Travel Sewing Kit

I decided to tackle something small to get myself back in the habit of sewing. I found this awesome DIY travel sewing kit on craftgawker and knew that it would be the perfect project for me right now. I loved how the cat on the front is made to be a pincushion. You can find the tutorial to try it for yourself here! It's very simple and doesn't require any machine sewing.

I altered mine to look like a certain someone... can you see the resemblance?

Moving (again)

My ocean of creativity has been getting smaller and smaller. It's barely a creek currently, and feels like it may dry up at any given moment. Most likely, it's because I haven't been attending to my creative needs enough lately. If I get even the tiniest doodle in at "work," I've had a productive day. This isn't how it should be, but there's not much I can do about it until I have the money saved up to move and I'm settled in my new studio apartment.

Which brings me to my only creative outlet currently: my new apartment. I'm still a month or two away from actually moving, but I dream about it daily. This is going to be the first time I've ever lived completely alone, and I'm looking forward to having my own space to do and have whatever I want. I've lived with my family, roommates, and boyfriends, and although I do like company just as much as the next person, I love solitude more than most. And the thought of my entire living space being an expression of solely me is amazing. I'll have plenty of time to sacrifice my own dreams for others in my life, so I'm making this a selfish safe haven from serving people in the restaurant business and attending to friends' and family's needs. By doing this, I feel like it will actually make me more open to help other people because I won't feel so sucked dry all of the time.

Here are some ideas for decorating and whatnot I've found on craftgawker - my current favorite iPod app.

Indoor Tabletop Water Garden by radmegan

Suitcase found on Victoria Rudenko's Pinterest

Better Update Soonish?

Been caught in a creative black hole lately, so there hasn't been much to update about. I finally pulled myself out of it today though, after spending days doodling all over any piece of paper I could get my hands on at work. I'm realizing that even meaningless doodles and funny sketches still keep my brain going. That's pretty much what I did tonight - more pattern sketches and some paintings accompanied by kitties and weird monsters. Hopefully all of this will lead to picking up the needle and thread and going at it till my fingers fall off.

Also, I realized that I never draw the same pattern twice. It's almost impossible, even though I'm pretty much using the same shapes and whatnot. I found this pretty cool because the plush I create from this will always be one of a kind, even if the larger plush shape is the same as another one I've made. Pictures and better update soon when it's light out and my brain isn't mush.

Practicing New Painting Techniques

I've always wanted to try a more traditional Eastern approach to painting, and I found this cute painting set at the craft store a few days ago.

It has an ink stick, an ink stone for grinding the ink in, a small ceramic cup and tiny spoon for adding water to the ink stone, a brush rest, two brushes (not pictured above because I have them hanging up), an uncarved Chinese seal (chop), and some red stamp ink for the seal. No instructions or anything were included in the set, so I had to look up what some of the stuff was. I also found some good advice on brush care and how to grind ink. One of the things it said about drying your asian brushes was to hang them from a brush stand. I had noticed that both of the brushes it came with had little loops on the end of them for hanging, and since brush stands can be pretty expensive, I started thinking about how I could make one. My brushes are currently hanging from a cork board next to my desk on a neat key hook that I haven't ever found a use for.

After figuring out how to use the ink stick and what not, I started experimenting and painting. I've only doodled a little with the set, but I really like the feel of it. I liked the simplicity and calming feeling I got when I painted this mandala today.

A couple of questions came to mind about my project while I was doodling:

- Should I make the mandala part or decide on the shape of the plush first?

- Should I sketch out the mandala or stitch it free form like when I draw?

- Do I want to sew the mandala with a machine, by hand, or a combination of both?

I'm planning on addressing these questions as I go and figuring out what works best for me. For now, I haven't actually sewn anything that has to do with this project, but I've been sketching and meditating on it pretty often.

GIR from Invader Zim Hat Tutorial

I'm trying to finish up the remainder of my custom orders before starting on the new project. This cute GIR hat was requested by a friend and coworker, and I like it so much, I may make another one for myself! It was pretty simple (it only took one night), so I though I'd share how I made it. If you've ever seen the show Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, I just altered a pattern for Finn's hat that I've used several times.

You will need:

• Lime green fleece
• Black fleece
• White fleece or felt
• Pink fleece or felt
• Lime green thread
• Black thread
• White thread or embroidery floss
• Black embroidery floss
• Needle
• Pins
• Sewing machine (you can do it by hand if you don't have a machine)
• Scissors
• Fabri-Tac or other strong sewing glue (not necessary but it helps me!)
• Pattern from http://bit.ly/finnhat

Print the pattern from the link above. You will only need the 1 and 2 pieces. I made the sides of the hat a little shorter than the pattern because I didn't want it to come all the way around the neck, so alter the pattern as necessary according to how you want your hat to look. Watch the video below detailing how to sew the Finn hat together. Everything is exactly the same except for the details on GIR's face, his tongue, and his ears. When it's time to sew the main hat shells, you can follow this video for directions.

After tracing the patterns on the lime fleece (make sure and watch the video to see how to trace them!) and cutting them out, cut four rectangles from the black fleece about 2"x 4". Sew two of them together wrong side out, and leave the top of them open so that you can turn them right side out when you are done. Do the same with the other two. These are GIR's ears!

For his eyes, I traced the bottom of my glue bottle to get a good circle, and I cut two of these out of white fleece. Then I cut tiny circles out of the black fleece and sewed them on the white circles. Next I cut a tiny triangle out of the black fleece for GIR's nose. Cut out a small rectangle from pink felt for his tongue, and use black embroidery floss to sew the line on it. Use the same black embroidery floss to sew a running stitch down the middle of the front of your outer lime "1" piece. Place his little black nose on the running stitch you just made (I used sewing glue to keep it in place while I stitched it on) and sew it on to the lime piece with black thread. Place his eyes evenly apart using the nose as a guide, and sew them on using white thread. Check out the picture at the top of this post for reference on where to place his facial features!

Next use the video above to sew the rest of him together using the lime green thread, but instead of cutting holes in the top of his head for his ears like the video, insert his ears into the seam before you sew the outer 1 and 2 pieces together. Pin them in place and turn it right side out to see how they look before you sew, and make adjustments as necessary. Do the same for his tongue when it's time to sew the inner and outer hats together. Don't worry about the velcro part of the video unless you want it that way; I didn't!

That's pretty much it! Thanks to the guys from Adventure Time for making such a wicked fleece hat tutorial video. I like it so much better than any of the other hat tutorials I've come across. They all feel too tight and suffocating. And seriously, if you've never seen adventure time, you neeeeeeeeeeeed to.

A Pattern To My Thoughts

Lately, every time I pick up a marker and start doodling, all I can draw are patterns. They usually start with a basic shape, like a circle. Sometimes it starts with the silhouette of something - a fish, for example. Then waves of patterns begin coming out from the original shape till I hardly have room left on the paper/sidewalk/napkin. I'm usually not satisfied with what I've drawn until I go back and add tiny repetitive details to the patterns and shapes, and by the time I'm done, I feel relaxed and less cluttered.

When I first started doing this, I became pretty worried that my brain was broken or something. I seriously thought that maybe there was something wrong with me.

(Maybe I needed to get a new bed sheet set?)

I always plan out what I draw, even if I'm just doodling. Letting my mind go while my pen wanders is a completely new feeling to me.

I realized that maybe this was a good thing when I went to the bookstore about a week ago. There were all these books on display about learning to draw mandalas. I remembered studying the intricate Buddhist mandalas in one of my art history courses, so I was interested in what all the hype was about them. After I scanned through a few pages in the book, I learned that many people use mandalas to meditate. This started to make a lot of sense because I've always like the idea of meditating, but the practice was so hard for me. However, when I sit and draw these patterns, my focus is so basic and most of the background noise in my mind evaporates.

My next big realization came after I doodled this picture:

Could I apply this method to a medium that I'm more comfortable with?

And I Begin Again

My blog has been severely neglected. I believe it's because it never had a purpose other than to get myself out into the internet world and try my hand at keeping up with one of these things. I wanted people in the sewing community to read it and interact with me, like some kind of plush Myspace. When that didn't happen, I let it die, and I honestly figured I wouldn't be back.

BUT I have a new purpose for this blog.

My creative energy is bursting at the seams (ha sewing pun) right now, and I've got a few ideas I'd like to try. They aren't like anything I've ever made before, so I want to document my research, inspirations, works in progress, screw ups, etc. Even if no one besides me ever looks at this blog, I really don't mind because this is just a way for me to record my creative process. And if by some crazy magic voodoo someone does read it, maybe it will help them do the same or at least inspire them to do something better. I've changed a lot in the past year, and my focus is finally on trying to make work I'm proud of rather than making something to sell. More on this later...

