365/2013 - Day 329

the small spikey guy gets fingers...then a little photo fun

Today I finally got around to figuring out some fingers for the small spikey guy.  He still isn't totally completed yet, but he is getting closer.

Choosing one of the four fabrics...

Making tiny fingers.

Sewing the tiny fingers onto the palms.

Not bad...back of his hand.

Not bad...palm side.  I still  haven't tweaked them or trimmed them.

Twink photo bombs the small spikey guy showing off his new fingers.

Next I finally got around to sewing over the seam on the back of his head...whew!

"before"

"after"

Yep...yep...yep...one of these day I really ought to sort out this sewing bin.

And now...for a little bit of posing for pictures fun.  I was giggling so hard after some of these that I could barely hold the camera still...so goofy.

"Ta-daaaaaaa...I gots fingers!"

"Ta-daaaaaa...Steve Peregrin Took as Took's screensaver."

"Okay...ya got me!"

"And this is my tower o' tape."

"Hey -- no bite!"

"NO bite!"

Too much silly fun.

Oh...and today I mailed in the lion-creature guy for the "Holly Dolly Fundraiser" at Paint Creek Center for the Arts"...well ahead of the deadline (for a change)!

365/2013 - Day 290

revisiting the small spikey guy

This afternoon and this evening I have been reworking the small spikey guy's face/mouth.  I have no pattern, no idea what I'm doing, no right, no wrong...I'm just sewing as I go...trying stuff...ripping it out...starting again.  Basically the small spikey guy is a sort of tester for me.  I also like him a lot.

I take so many photos while I am working on something like this because it is highly unlikely I will remember how I did something the next time I pick this guy up to work on him...especially since I am pretty much making stuff up as I go along.

before

before -- nose/mouth

starting to use the seam ripper to remove just the threads that attach the parts together (not the folded over parts)

gah -- so that's what it looked like inside

all ripped open

I decided to cut the yellow stripe and make it more of a marking than a structural part of his face.  I opened the mouth all the way up and separated some of the stuffing for the top and bottom.

I cut a small section of Lynn Krawczyk fabric and sewed it to the front of his mouth at the top and bottom...the pink stitches sort of look like little pink teeth right now.

I had no clue what to do next so I pushed everything towards the back and pinned his mouth closed, hoping to be able to tell which way the fabric should go...where to sew next.

I went for this side of his face, sewing along the bottom edge and then the top.  I just kind of folded and tucked the green/copper fabric until it met the edge of the top and bottom of his face.

I repeated the process on the other side.

Then I went back to the other side and sewed farther back to where the fabric was still open.

And I ended up with this.  Ha -- he kind of looks like a baby poisonous creature that is being milked for its venom.

Then I repeated the process on the other side.  This show the difference in the width of the yellow stripe/marking and that I didn't sew the edge over...I just wet the tips of my finger and pressed the fold down...then sewed.

Cool -- but his mouth is waaay too puffy.

First I tacked one side, then the other, then went back and sewed them shut to the point you see them at.

There...I like that much better.  Now for the ears...they point up and back too much.

Ears before -- blurry pic...camera doesn't know what it is supposed to focus on.

Ears after -- he is starting to get more of a personality.

Both ears have been altered...the one on the left of the photo didn't move a lot, but it is better.

Playing around with his mouth/nose...this is kind of cute, but it doesn't stay like this.

How about if I put a couple of stitches in it to close that up and make a sort of a nose?

Ha -- I like it...maybe it needs a little something else...

Button nostrils! 

These are not permanently attached yet...I need to think about this for a bit.

Ha -- he is looking a little like the Mock Turtle at the moment.

365/2013 - Day 266

working on the small spikey guy again

Today I was working on the outsides of the small spikey guy's ears, and then his side seams.  He is looking better and better!

When I got down to his arm I made the decision to go around it on both sides.

Putting the small spikey guy away for a bit.

Back at it this afternoon...side seams!

I need to go to Joann's and get a thimble...and some more orange embroidery floss.