Bustle the Seahorse

Bustle is a seahorse for a friend's kid. The same one getting cat hats and the octopus. Bustle is... well... he started out life as a bustle for a dress my roommate is making. But, she decided she didn't need a bustle, so here he was, lying there, waiting for something. I took one look at him and thought: "That looks a little like a seahorse." So, restuffing, eyes, and fins later, he is a seahorse.

Now I'm thinking about how to make a Loch Ness monster... because I need another project.

Lion stuffie

Finished yet another project - the heraldic lion stuffie. He didn't come out exactly like I wanted, but he's not bad looking. If I were to do him over, I would embroider a little more on him and probably fix his head... go ahead and stuff the entire thing. But I like him anyway, and I might do a tutorial on him - make another one with the embroidery, etc.

Either way, it's another project off the list. Only 17 more to go! (although I technically have 2 more that can go on the list soon).

More updates

More sewing done.

This time - dolls. Gypsy dolls. The adult has bells in his stuffing, so he jingles when he's moved. I only intended to do him, but the others were just too cute not to do. He's a gypsy storyteller - all I need to do is embroider his vest with various motifs. Most of the clothing is hand-stitched, and the patterns for the little dolls were bodged together based on larger patterns. Seemed to work out reasonably well.

The other completed project - a dress for the wedding of friends. It's a Claire McCardell 1940's pattern, and worked out better than I had expected, in all honesty. It looks pretty darned good on me, as well. Now all I have to do is come up with jewelry and a 1940's hairstyle!

The pic doesn't do it justice, really. It's floor length and drapey... very nice. And flattering, which is a nice change for me and dresses! All it lacks is a hook-and-eye for the back and I am completely done with it. Yay!

Next up, working on the Bento Box quilt and other dolls. Probably. Except working with Donna to finish her dress for the wedding.

Right.. updates

So, between being sick as a dog and faire and all... I've been busy. Mostly being sick. But... it's almost all gone, and faire is over, so I can make time for posting again!

There are a LOT of updates to be had: my project list has changed dramatically - added more, finished some, and so on. And we've decided to add a fence to the garden-to-be, and are using pallets to make the fence. Means staining the pallets as we get them. I would do some today, but it just rained, so no staining today.

This one might just be picture heavy, so be warned. I've done a lot recently.

The octopus for the child of friends. He's made of blue/black tafetta, so his color shifts. He will stand up on his eight legs, too, thanks to a little rice in the tips. I may add eyes to him. He looks like he is blowing a kiss. The pattern is adapted from Runi, who makes absolutely fabulous little stuffies!

The metallic pillow. It was a test for another project, and did not turn out like I wanted, but I like the look, so it became a pillow. It's stuffed with pieces of fabric - heavy, but comfy. Three layers of silk dupioni in copper, silver, and gold. It's like a D&D gamer's favorite pillow - all the monies you could need!

After seeing Johanna, other people decided they wanted a poppet of their characters. So, the ones I have completed so far are: Katherine Boothe, the town crier, in blues, and Ellie Chandler, the candle maker's daughter, in the yellows. Like Johanna, each of them comes with their own set of accessories: a bell for the crier and candles for Ellie. Although the picture doesn't show it, Ellie's hat is singed and burnt, like the original's.

A cat hat for a newborn. There are three others to go with this, all in various shades. Now all I have to do is find a time and way to get them to the kid.

These are not the only things I've done, but they are all I am going to post right now. I have also completed a new skirt for myself at faire (a circle and a half, very swirly), a poppet for my character (who needs the new skirt still), finished cutting out the pieces of the Bento Box quilt I am working on, and started on a dress for the reception of a friend's wedding: it's to be a masquerade ball, which means I need to find my mask. And think about hair styles. And there's more... but right now I can't think.