February Make Out - Let's Pollinate!

No, it's not what you're thinking. Get your mind out of the gutter! This Make Out is a free monthly craft session organized by Crown Town Handmade, Charlotte's group of crafty entrepreneurs. (Of which I am a proud member.) Make Outs are the last Thursday of every month and are open to all ages. Crafty fellas are welcome too!

For the February Make Out we brought a little color and cheer to the cold, gray winter with fabric flowers. Tsunami kanzashi flowers are made by folding small squares of fabric into petals and then joining five or more together to make a flower. The flower can then be attached to a pin, hair clip, or sewn directly onto another surface. Or just carry it around to demonstrate your awe inspiring ability to turn little squares of fabric into pretty flowers. Only really cool people can do that.

The flowers are pretty easy to fold, but do take a little dexterity. It helps to starch the fabric or iron on a lightweight interfacing, but we used untreated fabric and they came out fine. It does take a little finagling to get those petals positioned. Luckily the center gets covered with beads, buttons, or a bit of fabric so any imperfections are pretty easy to hide.

We all worked dilligently, by which I mean we mostly screwed around and chatted and got distracted by all the pretty beads around us and made inappropriate jokes. Getting to visit with other crafty people is one of my favorite things about the Make Out and we always have a total blast.

Here's everyone with their creations.

If you want to make your own, feel free to print out or save the instruction sheet below. We used 3" and 4" squares of quilters cottons to make our flowers.

A big thank you to Beadlush for hosting us at the last minute and to Rachel for taking pictures!

I'm on Fire!

Dudes, I am super excited! I just got confirmation this week that I will be selling at the 2012 Dragon*Con in Atlanta. Last year's Heroes Con in Charlotte was my first time selling at a convention. I did really well and I'm really looking forward to selling at Heroes again as well as exploring other conventions. Dragon*Con seemed like a great option because of the size and proximity. (I still work a day job so I have to aim for conventions somewhat nearby).

Now I'm reaching the mild freak out point when I realize I have to make about a billion dolls, along with small plush and probably some accessories and prints. One of my goals for the year is to have more original characters available, and there is one very apropos little idea I'm really looking forward to working on.

Baby dragons! Each one will start with the same base body but get a unique combination of colors and add-ons like horns, wings, spots, ears, and fancy mustaches. I'm thinking giant sequins for spots of scales too. The only thing better than cute and cuddly is sparkly, cute, and cuddly!

I have more original characters planned and I'm so excited to get started!

I'm Alive!

Who's a bad blogger? Me! To be fair, I've been super busy. Like oh geez, the busyness. But, I have some exciting new things planned for Handmade Stuffs this year and I'm excited to be in the process of gearing up for 2012. In the meantime, here are some pictures of Bats' Christmas gift.

Oontz oontz oontz.

Why Donner Disappoints Me

Sometimes it's hard for me to get in the Christmas spirit. I know why; a big, fat part of my Christmas preparation had to be left behind when I moved in 2007. I miss you every year, Christmas Tree Lane.

If you're not lucky enough to have grown up in a town with a ridiculously huge and kind of famous Christmas display, I pity you. Get in the car and drive there right now. Go marvel at the 140 houses and 300 trees in the nearly two mile stretch. Listen to the carols playing from car windows and tree-mounted speakers. I dare you not to get in the holiday spirit.

Christmas Tree Lane had kind of a depressing start. In 1920, a tree was decorated in honor of a child who had died. Each year, more and more houses joined in. Since then it has only gone dark twice, in 1941 due to wartime restrictions and in 1973 due to the energy crisis. Now around 10,000 people visit every year.

I think my earliest memory of Christmas Tree Lane was caroling with my Girl Scout Troop. We would all bundle up and stand in a makeshift covered bandstand to belt out what I'm sure were terribly off-keep Christmas carols. It was fun though, and we got candy canes and hot cocoa. Candy canes and cocoa is really all the motivation you need at age 8.

