A Good Weekend

So I had a really fun and nerdy weekend. For starters Friday, May 4th, was Star Wars Day. This is an excellent holiday because not only can we celebrate our Star Wars love, but it involved a bad pun. (May the Fourth be with you!) So I had to weird my coworkers out with my nerd pride.

These pendant necklaces are easy and so addictive, so I made a Bossk and a Jedi necklace to wear. I love Bossk and his incredibly obnoxious and mildly creepy speaking mannerisms. The Hello Boba Fett necklace is from HelloWars on Etsy. (And I should not have gone over there to get the link because I just saw that they have BUTTONS and now I want them.)

I also made myself a galaxy far far away skirt. I've been obsessing over galaxy print things but they're so expensive right now. But I'm crafty so I will make my own galaxy print things, so there. This awesome multi-colored print was a lucky find and is prefectly galaxy looking after being splattered and smudged with metallic gold fabric paint. (I think it needs some glow-in-the-dark paint too.) I made an easy circle skirt and attached a Millenium Falcon from a bedsheet set.

I liked my skirt so much I decided to wear it for Free Comic Book Day on Saturday.

Yeah, I have a Star Wars skirt and a stuffed Hellboy and I'm standing in front of the Carolina Ghostbusters Ecto-1. Jealous? We stopped by Rebel Base and Heroes Aren't Hard to Find in Charlotte. I got to talk to a couple people who had seen my stuff at the last HeroesCon, which was awesome. I am so ready for it to be convention time!

Our weekend was rounded out by, of course, going to see Avengers.

I hope everyone else had a fun and geektastic weekend! Handmade Stuffs SMASH!



The Nerdy Magpie

I may have discovered a new addiction. Saturday, April 28th, was International Charm Day. To celebrate, the April Make Out with Crown Town Handmade was an assortment of different charms to make and take.

We made charms from shrink plastic, resin-style ones with coin charms and diamond glaze, and clusters of pretty beads to dangle. So fun! Of course I got home and had to think up my own fun project to do. I decided to finally work on something I'd be kicking around for awhile: decopouged wooden pendants.

Yes, obviously they're nerdy. Between sales at my local comic shops and attending conventions, I have a sizeable stack of comics that I got for between ten and twenty five cents each. Perfect for chopping up for craft projects. (Don't hate me!) These little pendants are so easy and so fun to make! I'm going to try and do a little how-to video this weekend to celebrate Free Comic Book Day. I'll also be posting a few additional options here.
I also made some non-nerdy ones from an old science book I found while thrifting. Something like this might make a good gift for another important May holiday, Mother's Day. Add a few clusters of beads dangling from the top and a nice chain and you're all set. It's something I think even kids could make, maybe with a pictures of themselves or a small drawing they made just for Mom.

Buzz Buzz Buzz

I have been an extremely busy bee! As Heroes Con and Dragon Con are drawing closer, I've been spending every spare moment attached to my sewing machine and turning out batches of cuddly friends. Here are two of the largest batches I've made:

Ninja Turtles! Shredder had better watch out with all these little guys after him. They are so fun to make, the little shells and bandannas come out so adorable. Plus, who can say no to teeny plus nunchucks? Nobody, that's who!

I absolutely had to make a big batch of zombies for Dragon Con! It's held in Atlanta, which is also where AMC's "The Walking Dead" is filmed. This zombie hoard is decidedly cuter, and less pungent!

This is only half of the plush zombie hoard! I have twenty-two cuddly brain eaters with removable guts. Each one has a unique set of gross features with skull faces, bloody mouths, wormy friends, eyes dripping goo, and various injuries. These are probably my favorite thing to make, which might be cause for concern...

I'll be putting a limited number of these, as well as a few of the other dolls I've made, on my Etsy shop this weekend.

I Have a Backup Brain in My Butt

Over the past few weeks I've been getting the last of my custom orders done in order to start getting ready for selling at NC Comicon the first weekend of November. I always get a good selection of interesting charcters with customs, and it seems like I've had an overload of aliens lately...

Oh em gee, I am super happy with how little Doop came out. I think I captured his absolute redonkulousness, along with his vacant stare. Doop is one of those dolls I had way too much fun making. He's about 16" tall and, like all my dollies, has jointed arms. Jointed arms are especially good for flailing while following your boyfriend around the house and repeatedly singing "doop doop doop doop doop doop" until he loses his mind. I think "Nerdy ways to irritate your boyfriend" is so going to be a new blog feature.)

I love his weird, buggy eyeballs. You don't even know.

Kit was actually for Stitch Wars Strikes Back at the Bear and Bird Gallery. He didn't sell and I'm totally disappointed to have his adorableness in my house again. Devasted. He's not at all cuddly and loveable and I do not squee girlishly about his head tentacles. (Headacles? That doesn't sound right.) He also did not sit with me and watch the aquatic episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

I think Marvin is the most "mainstream" of the alien plush. He looks a little cranky about it.

