I received my order form Amazon the other day, the lovely "Fun Dolls" and "Cute Dolls" by Aranzi Aronzo. I am totally self taught when it comes to sewing, so (sew) I have been buying some crafty and sewing books of late to make sure I'm not DOING IT ALL WRONG. Plus I still have so very much to learn, and you're all so very inspiring it makes learning even more fun. In any case, what fun books they are! I tried my hand at a couple toys, and they only took between an hour and an hour and a half to put together, but I think they could be lovely presents, especially for the couple of expecting mums I know at the moment. I didn't use jersey knit fabric as suggested in the book, because, well I didn't have any, and also because I wanted to creep-and-kookify (hey, do you think I should trademark that term? I like it! "Creep-and-Kookify", ha!) them using what fabric I had. They've given me ideas (and a little more practice) in any case:
Creepy kitty:
She's made of black and navy felt and a cotton fabric dress - I would have used a purple felt for her whiskers and pupils, but alas the cupboard was bare. I didn't give her a mouth 'cause I didn't want to draw your attention away from her BIG SCARY EYES(?)! Don't look into them, she will hypnotize you. I know. I also gave her a little leaf necklace, but a skull would have been better.
Cobwebby turtle:
I had fun making him! I changed the position of the pupils, but otherwise he's as is the pattern. I'm not sure the fabric (which I love) works though, maybe I would have been better only using the cobwebs around the side of the shell, and a plain coloured body and top portion? What do you think?
Finally, my favourite, was-a-monkey-could-be-an-alien-guy:
Ain't he a cutey? Made a major omission on this one - I don't know if it was the cotton fabric with fibrefil stuffing I used versus the patterns jersey with weighted stuffing, or my weird and twisted imagination, but I had to remove the "tail" - it was way too phallic. No really, it was bizarre. I felt embarrassed for him. Plus, I gave him more animated eyes. I can see him totally becoming an 'alien' with a few changes to the pattern. See, I told you I'd find something to make relating to aliens. Isn't the heart with crossbones nice? It's very thin fabric though...
Well, that was a bit of fun wasn't it? Next post will be pictures of mAlice's big masked ball adventure. Stay tuned...
I found the most gothically-gorgeous fabric at Spotlight - some sort of silky feeling material (not big on fabric names!) in olive with tiny skulls and crossbones. I want to make a tutu for Artemisia (a goth homage to swan lake?), and I think this will work well for the bodice. And yes, of course Beltaine will get her own tutu...
No, not yet her tale, though that shan't be long! Her tail. And yes it is outrageously curly and long, and most assuredly of felt. I also changed her body shape a little, adding a panel of printed fabric (this one is a Halloween print) that I can change dependent on her outfit (or rather, that of Artemisia's). You cant see it in the photo, but she also has little felt pads on her fore-paws. I have updated the pics in my shoppe too.
Speaking of fore-paws and crazy cats, Akasha is running around like a mad thing as we speak - she has been lying in a spot of sun on the carpet (after a couple weeks of grey, wet skies), and I think her vitamin D levels have just been replenished, and her batteries set to crazy-kitten-like-antics-even-though-I'm-fourteen. My cup runeth over with love for her!
Beltaine wishes she was as pretty as Akasha...
Crazy, crazy dreams last night. Yes, crazier than usual. It involved racks of maternity clothes (mostly tartan, of course), and my teeth breaking and falling apart, which resulted in having to go for an overnight stay at a dental surgery (as you do), one that my grandmother refused to enter because it was built on a sand dune and likely to give way with any movement. Sooo, my dad took me in, and inside it looked remarkably like a bus station (sure, why not). And Katie Holmes was there. Yes. Katie Holmes. Why, I'm not sure. But her hairstyle and outfit changed numerous times while we waited in line to be 'served'. Then I was rudely awaken by a repulsively loud and obnoxious 'top 40' song on my clock radio. I mean really, at 5.30am who really wants to hear that tripe? So here I am now, it's ten after six, I'm sitting here listening to the rain (thinking I should go back to bed to do so), I'm eating a chicken and cheese toasted sandwich (not a big cereal person), and I realise Beltaine doesn't have a tail, How remiss of me!. That will be the first order of the day - something outrageously curly and long; and yes, of course, felt will be involved....
Who is Beltaine, you ask? She is Artemisia's familiar, and constant companion. I'm working on elaborate stories for all my girls, so stay tuned...