As a teenager, nearly every year we'd all bundle up and make the 4 mile loop up on side and back down the other. There's a shopping center across the street from the end of Christmas Tree Lane, which gives you a nice opportunity to get a rest and warm up in a coffee shop before heading back. If you're able to walk, I'd definitely recommend it over driving. A lot of the displays are right on the side of the street offer many opportunities to take stupid pictures of you and your friends.There's also a really ridiculous amount of traffic, and sitting in it is not conducive to holiday good cheer. There are two walk only nights and it's just lovely walking down the street under the lights strung from tree to tree.

The only disappointment is Donner.

I know that sounds a little strange, let me explain. As you go down Christmas Tree lane, you'll see the eight tiny reindeer and Rudolph in order. (On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and so on.) So why is Donner annoying? Because he's only been "Donner" for a short time. Before that it was "Donder", and for years. I'm not talking a couple of years either, I mean at least a decade. It was always the highlight of the walk when we found Donder, the unfortunate reindeer who couldn't spell his own name. I'll never forget, Donder.

Now enjoy these videos of the overachiever house at the end that makes everyone else have a complex.

Nerdsday - Give Thanks

This was going to be my Nerdsday post for Thanksgiving, but I ended up not having access to the blog over the long weekend and then having to dig into customs and now it's like halfway to Christmas but I am posting it anyway. So there.
With this being the "Thanksgiving" post, I wanted to write about something for which I am thankful: being a nerd. Even more than just being a nerd, that nerdiness is seemingly coming into it's own and being viewed more with appreciation and less with derision.

I love being a nerd, I've pretty much always loved being a nerd. I was raised by interesting and crafty parents, so maybe it was inevitable. I watched Star Wars marathons with my dad during the holidays and spent hours crafting and going to thrift shops with my mom. Family vacations almost always involved a museum. Add to the fact that I can be incredible excitable; (my boyfriend refers to me as a human Muppet). So generally I was the one of the "weird kids". I was aware of that from a young age, and I did my best to own it. My parents always encouraged me to be myself and I eventually ended up with a group of a really good friends who all understood me and who all had their own fun idiosyncrasies. Luckily I was in accelerated programs and schools for most of my educational experience, so there were generally a lot of "weird kids" and I didn't have to deal with much in the way of bullying. Me being such a little smart ass may have been a deterrent.


Getting ready to trick or treat at age 20

While "nerd" is usually associated with people who like Star Wars or comic books who have no social skills and unfashionable clothing, I think everyone should have something they're a total nerd about. Everyone should have something in their lives about which they are passionate and interested and that sometimes fills them with slightly manic glee. Maybe that thing is G.I. Joe or Star Trek or Atari games, or maybe that thing is rock climbing or restoring vintage cars or volunteering. Maybe it can be all of those things. But if you don't have something, how is life interesting or fun or even worthwhile? How many fantastic relationships might you miss out on? I wouldn't know my boyfriend if we weren't nerds; we met on a Star Wars internet forum. I wouldn't know any of the fantastic girls I've met through Crown Town Handmade if I weren't such a sewing and crafts nerd and if they weren't all just as bad. It's okay to value being smart and creative, it's okay to like weird things, and it's definitely okay to look different. I am happy and proud to be a nerd and I hope all the nerds out there continue to be awesome and interesting and embrace their nerdiness with pride.

Nerdsday - Snuggly Buggly

As the weather gets cooler for those of us in the Northern hemisphere, I wanted to dedicate this Nerdsday to some fabulously nerdy quilts and blankets. Wrap yourself up and let the geekiness keep you warm.

If you're chilly while playing your favorite video game, you're totally in luck. There are a ton of 8-bit quilts to be found. The pixelation lends itself perfectly to piecing and you can make the "pixels" as small or as large as you depending on how many squares you think you can sew together before losing your mind.

For example, Elizabeth Hartman of Oh Fransson! has started work on a spectacular Space Invaders quilt for her lucky nephew. I love that she's using random patterned pieces in with the solids to give it a patchwork look. It looks like a ton of work and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

If sci-fi is more your geekiness of choice, have no fear. There are beautiful quilts to snuggle whether you're it's a long long time ago in a galaxy far away or where no man has gone before.

I love this graphic and modern quilt by Erika Ray incorporating some great Star Wars sheets. The brown and bright blue look gorgeous together and the pattern on the front is subtle enough to work for lots of ages.