Here's Starro to give you a big hug... and control your brain and subvert your will. But mostly hugs!

Come on, give him a little smooch.

Daddy, Why Did You Eat My Fries?

Making Adventure Time plush for other people was super fun (see PB and Lady here and Finn and Jake here). But you know what was even more fun? Making a Marceline for me to keep!

As much as I sew, I rarely get to make things for myself.  Most of what I make is custom orders or for sale at conventions or on my Etsy shop. (Speaking of conventions, I'll be at NC Comicon in November, come see me!) I love sewing for other people and it's a good thing I don't keep everything I make because I would be buried in dolls, but I've been so busy lately and now I'm gearing up for a plush-a-thon in preparation for NC Comicon and the holidays. With all that, I decided to recharge  a littly by making something just for myself.

I used the same pattern I drafted for Princess Bubblegum to make Marceline, as well as modifying the dress pattern. I'm really happy with how the jointed necks are working out, so I may be making more characters in this size eventually. Other than the neck modification, which Marceline especially needed to show off her bites, the body is pretty similiar to the body I use for the regular female plush. She stands about 25" tall, most of the height coming from her legs.

I made the clothing removable so I can make her more outfits in the future. One of the little things I like about Adventure Time is that they do bother to make different outfits for the characters. (Finn, being a 13 year old boy, probably does just wear the same clothes all the time.) Her outfit from Henchmen is top of the list if I can find the right fabric for her tights.

She's very cuddly for a vampire queen, but don't tell anybody.

The Cuddling Dead

I have been absolutely BURIED in commissions. (Buried, get it?) A feature on Comics Alliance brought in a ton of work and I have been sewing my little fingers to the bone. Watch out for more pictures this week!
I'm also getting ready for Heroes Con in June and having a mild panic attack. While I've attended Heroes for several years, this will be my first year as a vendor. I've never done anything with this many people and I'm super excited. On that note, here is the first batch of little guys for the convention. Of course they're plush zombies, silly.

Mr. Skully Face

Each one has little intestines that can be pulled out or stuffed into a tummy pocket. Nothing says "snuggle me" like evisceration, right?

Mr. Head Trauma

 Each one also has a different design, with hand sewn blood splatters and wounds.

Mr. Eyeball

I'm going to do similiar ones in several different colors. I'm thinking dank, olive green and a lifeless pale blue.


Mr Decomposer and Worm Friend

I hate to play favorites with my undead sweeties, but I totally love this little guy with his wormy friend peeking out of his chest.

Mr. Decomposer Detail

  Wallpaper sized images are available for Mr. Decomposer and Mr. Skully Face on my Flickr.

Fabric Belt

These fabric belts are super fast and easy, and a great way to throw a little pattern into your outfits or draw attention to your waist if that's your inclination. I started making these as a way to get rid of some of my stash and I got a little addicted. They are also suuuuper cheap to make, which is always awesome. These instructions make a belt about 3" wide, but you can adjust the fabric width is you want.

Before you start, measure around your waist where you want the belt to sit. Add about 10 inches. Then gather up your supplies. You will need:

- Two strips of fabric measuring 4" wide by the length you determined. (If your fabric isn't long enough,  just piece two bits together.)

- Fusible interfacing 3" wide by the length you determined less 1". (For example, if the length you determined is 40", you want to cut your fusible at 39".)

- A wooden or plastic ring. I used a shower curtain ring that came in a pack of 12 for like $1.50. Purse hardware or decorative belt buckles would also work well.

- Big huge snaps

- Matching thread

- Monster needle

- Marker

- Iron

Fold your fabric in half widthwise and trim a sort of leafy shaped point. The shape is totally up to you, this will be the little fold over bits on the ends. Use the first one as a template for the ends of both fabric strips and the fusible interfacing.

Center the interfacing onto the back side of one of the fabric strips and iron in place. Pin the fabric strips right sides together and sew together with a 1/2" seam, leaving a 2" gap for turning. (Sew right along the edge of the interfacing so it is not caught in your seam.)

Before turning, trim down the seam allowance on both tips. This will keep there from being too much bulky fabric. Turn right side out through the gap. Use a chopstick to push the seams out from the inside and press the edges with a hot iron. (It helps to kind of roll the edges in between your fingers before pressing.)

Once the belt is all pressed and pretty, wrap it around your waist and feed the ends through your ring, folding the belt back on itself. (Look at the picture at the top for reference.) Play with it until your sides are even, mark where each tip ends with a pin and remove from the ring. Fold one side over the ring, matching the end to where you marked with the pin.

