Fabric dolls: The Mostlies

[mint-conspiracy.livejournal.com]

A few pics of my latest fit of lost sanity creative endeavor, the Mostlies:

( Cousin Albert likes screaming in public. )

Production notes: I make the bodies from muslin, altering the basic pattern to reflect different species. Then I paint the faces and details with acrylics. I plan on adding accessories and whatnot to future Mostlies.

homo bag

[kellyhogaboom.livejournal.com]

I made a hoBO bag off an excellent tutorial at craftster.

( My bag: )

My TUTORIAL for a ruffle-snap pocky.

( Read more... )

(no subject)

[teraspawn.livejournal.com]

One of my friends is starting at the Yehudi Menuhin (or however the hell you spell it) School this September. (It's a really exclusive music school). She plays classical guitar, and has to keep the fingernails on her left hand long. As a leaving present, I made her these:

( clicky clicky )

I'm not sure if these have any kind of practical application, as they fall off as soon as you move your fingers quickly. However, I think they'll be appreciated as a joke present ^_^

EDIT: oops, I forgot the picture was hosted on craftster. Fixed now!

backpacks/purses!

[bigb1ackscar.livejournal.com]

I love backpacks/purses but not girly ones or overly expensive ones, so I have a few that I've either made myself or gotten really cheap and altered a bit. The first one was $3 on eBay. All I did to it was add different straps, because it's a children's backpack and they were short and uncomfortable.

( Blue's Clues! )

The second one is a drawstring bag that I made myself. It's fuzzy purple zebra print fabric and lined with the same print only lime green. It was hard to get a picture of the inside. :/ There's two purple pockets and one green pocket inside. I'm planning on making a lime green star to put on the outside.

( Zebra print! )

It was very easy to make. I'm not good at tutorials but I'm sure there's been plenty posted before.

Sewing Machine? Text only, sorry. :(

[renegade-yarn.livejournal.com]

Hi, does anybody have any recommendations for a good sewing machine that's not like. Over 600 dollars? &Preferably not one of those cheesy, really cheap, &bad quality itty bitty ones that can't even sew through denim. Something with preferably many types of stitches, tension settings, etc. (I haven't bought a sewing machine in a really long time, so I'm not sure if all sewing machines come with it.) All my sewing machines were hand-me-downs, &the last time I went sewing machine shopping, I think I was four. My current sewing machine is weird; the bobbin gets loose&pops out, causing the needle to break, &the tension is really wiggedy-wack. So basically, good sewing machine, not overpriced, fair quality.

On the note of sewing machines, how do you use the buttonhole stitch (if you have one)? I've been trying to figure it out, but with no avail.

THANKYOU!

no big deal.

[pretend-it-is.livejournal.com]

( planner )

(no subject)

[theinnocence.livejournal.com]

does anybody know of any resources online to learn how to do the asain style of macrame? with all teh pretty knots and cords and whatnot? i couldn't find anything in the memories.

kind of like these links:
http://www.earthguild.com/products/knitcroc/knotemp/asiaknot.htm
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~wf5y-un/PresentTo7.htm
http://www.marchen-art.co.jp/asian/book.html

Hey all you Fire Fly fans!

[viking-girl-242.livejournal.com]

Does anyone have a knitting pattern for Jane's knitted hat? That one with the straw bits in it. I have a friend who would like it and I would rather have the actual pattern than adapt a new one.

Thanks all!!

a quick semi-craft related question...

[guitarinhand.livejournal.com]

so my dear friend, alex, is leaving for rochester, ny, on thursday for his freshman year of college. he's quite nervous about the whole ordeal and really doesn't want to leave good ol' pittsburgh, so i thought i would send him some fun packages and such up at school.

the thing is, i want to knit him a scarf, but i'm not sure when i should send it. anyone on here live in rochester or that general area and can tell me when it gets to be scarf weather there? i know here in pittsburgh, it's usually nice to have one early/mid-november or so.

X Marks the spot!

[sambag.livejournal.com]

Ahoy Crafty Friends!

I am a kindergarten teacher's assistant. She asked me to make a treasure chest for behavior bribes and this is what I came up with:



( more details )

Yeah, So i'm not a perfectionist and this could have been a lot better. But on a whim, I think it looks pretty cool.

-sam

What to do with foam?

[ohgoshmassacre.livejournal.com]

Hiii!
I posted here about a month ago asking what to do with a large amount of foam I'd been given. It's the thin coloured foam, not proper foam. Someone said to make purses?
I just attempted to make one but i failed badly.
How would i join the foam together and what would i use to close the purse?

Is it possible?

Thanks in advance!
xo. eli

(no subject)

[i-play-pretend.livejournal.com]

can anyone help me out with a pattern for a hummingbird applique?