There's also a beautiful quilt block featuring C3PO on Vonkleinendingen. All the colors and patterns are fantastic and I love the addition of the teeny pieced star. I especially love that it looks like C3PO is pointing to it as if to say, "Oh my goodness, I am most intriqued by this fabric manipulation!"

Okay, just one more Star Wars quilt. Crafty Little Beana made this one for her nephew and it faboulousness. I love the idea, making a movie quilt to look like a filmstrip. The detail of all the different patterned teeny sprocket holes, absolute awesomeness.

Trekkies, don't think I forgot about you. You can get your own quilt little art quilt from Elliot McNally. The quilting adds a really neat texture to to the pieces. I especailly like the metallic thread on the transporter quilts, but I think the tribble quilt is my favorite. The look of exasperation on little quilted Kirk is absolutely perfect. Check out her Etsy shop for your own.

Looking at all these fabulous quilts make me want to pull out my Meme Quilt and get back to work! I love sewing dolls, but there's also something so meditative about sewing and ironing little strips of fabric. I have most of the front peiced, but I still have some more memes to add. (You can check out all the memes I have done so far on my Flickr.) Maybe I'll have time to get it finished some day, then it will be like snuggling with the internet.

Happy nerding!

Nerdsday - NC Comicon Wrap Up

I spent this past weekend at a comic convention, so this Nerdsay is going to be dedicated to a little con wrap up as well as an opportunity to mention some of the talented and nifty people I got to see.

My table tends to end up as what I like to refer to as the "Tower of Plush". I had some of the same selection I had at the 2011 HeroesCon, but I did add and update a few characters. You can see Harley Quinn tucked in on the left side, as well as the Ninja Turtles keeping watch. Both of these were very well received, so keep an eye out for them at future conventions and on my Etsy.

My neighbor was the lovely and talented Beck Seashole of Becka Doodles: The Art of Cute. We dubbed our tables the "Cute Corner". In addition to her webcomic about undead goodies, Sweeten Village, Beck also creates cards for the Topps Star Wars Galaxy series. You can purchase her adorable art here, which you should do because it is adorable and she is amazing.

I brought my Marceline as an example of the new doll pattern and had absolutely no intention of selling her until Tommy Lee Edwards' daughter came by. She looked so excited and had the perfect costume, how could I tell her no? At least I know Marceline went to a good home, and she can hang out the Ramona Flowers plush that was commissioned at Heroes.

I also got a chance to talk to Steve Niles, who is a stupendously nice for a guy who writes about ghoulies ripping people's throats out. He's trying to raise money to cover his doggy's medical bills (read more about Sonny here) and is auctioning some great pieces by talented artists.

Now back to sewing...

Shop Update

If you weren't able to make it to NC Comicin this past weeken but still want your own plush, have no fear! All unsold dolls have now been listed in the shop, hooray!

NC Comicon

If you're in the Raleigh,  NC area this weekend com visit me at NC Comicon. There will be many plushes to cuddle!

Nerdsday: In Your Dreams

Thursdays are now going to be Nerdsdays! I'm going to showcase  nerdy or geeky and probably crafty things that makes my dorky heart fill with glee.

I figured I'd start of Nerdsdays with a secret wish that I hold deep in my heart. The wish to own nerdy black velvet paintings.

Observe the beauty and majesty that is Inigo Montoya on black velvet. Also, all these other awesome pop culture icons on black velvet. I've been a little obsessed with black velvet paintings since probably 10 years ago, when I saw a wonderfully rendered painting of Jesus embracing a semi-truck hanging in a deteriorating mall. If it isn't obvious, I have incredibly questionable taste. While I love the ridiculous kitsch factor, I just couldn't bring myself to devote money and valuable wall space to trucker Jesus. These painting are a whole other story. The nerdiness, the talent, the hilariousness.

Bruce White is the man behind VelvetGeek. If you have some extra money you should go give it him. Not even in exchange for a painting necessarily, just because he's neat. It looks like painting run around $250, which I think is totally reasonable for joy on velvet. While I save up for this, I have to go think really hard about who I want immortalized on black velvet. Ha ha, who am I even kidding?