wow -- another year is over already!
I spent the last day of the blog year doing something I have been meaning to do for a long, long time -- sorting through glove parts and actually throwing away parts that I can't use.
Gah -- these glove parts started out in just the two baskets but have found their way into so many places and little bins -- they've been making me nuts.
That basket (which was about 2/3 full) sorted down into that little container -- the paper bag is parts to be tossed out!
I sorted the use-able fingers sections into colors.
Leftover containers!!!!
And now the little bins of parts get stashed conveniently onto a shelf that will be all for sewing stuff. Whew!
I can't believe how quickly this year has gone by blog-wise. I need to think of a new prefix thing for the blog's daily subject lines.
See you next year!
today's Tookies
First, I am not sure why today is Day 365 -- I feel like it should be one less -- today is only December 30.
Okay, with that out of the way, here are seven Tookies finger puppets I made today.
Also -- the cats went back to bed this afternoon.
back in production
Today I pre-finished the 16 Tookies to catch up with the rest of the bunch, and then got started on production -- but at a slower rate than the last batch. (I learned my lesson.)
The 16 catch up Tookies have faces now.
They joined the others.
The first completed finger puppet of this batch.
The cat-creature wanted to try it on.
The "day numbers" feel like they are off to me...how can today be Day 364? I even checked it on a couple of "day of the year" websites online...so it must be right. Ah well.
note to self...
You can have one day...just remember, Took -- nothing is easy.
getting back to the pile o' Tookies
Tonight I have been working on Tookies finger puppets for Art-o-mat. I had a work bin of 100 of them at one time, then I started taking some with me to work on away from home and they were misplaced, then I found some of them...then tonight to get the total number back up to 100 I needed to replace 16 of them. Tonight those 16 got button eyes.
Tonight I found 11 glove parts with loose buttons/eyes.
Then I needed to gather up another 5 to get back to a total of 100.
Bootsy cracks me up -- he was "busy" moving that blue plastic water cap around...picking it up and carrying it, batting it, etc. He was under the table and maneuvering through the electronics wires when he heard a sound in another part of the house and he just stopped and stood there OVER that part of the table -- he stayed like that for about 30 seconds. What a nut! That is his "don't-you-dare-put-this-in-your-damn-blog-or-on-Facebook" look.
Done for tonight!
Tookies finger puppets pilin' on.
changing an old, old guy
This is one of the very first things I ever tried to make with the "magic" stretch knit gloves...I found him yesterday when I was sorting out a couple of yarn bins. He was made back in 2006 for a trading project in an online art group I belonged to. The project was called "Stuffies with a Secret".
Man...this guy is just barely together. I remember watching sewing videos to see how to make stitches. (You may recall that I do much better when I am shown things in person vs watching a video or trying to read and follow instructions and diagrams.)
This guy's "secret" was going to be that he had a pocket (or something) on his back for stashing notes or messages or tiny objects.
Today I decided to see if I could make him into something that was more appealing to me.
Here he is with some of the fabric I found yesterday in one of the bins.
I thought it would be fitting if I used one of the fabrics I found with him instead of a newer one. I decided to turn his yellow felt pocket thing into a sort of backpack.
I used the yellow one as a template and cut it larger for "seam" allowance. I finger creased the edges.
Now he has a starry backpack/pocket.
Twink watching the snow.
I gave him new arms. I was going to reuse the stuffing that was in his flattish old arms and then I changed my mind and just folded these glove fingers in on themselves...much in the way the spikes are made for the other guys.
Then I took off his face and then I removed his buttons. I had to open his head to work with the new buttons.
Some eyelashes.
When I was closing his head I got the idea to give him horns and make the edges into ears. I added "hair" and now he is done!
Rear view.
Close up taken in the guest bathroom "photo studio" -- the light is really different in there, especially when it is snowing. Oh well -- you can see the details better here...the colors are more correct in the other shots.
I like him much better now.
sorting and re-finding
I wanted to DO something today...the studio is a mess and I am having trouble being able to do much physically with this stupid bum knee. I am not going to run on and complain about it, I'm just sayin'. BUT I had two bins in the living room that I could sort from my chair and I wanted to go through them and separate and bag up the various yarns I have so I can work on Tookies and sewing stuff.
Getting down to the bottom of the bin.
YAY -- two bins sorted into one!
AND I found all of the stuff I was looking for -- the socks Suzanne gave me, some bits of fabric I had misplaced AND the packet of not-so-sharp large-eye tapestry needles I knew I had!
AND...
ha -- these guys were in the very bottom of bin number two -- these are some of the first things I made with the magic knit gloves!
I think I will re-work them and embellish them some more. Cool!
arms for the combo-creature
Today I was thinking about what the arms of the combo-creature might be made from. I unearthed some great fabric I bought from Lynn Krawczyk a while back -- two of the designs/colors would work really great.
The colors blend really well and the pattern fits it so perfectly -- the repetition of the vertical lines/seams in body of combo-creature and the dots/colored buttons on the creature.
I tried sketching and jotting down some ideas before I forgot them.
I tried out stitching the lines for the fingers on the combo-creature's hands...I really ought to get a little embroidery hoop -- it would make this so much better. It was also the very edge of the fabric.
I think it would be kind of cool to fill in the dots with colors of embroidery floss...maybe it would almost look tattoo-y.
If I used this olive and copper fabric, I could use the printed side for the top of the arm/hand and turn it inside out for the back.
Or I could put olive to orange and alternate the front/back for each arm.
Or I could use two sides copper/olive and make yarn spike fingers...so many options.
I was also thinking today maybe I might try to use this (sort of) sgraffito design guy from a ceramic piece I made a long time ago...
...and make a doll out of it...stitching the sgraffito lines onto the fabric.
Hmmm...
quick first layer on a repurposed canvas
Several days ago while I was in the basement I came across this canvas that I bought at an estate sale. It has been bugging me every time I walk by it in my studio. Tonight I couldn't stand it anymore and I had to work on it. The problems were: it is late in the evening, getting close to my self-imposed midnight deadline for blogging...and...I have to stand to do this.
That's it for tonight...I can't think straight...let's just say I shouldn't have been standing as long as I did.
first stab at playing around with a mono print
I recently bought a Gelli Arts gel printing plate and I wanted to try it out. I have a specific project in mind for it and Lynn showed me a fabulous tutorial she made demonstrating a bunch of ways to put it to use with fabric. She also offered to do a demo if I could get some people together...and she mentioned that Jan is also interested in learning more.
Anyway...even though I wasn't going to be able to put much time into it, I wanted to do a quick trial with the product to see what it was like.
Today I just used regular typing paper and junky craft paint that I was about to toss out. When I work with this process for my "real" project, I will use fabric and fabric paint.
First layer, ready to pull the print.
First layer print.
Second color ready to go.
Second color printed.
Third color/layer ready to go.
Third color printed.
I think I will like using the gel printing plate with the fabric. Today I couldn't put much time into it because of my knee. Given all the circumstances (thin paper, watery icky paint, little patience, I need to be shown in person vs watching Lynn's tutorial video and the Gelli Arts demos) -- plus the fact I didn't give it enough time to dry between colors -- I think this turned out okay. I probably should've gone from dark to light, too...I don't know.
I can get the general idea of how to do this from the videos, but I really really do need the hands on with a real person thing...and getting several friends together to try this will be great...waiting for it to happen is going to be tough. (I think I'm going to have to wait until after I get my knee taken care of.)
