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craftgrrlAlright, this is probably going to be a long-ish entry so if you need a bathroom break or some coffee, we'll wait while you do that.
Okay, ready?
I was (somehow -- a bribe, perhaps?) accepted into the Crammed Organisms show - the largest plushie show in the world! Very exciting for me as it was a juried show, and let's face it, that's always good for your confidence, and because I've never entered into a show or exhibition before so it's all very new and exciting. Also, I was really looking forward to the chance to get my work out there, see people's reactions to it, and just generally be a part of a plush-loving show.
The theme was 'Fairy Folk and Fable', which I admit was a little hard for me at first as I generally stick to real-life reproductions. My first idea was to create plush 'dioramas' of a sort, of the fairy-tale landscapes. You know, the Gingerbread House, Rapunzel's Tower, the bridge from Billy Goats Gruff .... Only I found out that they had to be hangable for display, and that really wasn't going to work with my table-top design.
So my second idea, the idea that I ran with, was to create 4 miniature dressing tables for each of the four major fairy-tale characters - the Wicked Witch, the Prince, the Princess and the Fairy Godmother. I loved this idea! I'd made up a load of mini items to go on their dressing tables (apple with a poison vial, anti-wrinkle cream, spare wands, a pumpkin) when I realised that I wasn't going to be able to make (as well as craft the dressing table itself) enough items to make it look realistic or filled out by the post-off date. I just didn't have enough time to make it look like it did in my head, and it was really bothering me.
I came to this realisation by Tuesday last week, and I had to mail everything off by Saturday - eek! And still work full time!
And so I started again. With half a week to get things done.
I decided to simplify things, and just make bigger versions of some of the mini items I loved that I'd made for the dressing table.
So, I can't feel the tips of my fingers. And I'm pretty sure the vinyl dome that my father helped me sew up in the final minutes has microscopic parts of his fingertip DNA on it (every time he pricked himself he'd cry out that he'd be going to Missouri too if he kept sewing himself to the dome!), but everything is done and mailed and overall (for a perfectionist) I'm satisfied with the results.
But for now...
First we have the Poisoned Apple from Snow White - oh dear, it looks like she took a bite!
Handsewn with a GIANT BLOOMIN' NEEDLE (I think it was for doll-making?). I had to take apart my first attempt as I'd lost two regular sized needles inside it. Made with wool felt, and embroidered details on the leaf.
Next we have the Pumpkin Carriage that took lovely Cinderella to the ball.
(Note, not to real-life scale!)
Handsewn with the same GIANT BLOOMIN' NEEDLE (tm), embroidered details, and florists wire to give the vine-wheels their shape.
Thirdly there is the delicious, the infamous, the Gingerbread Man!
Felt gumdrop buttons, rickrack icing, and one big icing grin. All 100% handsewn again, because I'm masochistic.
(As an aside, I was thinking of making his pattern available for sale - would love any feedback as to whether anyone would be interested in it? I mean, not in a "please buy this" type of way, but advice on whether anyone thinks it's good enough to be sold.)
And lastly there is the Enchanted Rose, of Beauty and the Beast fame.
(You'll have to excuse the grey photo - the sun ducked behind a cloud and I had roughly 45 seconds to take this photo before we left to the post office).
This here is a paper rose, folks - my first attempt at making one, and overall I'm pleased with how it came out. I was thinking of making a bouquet for my nana, who's just moved back into her home. But back on topic, it was made with coffee filters, painted with watercolours, and held up by good intentions and florists wire wrapped in that awesome, space-age-technology floral tape (that stuff is insane!).
The base is polar fleece, and is wonky because this is the last thing I made, and it was finished literally at the last minute. Because of that, I didn't have enough time to figure out how to make the dome dome-shaped on top, so unfortunately it looks like a see-through rocket ship, but we'll ignore that. Or else.
Because it's a little hard to see in the 'dome', I have a few photos of it pre-dome too.
Unfortunately this one turned out blurry - I think it would have been a gorgeous photo otherwise.
Well, thanks for looking! Whilst I had fun the past few weeks preparing for the show, I do have to admit I'm kind of glad it's all over now. The stress of remaking an entire four pieces in half a week was a little debiliating!
