Forest Nymph

I make stuffed animals and recently I've branched out to dolls.  They are a bit on the creepy side as I make them, but there is something vaguely surgeon-like as I stuff them and sew up their holes.  This particular doll was made as a competition piece, and will be going with me to Steampunk Industrial Revolution to see if she can find a new home.

She's pretty cute, though from this angle you can't see...

... her hair.  Her hair was sewn and knotted into the doll's head, piece by piece; a truly mind numbing experience.

I made her clothes with the same level of cleanliness that I try to use with my costuming.  Amusingly, one of the judges that scored the competition this doll was entered in told me that as soon as they saw the inside of the doll's clothes, they knew it was my entry.  Ha!

Elfy Green Arrow

A LARPing friend of mine came to me and said, "I need garb!  Awesome garb!  Will you make it for me?"  Of course I said yes, and soon I was provided with this picture to work with:

Yes.  That is Green Arrow from "Smallville".  The request was to make it "elfy" and in "multi-cam" colors.

I started with a Simplicity pattern, but had to pattern out and attach a hood using my wits.  As I worked, I found myself inspired with a way to make the "leaf" detail on the front more leafy, and therefore more elfy.  This is what I ended up with:

An overall view with the hood up.  I knew my friend was fond of Ezio's (Assassin's Creed) hood, so I made it look something like that.  Being creative with the point of the hood in the front resulted in my sewing machine leaping out and biting me, though.  >.<

An overall view with the hood down.  The entire hood and body of the doublet is lined, and I did my best to make the attachment of body to hood like a Mandarin collar so as to keep the hood out of the way when it is down.

A detail view of the leafiness.  It is all machine stitched and something I think I'll be likely to do again.  Machine quilting has emboldened me.

And I know that there are those of you that like this kind of picture, so kindly drool over the insides of the piece, which are fully lined and all seams are bound.

My friend takes delivery of the piece on June 9th(ish), and I hope to have some pictures of him in it to post after that.

Steampunkery

I have a fair number of projects going on right now, and more that seem to be surfacing, but I've still managed to prepare myself for Steampunk Industrial Revolution.  I had a blast at this event last year, and plan to arrive swinging with style this time around.  Here is what I've prepared, with a promise of more pictures with me actually *in* the ensemble...

I tend to favor "Americana" Steampunk, and even then a "Wild West" lilt, so I based this concept loosely on a duster-wearing saloon hall girl.

It also occurs to me that I might want to find a better backdrop for future photos.  >_>

Viking Maiden

A previously mentioned, I'm a LARPer.  One of the charming things that LARPers will do from time to time is to theme one of our weekend events in a different time period or another.  This year, an event that I am attending is themed as "The Vikings are Coming!".  I had not, initially, planned to make anything new for myself to wear to this event.  I have a closet full of costume garments that never see the light of day.  However, my friend (who is coincidentally running the aforementioned weekend event) kindly shamed me into doing otherwise.

Here is the result...

I took this project (which is primarily straight lines) to force myself into flat-felling seams.

I am now kind of a fan.

The end result.  The extra straps I have slung around the neck will likely be used in my hair.

I can never make a project "easy".  If it takes me less than a night, it is likely something I won't be wearing.  ((Oh, the troubles of being a "garb diva".))  So, of course, this needed applique.

A compass rose / sun

A Viking longship rooster-tailing, because obviously it is going *really* fast.

What the longship doesn't know is that it is going *really* fast towards its *certain doom*... in the form of a rather adorable octopus.

Professor Bear

A new passion of mine is making stuffed animals.  This started as a novelty around Christmas time, having made a number of stuffies for various babies that arrived over the course of the year, and it has developed into something that is, apparently, marketable.  Here is the latest of my creations...

Meet "Professor Bear", who will (hopefully) be going home with a new family at Steampunk Industrial Revolution in Nashua, NH.

A profile view of Professor Bear.  See that tail?  See that round belly?  Adorable.

A headshot of Professor Bear.  His eyes are brass buttons and his nose is a wooden button.  I added the spectacles on a whim and really like the result.

I Made a Quilt

Quilting has always seemed like one of those rabbit holes of crafting.  An off-shoot of sewing that you might delve into and then never return from, as it were.  Sadly, nothing says, "Happy Wedding/Baby", like a quilt.

I've never truly quilted before, so I played it safe and bought myself a beginners book, and then promptly picked out one of the "intermediate" designs.  I had what might be considered too much fun picking out fabric.  I discovered that flannel makes an excellent replacement for batting.  I ended up purchasing a walking foot for my sewing machine so that I could machine quilt this quilt.  The rabbit hole is, in fact, deep.

Oh!  And I did mention that this quilt is for my beau's brother's wedding?  No?  Oh, then, let me tell you that my beau's mother bought me my super-duper sewing machine for Christmas.  So, really, no pressure for a first-time undertaking.  Nope.  None.

All in all, though, I think it came out rather well, and though the pictures doesn't show it, surprisingly square!

Jolly Holiday is, indeed, jolly!

The "Jolly Holiday Project" shipped to its recipient and it was received in good time.  Thankfully, it all fit and looks great.  Check it out: