Embroidery Embellishment Excitement

Until very recently (last week) I hadn't really done any embroidery.  I've made clothes and accessories, but never embellished them with embroidery.  This all changed when I found an embroidery hoop in a mysterious box.

Some of you may have seen my joker-themed coin purses with their haphazard "ha ha" embroidery.  Obviously the poor quality of the embroidery was totally purposeful, reflecting the jokers instability.

... Anyway, I decided I wanted to do more of this type of thing and have just spent the past 3 hours sat on a train embroidering various types and colours of fabric. 

I have learnt many things since the beginning of this journey, and I feel I should share my new-found wisdom:

1. Trains are shakey

2. It's hard to thread a needle when you are shaking

3. You need some level of precision when embroidering

4. It's hard to be precise when you are shaking

5. Embroidery thread is good to embroider with

6. Normal thread is not

7. Embroidery is a fun way to pass 3 hrs of your time

8. I have a very small bladder

9. The toilet on this train is dire

I hope you found those little tips useful.  And just a little secret between you and me: number 9 is probably true for all trains in Britain. Shhhh! Enjoy :-P

Live long and prosper ^-^

Joss Whedon Etsy Top Ten

Greetings all!

I am a huge fan of the Geek King of the Universe: Joss Whedon.  From Dr. Horrible, to Firefly, to Buffy, to Toy Story, I love his work.  I have been reading his biography lately, and so this has spurred me to search for Joss-related items for this week's Etsy top ten.

As usual, only UK sellers will be listed, as that's where I live.  But don't worry, most sellers will post internationally if you need their items ^-^

Enjoy!


"I am a leaf on the wind" Necklace by ChimericGarnish

This is a really stylish and simple tribute to a harrowing moment in the Firefly universe.  Wash... oh Wash... Sob.













Vampire Stake Earrings sold by feralstrumpet

These earrings appeal to the teenager in me.  I would have absolutely loved these when I was watching Buffy at it's prime... and to be honest I'd still love them now!  The garlic bulb is my favourite part!












Jayne's Hat Necklace sold by SerenityCraftingUK

Ermagherd! It's so cute!! I can't get over how amazingly adorable this necklace is!  Fun for any Firefly fan.












Leather Serenity Wallet sold by 6DiamondInTherough9

Beautiful work.  A really great idea, and brilliant craftsmanship.  A wonderful accessory for any Firefly fan.














"The Chosen One" Necklace sold by LittleWonderEmporium

Any Buffy fans out there will love this necklace.   An aluminium disc & stake, with a purple Swarovski crystal.  I also love how it somehow reflects the nineties style of the show.















Dr Horrible Wonderflonium Embroidery sold by WhimsicalFrippery

There just aren't enough references to Wonderflonium out there!  This is a great piece of embroidery for any Dr Horrible fan.













Jayne Cobb Pillow sold by TailOfAdventure

I adore this.  A Jayne Cobb pillow!  Such a great idea, and wonderfully made.  This item really stood out from the crowd as something different and adorable ^-^

















Serenity Greetings Card sold by SuperCoolCards

Gorgeous Serenity greetings card.  Wonderful for any occasion.  I know many people who would love this as a birthday card, or even a good luck card (because no power in the 'verse can stop you ;) )
















Dr Horrible Crosstitched Degree of Horribleness sold by TheCandyBooth

I absolutely love this!  A cross-stitch of Dr Horrible's degree in "horribleness" from the "Evil University of Evil". Available either framed or loose, this great salute to the hit web series "Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" is a great addition to any Whedon fan's wall.











Browncoat Keychain sold by BlueHawkDesigns

Simple but wonderful. Shiny!

















Ritzy Pick
Authentic Kaylee Jumpsuit

The thing I love about this Kaylee cosplay, is how the seller makes sure it's as worn and bedraggled as the little mechanic's outfit would be if she were in the engine room of Serenity every day.

A simple yet effective cosplay for a wonderful character.  Made to order & so guaranteed to fit.  Absolutely love it.

DRD 1812

Behold!!

D'aaaawww

DRD 1812 has been completed!  Ain't he just the cutest?  He is going to be my first item listed on Etsy.

For those of you who aren't Farscape fans, I shall enlighten you as to what a DRD actually is, and why DRD 1812 is so very special.  DRD = Diagnostic Repair Drone; they are little robots that the Leviathans build as they grow (Leviathans are used as ships; the best one being Moya.  Yes, I am biased).  There are hundreds of DRDs on a Leviathan, and they are all as adorable as the next!  DRD 1812 is special because Crichton taught him to whistle & chirp the 1812 Overture.  Sadly the cuddly-toy version of DRD 1812 cannot whistle.  But you can imagine.

The original 1812 ^-^ So cute!