(no subject)

[lucifersamekh.livejournal.com]

So I've been busting my ass (ok not really, two days a week?) preparing for a zinefest this weekend and I'm STILL not ready.

I discovered a great screenprinting studio here that offers youth classes for $4 with all supplies provided. They've got plastisol inks, a heat dryer, a light exposure unit, the works! I AM NEVER STENCILING AGAN HAHA.

The business cards I wanted printed would've cost me $75 so I've got to rush and get cardstock and screenprint them tomorrow myself. busybusybusy. I also had my portfolio printed for potential customers to look at but they cut some of the edges off...

So here're the photos from my portfolio of the stuff I've made in the past three months and some when I started out that I never posted.


This is Hannah and I; we had about two sewing parties while she visited me. This is us holding up the shirt we specially designed and made for Sufjan Stevens. He loved it but feels subconcious wearing it, he told us! haha. I'll post a photo of him in the shirt whenever I get it.
( Comment!Comment!Comment! )

The first of the deershirts that I made myself. The girl is inspired by Hannah who's always talking about deer. Thus the antlers.
( For Zinefest! )

OPPN: If I made a few of these shirts in guy sizes do you think anyone will buy them? And also, how should I price them at? I'm thinking $20 because I put a lot of work into each one but do you thinkt hat is too much?

for more info about zinefest visit www.sfzinefest.com! I hope to see many of you there!

(no subject)

[this-falseart.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about this being text-only, but I can use some suggestions. I'm going to make memo boards using canvas covered with painted paper. I want to use some nifty painting techniques to decorate the paper. I was wondering if anyone can suggest some techniques using paint. For instance, a technique such as dry brushing or creating a marble effect. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much.

Monster!

[fem21.livejournal.com]

I painted the door to my art room today. :)

( Lookit )

Pet Costumes?

[bubbledragon.livejournal.com]

I saw an adorable pumpkin costume for dogs at the pet store today, but thought it couldn't be terribly difficult, so went searching for patterns. Joann's only had one pattern, that was $15! So. Does anyone know of free or cheap patterns for pet halloween costumes? The printed pattern I found was mostly for 'cloakish' patterns - wizard, vampire, etc. Worse comes to worse, I can just sew a semi circle, right? Let me know if you gals have any references. :o)

Fun, natural yarns

[meliaec.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know where I can find yarns that are fun (like Boa, eyelash, fun fur, twister, cha cha, etc.), that are made of natural fibers (silk, rayon, cotton)? I looked at so many yarns at both Michaels and Joanns and the I found maybe one type of yarn that was just a plain sort that was 100% cotton. I would like to find something fun to dye with my procion dyes.

(no subject)

[ilovekorn.livejournal.com]

i now love cut out handle bags. they are fast and fun to make. and fun to carry around. they surprisingly fit lots of stuff too. what a great bag!

( newest beautiful bag with fish! )

selling help and an idea

[lttle-red-lotus.livejournal.com]

ah, yes, i'm a poor 18 year old college student. how do you all sell your things? does ebay really work for you all? i want to sell my stuff on there, but how on earth will people find it? there's a big ocean of handmade jewelry out there, the chances that someone sees my things and actually likes them are very small. right now, i'm only selling stuff on my lj store, that's the only place i know of that i can get some sales. do any of you all use consignment shops? if so, could you point me in the direction of some? and lastly, how do you generate traffic to your jewelry sites?

i'm sorry i ask so many questions, but i guess that comes with being a newbie. :)

also! if anybody has ever wondered about how to display their rings/jewelry, here's a way to do it:

get a piece of printer paper, and make it into a cone shape. you may want to make colored cones to bring out certain colors in the jewelry. On Microsoft paint, make a big square and fill it in with your desired color and cut the square out then make the cone. get some clear tape and tape along the seam. after you make the cone, flatten the cone a bit (so it forms a triangle) and cut across the bottom to your desired height.

for a background, i usually take pictures in my kitchen. i hang a long black or white skirt from a cabinet (yeah i know really strange but it works), then i make sure all of my windows and blinds are open for light. i don't even need to use a flash button on my camera because of it. the pictures come out really nicely. at night when there isn't enough light, i get a table lamp and put it next to the jewelry.

here's a picture of a printer paper cone with a bunch of rings i made from my earlier post. :)



the end!

(no subject)

[africanviolin.livejournal.com]

Hopefully an easy q:


Can you paint canvas (like a tote bag?) with textile medium and acrylic paint and then do iron-ons over the top of it?? I'd like to do light blueish swirls and the iron on some lettering if possible. If not, I'll just do the lettering.

Craft pillows

[zillion-eyes.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know how big the craft pillows at [Walmart] are? Any that are roughly 9x9.

I'm car-less for the remainder of the summer before I go to school, otherwise I'd just go run and check! haha

ps- Any suggestions before I start a small crocheted pillow case?

Thanks!