting holds the limb in place but it also gives you the chance to double check placement BEFORE you machine sew the whole body together. This is vital when you're attaching the limbs to the body before you turn and stuff. Baste the limb on then give a little pre-turn to the piece so you can see what it will look like. It will save you getting everything done only to find out a leg is on backwards. Tearing out basting stitches is nearly painless veruses tearing out machine stitches.
2. Lay out pattern pieces BEFORE tracing and cutting. Another step that seems redundant but it will save you annoyance later. Take the pattern pieces and just lay them out on the fabric first to get a rough idea how much space they will take. That way you can head off any issues before they arise. This is particularly important if you're using fabric you have in limited supply (like the patchwork used for this project).
Overall, the pattern wasn't hard to do even with the brevity of instructions.
More pics?
Ok.
All the fabrics were from a mystery fat quarter set I got from the Fat Quarter Shop. I love mystery fat quarter packs but was a little caught off guard by this one. I simply wasn't expecting christmas themed fabric. Especially "fancy" christmas fabric. This set (I forget the exact name right now) has rich colors and even gold accents. I had no idea what to do with it until I remembered this patchwork crocodile.
It really is great fabric. You can see there are repeating patterns (in different colors) and unique patterns (trees with forest animals like deer and quail and gold accent snowflakes) and even some prints that weren't necessarily "christmas" (you could get away with using them for non seasonal stuff).
And I'm very happy to report that Noel is "good enough" for donation to a charity sale. A lot of times the first stab at a pattern has good results but not "good enough" to ask someone else to pay money for it (or to even give away as a gift). You need to give the pattern one more stab to clean up any little errors you encountered.
But not Noel. She came together VERY well, even with having her face (temporarily) attached to her bum. I would be proud to offer her for a charity sale. In fact, I think I'll put her on my "future charity sale" shelf (along with three new ewoks I made). I think someone would pay $20 for her. She's very "whimsical". Who doesn't want a crocodile for christmas?
*trumpet flourish*
She is complete.
Jeepers creepers, check out her peepers!
Now, I have to say a few things about the pattern and all that. The pattern is from the "Toys to Sew" book. Yes, the same book I gave away a copy of a while back.
While this is a good book (lots of cute ideas) it's not very user friendly (for beginners). There aren't a lot of step by step tutorials/photos and it really does assume you have a more than basic knowledge of sewing.
With this pattern in particular, I found the piece of patchwork they say to make was a little stingy. True confession, I was not super careful when laying out my pieces so I ran out of patchwork when it came time to make the legs. So some sides of the legs are single pieces. But even if I had been very careful I still think the piece of patchwork fabric wouldn't have been quite big enough.
That's my one major criticism of this pattern. I think at the very least the instructions should have reminded folks to place pattern pieces very carefully (or advise to make patchwork a bit bigger if you're worried you may run out).
As for the instructions, here are some tips the book doesn't give that I feel would have been helpful (even though I have some decent sewing experience, these tips always bear repeating).
1. BASTE. Yes, it's annoying but it's SO worth it. Especially if you're attaching limbs at the same time you're sewing the sides of a piece together (versus attaching limbs to finished bodies). Basting holds the limb in place but it also gives you the chance to double check placement BEFORE you machine sew the whole body together. This is vital when you're attaching the limbs to the body before you turn and stuff. Baste the limb on then give a little pre-turn to the piece so you can see what it will look like. It will save you getting everything done only to find out a leg is on backwards. Tearing out basting stitches is nearly painless veruses tearing out machine stitches.
2. Lay out pattern pieces BEFORE tracing and cutting. Another step that seems redundant but it will save you annoyance later. Take the pattern pieces and just lay them out on the fabric first to get a rough idea how much space they will take. That way you can head off any issues before they arise. This is particularly important if you're using fabric you have in limited supply (like the patchwork used for this project).
Overall, the pattern wasn't hard to do even with the brevity of instructions.
More pics?
Ok.
It really is great fabric. You can see there are repeating patterns (in different colors) and unique patterns (trees with forest animals like deer and quail and gold accent snowflakes) and even some prints that weren't necessarily "christmas" (you could get away with using them for non seasonal stuff).