DRD wasn't made my Moya (the Leviathan the main characters live in), he was made by an elder Leviathan called Elack.  Sadly Elack was destroyed, making DRD 1812 the last surviving piece.

This is how cuddly-toy 1812 began:

So patriotic... just for a different country...

Humble beginnings, no?  It wasn't long before he got his eye stalks and patches and even the embroidery of his robot counter-parts circuitry:





















Lastly, his identifying feature:






















So there you have it.  The wonderful DRD 1812 ^-^  And as of this evening, you could be the proud owner of this little fellow.  Head over to my Etsy page and have a look at him posing in his pictures.  And those of you who haven't seen Farscape, go and watch it (it's all on Netflix).  Run!  Ruuuuun!

Live long and prosper ^-^

Stealth Cosplay

Greetings all.

Welcome to the second instalment of my Cosplay page (try saying that 7 times fast & feel like a failure... or way superior to me.  Either way).  Today's blog is about stealth cosplay.  Not sure if that is actually a legitimate term or not, it's just one that I tend to use.

It's pretty self explanatory. You dress up as your favourite cosplay, stalk a person of your choice, and until you can successfully sneak up on them and scare them half to death.

Yep.  That's the aim.

Ok, that's a lie.  Stealth cosplay is basically sneaking a little bit of cosplay into an otherwise ordinary outfit.  For example, my fabulous friend Fabby (not just fabulous because of that alliteration opportunity) has some gorgeous snowflake pins to put in her hair when she braids it like Elsa from Frozen.  It's simple yet effective cosplaying.

Big cosplays are awesome, and I know a lot of time and money goes into them, but that's half the reason I love stealth cosplay so much.  Conventions are usually over a few days, and it's hard enough coming up with one complete cosplay, never mind 3 days' worth of them!  You can feel included in the cosplay community with your stealthy cosplay, without breaking the bank or your hands.  Also, it is super awesome when someone picks up on your subtle nod to your favourite character.  You know they are your people.  Ah, acceptance.

Another wonderful thing about stealth cosplay is the fact that it doesn't have to be limited to a convention.  I couldn't go to work dressed as Yoko from Gurren Lagann (my first ever full cosplay):

Yes, my gun was as big as hers... as was the underboob.

However, I could turn up with her badge in my hair, or wearing the snood I made.  It's subtle enough to get away with in the "real world", but nerdy enough to make me feel more comfortable in my "professional attire".  That's why I've decided to start my Etsy shop with little accessories:

The Joker themed one's especially, as they look like your average little coin purse, until you open them up.  It's more about the colour scheme, and each one will have some embroidery hinting to the character it's based on (I say hinting; more like hitting you in the face with a mallet of knowledge).

This mallet of knowledge.

So, yes.  Stealth cosplay is a wonderful thing, and more people should try it.  This will make it easier to identify those who will survive the apocalypse.  Or at least those willing to put up with my constant references to the apocalypse I wish was coming.

So why not post on here any stealth cosplay's you've done in the past, or ideas for future cosplays.  Or even requests for stealth cosplay ideas/items.  I'd love to hear what people have to say about stealth cosplay as it should "totes" become a way to communicate your secret geeky side to other hidden geeks.

Live long and prosper ^-^

Poppet

Hello everyone, I'm Poppet.

I'm Eloise's sister.  The maker says I'm inspired by a book called The Night Circus.  I haven't read it, but apparently it's very good.  My colours match those of the rêveurs; those are the fans of Le Cirque de Rêves (that's the circus in the book).  Everything in the circus is black or white, and the rêveurs copy that, but adding bits of red to their outfits as well.

I like my splashes of red, what do you think?  The buttons are especially shiny.  I do have one leg that doesn't quite reach the ground, but I can still stand.  I bet I could even dance like Eloise if I wanted to.  I prefer to read, though.  I'll leave the dancing to her.

Byebye for now, everyone.  I'm sure I'll see you on Etsy soon!

Purse-pective 2.0

Greetings all!

Thanks to my beautiful Gertrude...

See how purrrrdy ^-^

... I have been able to superspeed my sewing.  I've spent all day organising material, threads, and patterns, and getting down to making the ideas in my head.  This is the result:

The collection isn't finished yet, but this is the first few.  You might recognise the one on the left as the purse made in an afternoon a while ago with a new embellishment:

For the Whovians out there ^-^.  The others are newly made today.  Each is a little different, but all on a theme.  Can you guess what it is?

So far we have 2 Jokers and one Batman, but the collection is nowhere near finished.  I've got many ideas for more, and not just little coin purses, but many different accessories.  So watch this space.

With this huge boost in productivity, my Etsy shop should be opening up quite soon.  I've started working on DRD 1812, and once he's finished, the store will open & these cute little coin purses will be up for grabs!