For now, I'll leave you with a few things inspiring my upcoming project.

"Mandala of Celtic Buddhism"


Amazing plush (couldn't find it's name) by Muju


"Candela" by Spinthread

Accepted!

Yep, I'm in for this years Plush You! show in Seattle! I'm going to start saving money now so that my friend and I can fly over to check it out. So excited!

I've made a lot of new friends recently, and this was for one of them that wanted a "Where the Wild Things Are" painting done my way. I haven't sewn anything recently, but my sketchbook keeps grabbing more ideas for when I'm ready. My machine needs to get whipped back into shape before I make anything for Plush You!

Etsy shop SALE

Well, my Etsy shop has been up and running for a few months now, so I think it's time for its first summer sale! Just click on the SALE section in the top right corner of my shop to see what items are marked down.

It's sumer time, what more can I say?

Update-tastic

I'm back to sewing! This lion just kind of happened on a whim yesterday, and I'm fine with that. It's the first thing I've sewn that doesn't involve felt, AND it's the biggest plush I've made so far. I think I was originally going to sew him a tie... I may still do that.

OH and I finished Bunzilla!!! I started this thing a few weeks ago, but he's been sitting unhappily in my desk while I was fitting my routine back together. It's exciting because this is the first plush to usher in a new era for me: I do what I want! I'm tired of listening to the endless suggestions from (mostly) people who have no idea what my vision is or what kind of pieces I want to create. Making simple cute things is really fun, and sells pretty well, but that's not what I'm concerned with. I want to push my boundaries and try and make some more complex stuff like when I first started sewing. Yay for new found confidence!

Rollercoaster

Haven't had any sort of update in a while for a number of reasons... My personal life has been in an uproar, and I don't have internet access where I just moved. I even missed the craft show (it was today) that I was so excited about being in. Luckily, I got my desk set up today, and I am ready to sew again!

Monsters and Stitches

creature in color by tillfabriken

V2 Monoprint Monsters by benconservato

DSC_0099 by foxinthewoods

lost at sea by melissastanley727

Thanks for Playing

I was really hoping to get into the Plush You LA show, and when I didn't hear back from them for a long time, I figured I wasn't going to make it. But I got the official "better luck next time" e-mail a few days ago, and I'm pretty bummed about it. Luckily, I have the opportunity to try again for the Plush You Seattle show when they start accepting applications for that, so I'm just going to give it everything in me. Another disappointment came when I saw the winners for the Plush You olympic challenge. I'm happy for the winners, and even though I definitely feel they deserve it, it still has me feeling down that I didn't place. Sometimes I just feel discouraged because I'm trying to make a name for myself in the plush community, and I'm not sure if I can. It's what I love to do though, so I'm not giving up.

On the bright side, I did have some fun today taking pictures with my bunnies. My mom helped me find a good spot in her yard and took the pictures for me. I'm really lucky to have a supportive family - both her and my dad have let me know that they are proud. It really helps me through times like this when I don't feel as strong as I usually do.

Lesson Learned

This is Penelope. She's cute as a button, but in reality she's a happy little mistake. I just about gave up on her and sent her to the plush graveyard quite a few times. I get so caught up in sewing sometimes that I will sketch something onto the material I am making the plush out of and just go at it without a second glance. Last night, I was SO ready to use this purple tipped white faux fur for a little bunny. It's my favorite faux fur that came in the scrap box I ordered - so soft and long and awesome colored! I made the little lady's face, and immediately I was in love with her. So I sketched up the body on the fur and got down to cutting. I sewed her together, and then I was ready for the "birthing" where I turn it right side out. Unfortunately, I didn't take into account how long the fur was and that her ears needed to be a little wider than usual so that I could turn them out easily. I normally have a really hard time turning them out as it is, so the added fur made it impossible. I spent at least 30 minutes in labor trying to turn her ears out, and my shirt took the punishment for me.


I had just gotten home from my day job and I hadn't changed my shirt yet. Lint roller anyone? Anyway, I got pretty pissed off and broke a couple of pens in the process, then went to bed for the night. Today I decided that I loved this tiny thing too much to give up, so I sewed bear-like ears under where I sewed the long ears and cut off the excess. I still think she's adorable even though her ears are not very bunnyish. At least I learned not to rush things when I'm dealing with my favorite (and only) scrap of material.

Copycat

One of those random floating around the net pictures, not mine!