And I'm very happy to report that Noel is "good enough" for donation to a charity sale. A lot of times the first stab at a pattern has good results but not "good enough" to ask someone else to pay money for it (or to even give away as a gift). You need to give the pattern one more stab to clean up any little errors you encountered.
But not Noel. She came together VERY well, even with having her face (temporarily) attached to her bum. I would be proud to offer her for a charity sale. In fact, I think I'll put her on my "future charity sale" shelf (along with three new ewoks I made). I think someone would pay $20 for her. She's very "whimsical". Who doesn't want a crocodile for christmas?
GIVEAWAY: Traveling Stash!! (ENDED!)
Want to win the chance to get your hands on a big ole box of sewing/crafting items? A box you can gleefully pick through, take what you want (then add some new things to) and then share with someone else?
Yes?
Ok, then you want to get in on this giveaway.
First up, the rules to participate (Box Rules, if you will):
1. Be an active blogger. Post about receiving the giveaway on your blog in a timely manner.
2. There's a note in the box that logs where it has been. Please add your name and location (full address not necessary) and return the sheet to the box.
3. There's a list of Rules and Guidelines (in the box). Read and follow them (and make sure they stay in the box).
4. You can take anything you like from the box. Just replace every item with comparable quilt shop quality items equal to the amount taken. (the "in box" guideline sheet gives more info on this--but the basic premise is, don't be stingy--if you take a ton, replace it all so the next person has a chance at some good stuff, too).
5. Ship the box to the next person in a reasonable amount of time.
6. Due to the size of the box (and postage costs) U.S. shipping only.
-------------------------
So, what a sneak peek at what's doing in this Traveling Stash?
Just one peek. Don't want to spoil the surprise. I will say that it's jam packed and there is a lot of variety. Lots of fabric (about half the box is just fabric) and some notions and patterns. I had no problem finding things I wanted (and there were a few things I liked but couldn't see an immediate use for, so I left them for others--no need to be greedy).
Nope, I'm not going to show you what I got. Don't worry, once I use what I took I'll end up showing the finished product(s) here and mention the traveling stash again.
BUT. . .I will show you what I'm adding to the box. Hey, I want you to be excited about this bad boy so you need just a taste of what you have a chance at getting.
There are two spools of Disney Eeyore ribbon, two fat quarters of brand new designer quilting cotton fabric (unwashed), two skeins of embroidery floss, a paper cut out (for scrap booking) and a pair of Fisker's scissors (that cut a fancy design--I think they're for paper cutting).
I was so excited to go through my crafting/sewing stash. I think I managed to find some great things others will like (and that I'm happy to share--better to give them away then let them gather dust at my house).
SO. . .you want to win a chance at this box full of goodies?
GIVEAWAY RULES:
1. Leave a comment on this post.
That's it. One rule, one chance. Easy Peasy.
Please remember, this is for U.S. addresses only. Sorry, international folks. Also, this is a traveling stash so you will have to pay to send it to the next person.
I can't wait to see where this ends up next.
GIVEAWAY ENDS: 8/31. Winner will be drawn at random and notified via email. If you are an anonymous commenter, please leave an email address in your comment (do it the "no spam" way: me(at)location(dot)com ). Winner has 3 days to reply with shipping info. If winner does not reply, new winner will be drawn. Winner will be announced in a separate post.
Thank you for checking this out and GOOD LUCK!!
Yes?
Ok, then you want to get in on this giveaway.
First up, the rules to participate (Box Rules, if you will):
1. Be an active blogger. Post about receiving the giveaway on your blog in a timely manner.
2. There's a note in the box that logs where it has been. Please add your name and location (full address not necessary) and return the sheet to the box.
3. There's a list of Rules and Guidelines (in the box). Read and follow them (and make sure they stay in the box).
4. You can take anything you like from the box. Just replace every item with comparable quilt shop quality items equal to the amount taken. (the "in box" guideline sheet gives more info on this--but the basic premise is, don't be stingy--if you take a ton, replace it all so the next person has a chance at some good stuff, too).
5. Ship the box to the next person in a reasonable amount of time.
6. Due to the size of the box (and postage costs) U.S. shipping only.
-------------------------
So, what a sneak peek at what's doing in this Traveling Stash?
