due to an art challenge that several friends have also taken on, i've gotten back into making dolls.
they're each around 9" tall. i used items that i had in my craft stash - cotton fabrics, acrylic paints, bits of ribbon and fringe and other trims, mardi gras beads, poetry dog tags (i knew those would come in handy one day!), fake flowers, buttons and beads, glitter glue...
i had a lot of fun with this project. the dolls are on their way to 3 different owners: one in colorado, one in canada and one in china.
another little something for my table at Felt Club in two weeks (!!):
teapot cozy 06-028
27" bottom circ, 10.75" tall
this one started out with just a general idea, no real plans mapped out for how to get there. i stencilled the lettering, and spent some time trying to decide how to proceed with the skull. i finally settled on using my clorox bleach pen, and after several rounds of bleaching and rinsing, i was pretty much happy with it. i added some batting and some machine stitching, and had fun just adding to it as i wnet along. what do they call that, an organic process or something? ;-) i'm hoping i'll be able to replicate the results in the future.
i've been making stuff to add to my new "shawnee homemonkey" line... it started with teapot cozies, went on to oven mitts, and now i'm adding aprons...
black heavier-weight cotton with accents using a fun cherry print i found at joann (hurrah for 40% off coupons!). i used a mccall's pattern for these two aprons (http://www.mccallpattern.com/item/M4534.htm). pretty basic, pretty easy to make, and not hard to tweak/customize.
and another:
i'd made a bedcover of recycled denim (inspired by the quilts of Gee's Bend), and i had loads of leftover pockets.
the main part of the apron is that same black cotton... i got yards and yards of it about a dozen years years ago, and it comes in pretty handy. i'm not sure when i'll ever use it up - i think it reproduces in the closet when i'm not around.
since bellepoque asked, i figured i'd post a bit about my fabric collection.
just PART of the stash, after a recent re-organization.
the fabrics from my last blog post have been gathered over the last 15+ years. the super funky 70s fabric was an accidental find at this gigantic fabric discounter store in orange county. it is (or was - it's been years since i went there) in an old grocery store building and they had all the bolts of fabric one would expect at any fabric store.
their big deal was their stacks of flatfolds. they had flatfolds for $1 or $2 a yard, and they were stacked several feet high in these big bins. seriously, a shopping excursion there could take hours, and having strong arms was a huge plus. just scanning the jam-packed flatfolds section was enough to make one's head spin.
BUT! but... paying close attention could yield some excellent finds. that 70s fabric really was from the 70s - the year was printed on the selvedge (i think it was 1973 or 74) next to the designer's name. i still have a teeny bit left, and i'm hoarding it. i bought maybe 3 or 4 yards. i wonder if they still have some left, maybe at the bottom of one of those stacks? sure, the older fabric doesn't always hold up very well for clothing projects, but for other stuff it's just fine.
for the most part, the bulk of the rest of the fabrics are from regular chain stores like Joann's or the former House of Fabrics. a lot of my nicer quilting fabrics come from Leah's for Quilters and Keepsake Quilting. they're a little more pricey, but the fabrics are soooooo lovely to work with. occassionally, i pick up a piece or two from thrift stores, and sometimes friends pass their old stashes to me. which is nice. ;-)
sometimes i dye or print purchased fabrics and sometimes i cut up old clothing. hey, whatever works, right?
this time around, i'm making french press cozies. AND i'm still sticking with the "Use What You Have" rules, though my stash doesn't seem to be shrinking all that much. d'oh!
teapot cozy #14: bodum cozy
12" wide by 6" tall, vintage cotton print and felted wool sweater backing, two-sided pink and orange satin ribbon tie around the middle, light pink ties at top and bottom. fits a 32-oz bodum french press.
teapot cozy #15: french press cozy
~12" wide by ~6" tall. part of cloth coffee bag and printed cotton, backed with fleece, 2-sided satin ribbon ties.
teapot cozy #16: french press cozy
~12" wide by ~6" tall. cotton fabrics with cotton batting between layers. elastic and button closure.
teapot cozy #17: french press cozy
~12" wide by ~6" tall. cotton fabrics with fleece layer inside. wolverine fabric transfer! and it sold so quickly, it made my head spin! i'll be making a couple more wolverine-themed cozies, that's for sure.
click through on the pictures for more detail and different views.
i'm having entirely too much fun with this project! it's been good to incorporate this project with "use what you have month", so i can get my stash under control.
and i keep forgetting to update this blog, d'oh! so here's what i've been working on:
Attack of the Teapot Cozies! (aka Teapot Cozy Project '06)
teapot cozy #1
i started this project in late March, and am continuing it in April in conjunction with the "Use What You Have" group on flickr.
teapot cozy #2 (Galaxy Cruiser 3000)
teapot cozy #3 (Cthulhu cozy)
teapot cozy #4 (Pirate cozy)
teapot cozy #5 (Drunkard's cozy)
i'm having WAY too much fun with this project. once i'm all done, i'll figure out what to do with 'em. i'm definitely keeping one for myself - that's the main reason why i started the project in the first place! not sure which one yet, since there are so many possibilities...
hot pink was my favorite color in 3rd grade. everything had to be pink pink pink! just like this monkey! the socks are covered in little potted plant designs. no wings, though. i just wasn't feeling particularly wing-inspired with this one. maybe the next one will earn some wings!