Make several small stitches on each side, trapping the ring. (Since you are going through four layers of fabric and 2 of interfacing, this is where a monster needle comes in handy. I use an upholstry needle.)

Fold the other side of your belt over the ring, making sure your flaps are on the same side. Mark where the fabric folds over the ring and measure about 1" away. Stitch the male part of the snap in place (the one with the sticking out part in the middle), centering on the fabric.

Color the sticky out part of the snap with a marker. (See how mine is blue?) While the ink is still wet, fold over and mark where the other side of the snap should go. Stich the other side of the snap in place. To take the belt on and off, just wrap pull through the ring and and snap.

I want to try one with some trim around the edges; I think ric-rac would be really cute. You can also sew a cute button and buttonhole instead of snaps.

It's a Zombie Kind of Day

So I had kind of an awesome today. This morning's project is above, a little zombie dude. Why did I make a zombie, you may ask?


Because I got to see this awesome gentlement this afternoon. That would George Romero, creater of the modern horror movie genre as we know it and director of many outstanding zombie movies. I'm still spazzing out a little. :D

Etrigan

Little Etrigan may be a demon, but all he really wants is a hug. I modified the pattern I used for Bats, making the head a little bigger and adding demon features of course. He's about 19" tall and made of fleece with some felt details. This was originally going to be for sale, but I love him way too much. So this little fella is going to be my prototype and I'll make a different one to sell. On the next one I'd like to use a more yellow fleece (this was all I had on hand) and make his horns a little smaller.

Crap, now I'm thinking of all the other DC characters I want to make. Atomic Skull, Green Lantern, Copperhead, Question....I have a feeling I'm going to be busy.

Aren't You Tweet (2 and 3)

So I'm going to try this Craft 365 thing. I'm counting Sunday's post as 1, sort of cheating but oh well. I'm pretty good about crafting everyday. Sewing is my therapy and after a day of retail I need some therapy. What I'm hoping this will improve is my dedication to blogging. I am terrible about blogging. I hate to take pictures, I don't like editing pictures, and I never really know what to say on this thing. But I feel like it's important for me to put my projects out there and maybe even inspire other people like I've been inspired by other blogs.

On that note, here's what I've been up to for the last two days. I have a picture of the plotting on my Flickr.

I started out by finding pictures of birds that I liked online and traced the shape onto paper with marker. Most of them had to be simplified so I wouldn't have a million little pieces. Then I traced the shapes onto some paper backed fusible webbing. I made it with a little overlap, but trimmed where I could so I wouldn't have too many layers.

Then I cut out the pieces, ironed them on, and stitched around the edge just for added durability.

I still have a bunch more to do, I think I made 11 or 12 designs all together. (There are more finished ones on my Flickr.) The outsides have been cut out and the birdies ironed on and the contrast fabrics are selected, so just a lot of sewing to do.

In other news, I was blogged on Craftzine (my second time). So exciting!

You're a Dollface

I started these waaaaaay back in October, dolls of Bats and I. Between lots of more pressing projects they got sort of pushed aside, languishing in their undies. But I finally got around to making them decent.

I'm so happy with the way they turned out (excuse the picture, the lighting was terrible but I was too excited to wait). Here is a picture of us for reference. Bats is about 19" tall and I'm about 17". I used lovely soft fleece and stuffed them loosely, so they're kind of floppy and nice to cuddle. The arms are jointed and the legs are made so they can sit nicely. Bats has a wee little jersey of course, with numbers made from felt and attached with fusible webbing (I was worried glue would go through the mesh). He also has a little sweatshirt made from an actual sweatshirt that was ruined. His socks are made from the finger parts of a pair of mittens, although I need to find some white ones to get the proper color. We each have little felt shoes.

Our little glasses even have lenses of clear plastic. I need to figure out how to attach the glasses, I want them to be able to come off, and right now they're just pinned onto our heads. Any ideas?
I like the simple embroidered faces, they don't compete with the other things going on. Doll faces are always so hard to figure out, since they contribute so much to the personality of the doll. Realistic eyes or felt or embroidered? Nose or not? We do both have mouths, his is just a bit hard to see with the beard. Bats has the absolute softest hair too, cut from a big piece of fake fur I found at the thrift store ages ago.

I wanted these to be able to take along when I go to visit my family. All my family and friends are on the other side of the country, which means when I go see them I'm gone for about a week. Which leads to much pining for my favorite superhero, and some limited pining on his part I imagine. I've been taking my Ninja Ice Bat, which Bats got me on our first date, but it's not quite the same. (He thinks I ought to get a little recordable voice box for the doll of me so he can have a doll that talks all the time for the true expeirence, the jerk.)

I was actually good with these and did my best not to fudge the pattern as a I went along. I'll be posting the pattern with instructions for a limited time, as I'd like to sell it eventually and would love some feedback. Please let me know if you're interested.