Just one peek. Don't want to spoil the surprise. I will say that it's jam packed and there is a lot of variety. Lots of fabric (about half the box is just fabric) and some notions and patterns. I had no problem finding things I wanted (and there were a few things I liked but couldn't see an immediate use for, so I left them for others--no need to be greedy).
Nope, I'm not going to show you what I got. Don't worry, once I use what I took I'll end up showing the finished product(s) here and mention the traveling stash again.
BUT. . .I will show you what I'm adding to the box. Hey, I want you to be excited about this bad boy so you need just a taste of what you have a chance at getting.
There are two spools of Disney Eeyore ribbon, two fat quarters of brand new designer quilting cotton fabric (unwashed), two skeins of embroidery floss, a paper cut out (for scrap booking) and a pair of Fisker's scissors (that cut a fancy design--I think they're for paper cutting).
I was so excited to go through my crafting/sewing stash. I think I managed to find some great things others will like (and that I'm happy to share--better to give them away then let them gather dust at my house).
SO. . .you want to win a chance at this box full of goodies?
GIVEAWAY RULES:
1. Leave a comment on this post.
That's it. One rule, one chance. Easy Peasy.
Please remember, this is for U.S. addresses only. Sorry, international folks. Also, this is a traveling stash so you will have to pay to send it to the next person.
I can't wait to see where this ends up next.
GIVEAWAY ENDS: 8/31. Winner will be drawn at random and notified via email. If you are an anonymous commenter, please leave an email address in your comment (do it the "no spam" way: me(at)location(dot)com ). Winner has 3 days to reply with shipping info. If winner does not reply, new winner will be drawn. Winner will be announced in a separate post.
Thank you for checking this out and GOOD LUCK!!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Why I should not sew after 10 p.m.
Yup. Last night I sat down to finish the patchwork crocodile.
It was almost completed, right at the stage where I tend to push a project aside and leave it (when all I need to do is sit with it for another hour or so and it would be done).
So I'm plugging away at the crocodile. Let me just pause to say attaching limbs directly to the seam (where you tuck them inside the item while you sew it then turn and POOF, the limbs are there all perfectly attached) always causes me grief. Its like I get blunt force head trauma and just can not figure it out. Well, I can figure it out (in the sense that I know what to do) but I have to physically do it (like pin and then do a fake turn out to make sure it's right) more than once before I finally get it right. Last night was pretty typical. I pinned the legs where I wanted them then quasi-turned the piece to see how the legs would face. And of course they were wrong. So I re-pinned then basted the front set on. Gave a quick mini-turn and. . .they were facing the wrong direction. Tore the basting out and re-basted. Finally they were right. Then I had to go through almost the same production for the rear legs (only this time I didn't have to baste twice).
Once I finally got the legs on and the whole body sewn, turned, stuffed, and closed it was on to the face. I dutifully finger pressed the seams under and held them to the body to find the placement and then stitched them on. They looked fabulous. Then it was on to the stitched teeth.
I labored to get all the stitching done (using yarn and a fat eye needle) and it looked quite good if I do say so myself. As I'm holding the finished piece up and examining it I wonder aloud if it needs nostrils (something not in the original pattern). So I even put some nostrils on.
I turn it to show it off to my spouse and then I notice something odd.
The legs are backwards.
WHAT? How on earth could they still be backwards when I took so much time to make sure they were right and. . .
They were right.
It was the FACE that was wrong.
I had put all the facial features on the butt.
My crocodile was a butt fah-say (that's how my wife and I say "face"--fah-say, it's classier that way).
So I spent the next ten minutes doing a fac-ectomy on my christmas crocodile's butt.
This is why I shouldn't sew after 10 p.m.
It was almost completed, right at the stage where I tend to push a project aside and leave it (when all I need to do is sit with it for another hour or so and it would be done).
So I'm plugging away at the crocodile. Let me just pause to say attaching limbs directly to the seam (where you tuck them inside the item while you sew it then turn and POOF, the limbs are there all perfectly attached) always causes me grief. Its like I get blunt force head trauma and just can not figure it out. Well, I can figure it out (in the sense that I know what to do) but I have to physically do it (like pin and then do a fake turn out to make sure it's right) more than once before I finally get it right. Last night was pretty typical. I pinned the legs where I wanted them then quasi-turned the piece to see how the legs would face. And of course they were wrong. So I re-pinned then basted the front set on. Gave a quick mini-turn and. . .they were facing the wrong direction. Tore the basting out and re-basted. Finally they were right. Then I had to go through almost the same production for the rear legs (only this time I didn't have to baste twice).