So one of my biggest fears as a crafter is not only being copied, but copying someone else. Of course I would never purposely copy someone. However, I've noticed that, like any human being, I tend to be influenced by my favorite artists or even work that I see just one time. Sometimes I will catch myself and think Hmm I feel like I've seen this somewhere before, but I'm constantly afraid that I may not catch myself, and I might subconsciously copy someone. My boyfriend thinks I'm nuts because I will scour the internet for other crafters and plush artists and ask him how similar he feels my work is to theirs. I admit that it seems silly, but I've crafted things before and then seen plush almost identical in concept to what I've created. Usually, mine have been made after theirs, so then I sit and think about if I've ever stumbled across the image before. Often I come to the conclusion that we just have similar ideas, and I honestly do not remember ever seeing their work. I guess what it really boils down to is that I want to be original, but there is seldom an idea that hasn't been thought of previously. And to the copycats that know exactly what they're doing, make something that reflects you instead - it's much more impressive!

Desk and such

This is where the magic happens. The drawer on the right pulls back into the desk, but I just wanted to show you the space I have. It isn't always this clean looking - this is between projects. I love this thing SO much. Having the chance to organize all of my sewing and art stuff makes me a million times more productive. For anyone who doesn't have their own designated space to create: it seriously makes all of the difference in the world.

Here are some of the keychains I've been making for the craft show next month. It's 23 days away, so I've got to bust ass to get everything together!

Sick of the Flu

Sorry for the lack of posting over the last few days. The flu has been tearing through my friends and family, including myself. On top of this, my internet has been out, so I'm checking my mail and posting from a cafe before I go to work today. I did manage to drag myself out of bed to make the little baby rabbit above, and I'm thoroughly happy with the way he turned out. More baby rabbits on the way!

Here's another photo of my olympic plush entry, Vincent. All of his accessories are removable, and I personally like him better without them.

Also, my Moo Mini Cards arrived yesterday! I'm more than excited about the way they turned out. It took every ounce of energy left in me not to run into the street and throw them at people as they walked by.

The new olympic sport is...

Eskimo Panic!

Monster olympians participating in the popular Eskimo Panic sport must get the best scare out of an unsuspecting Eskimo going about their daily routine. Athletes are awarded up to 10 points in the following categories: element of surprise, Eskimo response, originality, and overall scare. Each monster must participate in two rounds, with the winner having the highest averaged score. Note: Any Eskimo getting harmed will result in immediate disqualification!

And here we have a photo from this years Eskimo Panic event. This was taken just moments after Vincent "The Tentacle" Jahwee poked his infamous tentacle through an ice fisher's hole in the ice. We got the opportunity after the even to speak with Jahwee.
US: That was an amazing round! Why did you decide to choose this particular Eskimo?
VINCENT: Well, I think it's obvious that I needed a clever way to put my better half to use. When I cam across this little ice fisher, I knew exactly what to do.
US: Do you think you have a chance of taking the gold home this year?
VINCENT: If it were up to me, absolutely, but we'll just have to wait and see what the judges say. I'm a little intimidated by the nation of Boogie's judge.
US: Pardon us for asking, but what's with the scarf?
VINCENT: You never know what kind of environment you are going to be scaring in, other than the fact it will be cold. Thankfully, I brought a diving mask, but the scarf was not quite as functional as I had hoped underwater.

Fur box!

Today I got my first box of faux fur scraps! I bought it less than a week ago from Lulievision's Etsy, and they got here very quickly. I'm happy with the variety and size of the scraps, and a few of them even matched.


None of them are really big enough to make my usually bunnies out of, so unless I make them a little smaller and use different fabrics for their front and backs, I need to come up with another plush design to use all this fur on. Now I see why Love & a Sandwich uses these - they are the perfect size for her newborn monsters!

Moo card update: Got an email today saying they should be here by next week. Yay!

Goodbye Nunny!

Obviously the main reason for opening an Etsy is to make money. When I opened mine last month, I had every intention of selling the things that I love and love making. I'm not backing down, this is ultimately what I want to make a living doing, but I had my first real bittersweet moment with it today. Nunny is my hands-down favorite plush that I have recently made, and yesterday she found her home! I'm always excited when I make a sale, but it's hard to let her go. She's going to a little girl that I know is going to love her, so I'm ultimately happy. While I was painting today, I thought I would make a little doodle to ship with Nunny, and I think I might do this every time I ship from now on. It's always nice to get an extra doodle!