. . .
Okay, ready?
* * *
I was (somehow -- a bribe, perhaps?) accepted into the Crammed Organisms show - the largest plushie show in the world! Very exciting for me as it was a juried show, and let's face it, that's always good for your confidence, and because I've never entered into a show or exhibition before so it's all very new and exciting. Also, I was really looking forward to the chance to get my work out there, see people's reactions to it, and just generally be a part of a plush-loving show.
The theme was 'Fairy Folk and Fable', which I admit was a little hard for me at first as I generally stick to real-life reproductions. My first idea was to create plush 'dioramas' of a sort, of the fairy-tale landscapes. You know, the Gingerbread House, Rapunzel's Tower, the bridge from Billy Goats Gruff .... Only I found out that they had to be hangable for display, and that really wasn't going to work with my table-top design.
So my second idea, the idea that I ran with, was to create 4 miniature dressing tables for each of the four major fairy-tale characters - the Wicked Witch, the Prince, the Princess and the Fairy Godmother. I loved this idea! I'd made up a load of mini items to go on their dressing tables (apple with a poison vial, anti-wrinkle cream, spare wands, a pumpkin) when I realised that I wasn't going to be able to make (as well as craft the dressing table itself) enough items to make it look realistic or filled out by the post-off date. I just didn't have enough time to make it look like it did in my head, and it was really bothering me.
I came to this realisation by Tuesday last week, and I had to mail everything off by Saturday - eek! And still work full time!
And so I started again. With half a week to get things done.
I decided to simplify things, and just make bigger versions of some of the mini items I loved that I'd made for the dressing table.
So, I can't feel the tips of my fingers. And I'm pretty sure the vinyl dome that my father helped me sew up in the final minutes has microscopic parts of his fingertip DNA on it (every time he pricked himself he'd cry out that he'd be going to Missouri too if he kept sewing himself to the dome!), but everything is done and mailed and overall (for a perfectionist) I'm satisfied with the results.
But for now...
First we have the Poisoned Apple from Snow White - oh dear, it looks like she took a bite!
Handsewn with a GIANT BLOOMIN' NEEDLE (I think it was for doll-making?). I had to take apart my first attempt as I'd lost two regular sized needles inside it. Made with wool felt, and embroidered details on the leaf.
* * *
Next we have the Pumpkin Carriage that took lovely Cinderella to the ball.
(Note, not to real-life scale!)
Handsewn with the same GIANT BLOOMIN' NEEDLE (tm), embroidered details, and florists wire to give the vine-wheels their shape.
* * *
Thirdly there is the delicious, the infamous, the Gingerbread Man!
Felt gumdrop buttons, rickrack icing, and one big icing grin. All 100% handsewn again, because I'm masochistic.
(As an aside, I was thinking of making his pattern available for sale - would love any feedback as to whether anyone would be interested in it? I mean, not in a "please buy this" type of way, but advice on whether anyone thinks it's good enough to be sold.)
* * *
And lastly there is the Enchanted Rose, of Beauty and the Beast fame.
(You'll have to excuse the grey photo - the sun ducked behind a cloud and I had roughly 45 seconds to take this photo before we left to the post office).
This here is a paper rose, folks - my first attempt at making one, and overall I'm pleased with how it came out. I was thinking of making a bouquet for my nana, who's just moved back into her home. But back on topic, it was made with coffee filters, painted with watercolours, and held up by good intentions and florists wire wrapped in that awesome, space-age-technology floral tape (that stuff is insane!).
The base is polar fleece, and is wonky because this is the last thing I made, and it was finished literally at the last minute. Because of that, I didn't have enough time to figure out how to make the dome dome-shaped on top, so unfortunately it looks like a see-through rocket ship, but we'll ignore that. Or else.
Because it's a little hard to see in the 'dome', I have a few photos of it pre-dome too.
Unfortunately this one turned out blurry - I think it would have been a gorgeous photo otherwise.
* * *
Well, thanks for looking! Whilst I had fun the past few weeks preparing for the show, I do have to admit I'm kind of glad it's all over now. The stress of remaking an entire four pieces in half a week was a little debiliating!
So for now it's goodbye from me, and my plushies as they travel across the world!
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