Once I finally got the legs on and the whole body sewn, turned, stuffed, and closed it was on to the face. I dutifully finger pressed the seams under and held them to the body to find the placement and then stitched them on. They looked fabulous. Then it was on to the stitched teeth.
I labored to get all the stitching done (using yarn and a fat eye needle) and it looked quite good if I do say so myself. As I'm holding the finished piece up and examining it I wonder aloud if it needs nostrils (something not in the original pattern). So I even put some nostrils on.
I turn it to show it off to my spouse and then I notice something odd.
The legs are backwards.
WHAT? How on earth could they still be backwards when I took so much time to make sure they were right and. . .
They were right.
It was the FACE that was wrong.
I had put all the facial features on the butt.
My crocodile was a butt fah-say (that's how my wife and I say "face"--fah-say, it's classier that way).
So I spent the next ten minutes doing a fac-ectomy on my christmas crocodile's butt.
This is why I shouldn't sew after 10 p.m.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Random Happenings
I'm irked that I haven't accomplished more in the way of craftyness lately.
Last week I did manage to make three new ewoks and did take some pics intending to do a tutorial but once I looked back at the pics they were garbage so I think I'm going to scrap a full tutorial and do a modified one (once I get the rest of the ewoks made). A link to the original tutorial (that has great pics) and then my tips/tricks added on (and pics of different versions of ewoks). But that might be a while because. . .
I haven't finished my patchwork crocodile yet. As I tend to do, I abandoned it just as it was getting close to completion. I made the patchwork and cut out all the pattern pieces and even got the eye pieces stitched together but that's where I stalled. So no more ewoks until I finish it. BUT. . .
I may have to bump the crocodile back for just a quick bit while I whip up the two commission sock monkeys. I went through my sock stash and had two pairs (out of 4 total in my stash) that were good to go. (one other pair is larger, so I couldn't use it for this--need these two monkeys to be the same size and the fourth pair of socks had fading on them, so they're not good enough for a sale monkey--they also came from a trip to Beale Street in Memphis, TN so I'm not keen to give them away for a sale, I want them for me).
But the crocodile won't take long to finish and I think I'll be very pleased with myself if I do get it done, so I'm leaning toward doing it first then moving on to the monkeys (I could do all three items this week and weekend, no problem).
AND, I aslo joined that charm square swap group. So when that fabric shows up I need to cut it all up which means I'll have to study some tutorials and then worry I'll screw it up then finally do it and have no issues and then laugh at myself for being such a worry wort.
AND AND AND, I also won a "traveling stash" box. So when that arrives I'll have to make an official post about it (to show it off and offer up a giveaway for the next taker) and then keep it moving on its merry way.
DAMN, huh? I have a lot of stuff going on crafty/creative wise.
And of course, I'm actually busy at my job so I don't have big stretches of free time to spend goofing off on the internet. So I have to really PLAN when I'll post stuff. That's not really a "bad" thing but just different which makes it a nuisance (while I'm getting used to it).
Ok. . .I'm thinking tonight I'll tackle either the monkeys or the crocodile. No other projects allowed until those three are DONE. (unless I want to cut up that fabric--but there's really no rush on that just yet).
Last week I did manage to make three new ewoks and did take some pics intending to do a tutorial but once I looked back at the pics they were garbage so I think I'm going to scrap a full tutorial and do a modified one (once I get the rest of the ewoks made). A link to the original tutorial (that has great pics) and then my tips/tricks added on (and pics of different versions of ewoks). But that might be a while because. . .
I haven't finished my patchwork crocodile yet. As I tend to do, I abandoned it just as it was getting close to completion. I made the patchwork and cut out all the pattern pieces and even got the eye pieces stitched together but that's where I stalled. So no more ewoks until I finish it. BUT. . .
I may have to bump the crocodile back for just a quick bit while I whip up the two commission sock monkeys. I went through my sock stash and had two pairs (out of 4 total in my stash) that were good to go. (one other pair is larger, so I couldn't use it for this--need these two monkeys to be the same size and the fourth pair of socks had fading on them, so they're not good enough for a sale monkey--they also came from a trip to Beale Street in Memphis, TN so I'm not keen to give them away for a sale, I want them for me).
But the crocodile won't take long to finish and I think I'll be very pleased with myself if I do get it done, so I'm leaning toward doing it first then moving on to the monkeys (I could do all three items this week and weekend, no problem).
AND, I aslo joined that charm square swap group. So when that fabric shows up I need to cut it all up which means I'll have to study some tutorials and then worry I'll screw it up then finally do it and have no issues and then laugh at myself for being such a worry wort.
AND AND AND, I also won a "traveling stash" box. So when that arrives I'll have to make an official post about it (to show it off and offer up a giveaway for the next taker) and then keep it moving on its merry way.
DAMN, huh? I have a lot of stuff going on crafty/creative wise.
And of course, I'm actually busy at my job so I don't have big stretches of free time to spend goofing off on the internet. So I have to really PLAN when I'll post stuff. That's not really a "bad" thing but just different which makes it a nuisance (while I'm getting used to it).
Ok. . .I'm thinking tonight I'll tackle either the monkeys or the crocodile. No other projects allowed until those three are DONE. (unless I want to cut up that fabric--but there's really no rush on that just yet).
Friday, August 17, 2012
Commissions: Back to my roots
Yesterday (as I was actually trying to work at work--gasp! no!) I was approached with a work related question that quickly morphed into a new commission.
A commission that takes me back to my roots.
SOCK MONKEYS!!
I love sock monkeys. They're cute but oddly weird looking (which you can play up or down, so versatile!) but more importantly they are EASY!
The ease probably comes from having made so many over my crafting history. And let me just say, those first ones (completely hand sewn) aren't exactly "good enough" to sell to anyone.
I was tasked with making FOUR monkeys. The only instructions/requests were "classic" in look (meaning Rockford Red Heel socks) and "baby safe" (so no button eyes). Two are needed as soon as I can make them and the other two can wait a bit (since they are for babies still in the womb).
I'm pretty excited about this because it will give me a chance to try out the ballpoint needles I bought to make my sister's easter sheep. I've made monkeys on the machine using a regular needle and had no issues so it will be fun to see if the ballpoint needle makes any real difference (I think I'll use a zig zag stitch too--I think older monkeys had a straight stitch).
So, we'll see what MORE KNOWLEDGE does for the finished products.
Now, to go hunt down my sock stash and see what I have on hand. . .
(oh, and while I'm talking commissions, the giant squid might be moving to stage two shortly--I'm working with the buyer on money issues, so hopefully they'll have the supply fee scraped together so I can buy the fabric and start on it).
Oh, there will be pics once I get these monkeys stitched up.
A commission that takes me back to my roots.
SOCK MONKEYS!!
I love sock monkeys. They're cute but oddly weird looking (which you can play up or down, so versatile!) but more importantly they are EASY!
The ease probably comes from having made so many over my crafting history. And let me just say, those first ones (completely hand sewn) aren't exactly "good enough" to sell to anyone.
I was tasked with making FOUR monkeys. The only instructions/requests were "classic" in look (meaning Rockford Red Heel socks) and "baby safe" (so no button eyes). Two are needed as soon as I can make them and the other two can wait a bit (since they are for babies still in the womb).
I'm pretty excited about this because it will give me a chance to try out the ballpoint needles I bought to make my sister's easter sheep. I've made monkeys on the machine using a regular needle and had no issues so it will be fun to see if the ballpoint needle makes any real difference (I think I'll use a zig zag stitch too--I think older monkeys had a straight stitch).
So, we'll see what MORE KNOWLEDGE does for the finished products.
Now, to go hunt down my sock stash and see what I have on hand. . .
(oh, and while I'm talking commissions, the giant squid might be moving to stage two shortly--I'm working with the buyer on money issues, so hopefully they'll have the supply fee scraped together so I can buy the fabric and start on it).
Oh, there will be pics once I get these monkeys stitched up.
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