Live long and prosper ^-^

Gertrude

EXCITING!!!

Guess what I collected from the Haberdashery yesterday!  THIS:

Beautiful, no?  It has so many amazing features, and the instruction booklet has already taught me more about sewing in an hour than I've learnt in a year!  I am in love with this machine.  A proper review of it will follow soon, once I've had a chance to get to know her properly.






She has been named Gertrude.  She is a Janome DKS100; fully computerised with over 100 stitches, we are gonna have some fun!

Since I now have Gertrude, my sewing will speed up dramatically (did I mention the slider that controls the max sewing speed?) and I'll be able to start larger projects.  My first make will be DRD 1812.  Like I said before, there will be only one 1812 and he will be the first item I post on my Etsy store.  Watch this space.

Live long and prosper ^-^

Steampunk Etsy Top Ten

Greetings all!

This week's Etsy Top Ten is all things Steampunk.  Again, it's going to be UK sellers only, as this is where I live ^-^.  But don't worry if you're reading this from further away - most of them ship worldwide.

It has been so difficult picking just ten items, as there is so much Steampunk on Etsy!  Here are the ten I decided to showcase this week:

• Clockwork Earrings sold by DecoSpells

These gorgeous earrings are made with resin, watch parts, and nickel-free studs.  Perfect for either steampunking up a normal outfit, or just putting the finishing touches to your already steamy attire.

• Bioshock Keyboard sold by HannaLTD

Amazing Bioshock-inspired computer keyboard.  Each one is unique and beautifully crafted; a great addition to any tech-geek or gamer's collection.

• Clockwork Cufflinks sold by SophieHDesigns

Beautiful hand-made cufflinks, finished with domed resin to give an enhanced 3D finish.  A wonderful way to spice up a suit, or make your wedding tux a little bit more personal.

• Pegasus Automata sold by Newsteadautomata

A simple, yet beautiful piece of moveable art.  Turn the handle and Pegasus will start to fly.  The clockwork print on the body of the piece is gorgeous, and each piece is signed and numbered by the artist.  If you love the style, but don't like horses, there's also a dragon!

• Embroidered Lace Goggles sold by Dragonswanndesigns 

I love how different these goggles are.  They really set themselves apart from the leather & metal steampunk goggles you tend to see, whilst still keeping to the trend.  They even do mini ones for your tophat fascinators.  The only issue I have with these is the patronising description for the item.  I wouldn't use these because they are lightweight, but because I think they're pretty.

• Clockwork Statement Ring sold by KfiatekGiftedHands

Made from a vintage Swiss watch work and beautiful ornate metal band (adjustable), this statement ring is sure to draw the eye.  A wonderful addition to any steampunk aficionado's collection.

• Cicada Necklace sold by AlteredEars

This wonderful necklace caught my eye as it's not your usual steampunk jewellery item.  The colour really stands out, and I love the subtle incorporation of the cogs.  A great addition to any jewellery box.

• Parlour Bustle Skirt sold by BlueLadyCouture

Love, love, love this!  There is a lot of steampunk clothing out there, especially on Etsy, but this beautifully designed, professionally crafted bustle skirt caught my eye. Vibrant colours and all pieces made to measure, this item is definitely worth the price tag.

• Spinning Dragonfish Brooch sold by Tinyminds

This little brooch first caught my eye because of the beautiful design, but made it onto this list because of a unique little feature: it spins!  The dragonfish is attached to the winding mechanism of the watch, so he spins round if you tap him.  Love it!

• 4" Top Hat sold by OohLaLaBoudoir

I tried to find some interesting full-size top-hats on UK Etsy, but none were as interesting as this 4" mini top-hat.  Beautiful classic steampunk embellishment of cogs and a key is complimented by a variety of lace and ribbon; topped off (ha! see what I did there?) with a feather.  Hand-made from scratch, it is rare to see such dedicated and professional craftsmanship when it comes to top hats!  Your mini top hat will be unique to you, and sure to go with any outfit!

Ritzy Pick:

Bustle Wedding Dress sold by LyndseyBoutique

Believe it or not, at £350 this dress is a steal!  Usually selling for £710, this gorgeous steampunk wedding dress is just... wow.  I'm having trouble describing how amazing this dress is (possibly due to the amount of drool I'm producing).  You can see from the pictures, it's beautiful.  For the full price tag (£710), you can have your own made to measure.  If you're lucky enough to be a size 8-10 with £350 at hand, you could have the one I've linked to.

If you can't afford that, or don't plan on getting married soon, check out the rest of this lady's shop.  All her items are amazing, and I've spent far too long now browsing her store and then looking woefully at my bank account.  One day.  If you've got the cash to spare, take a look.  If you haven't, then join me in longing browsing - just get a towel for the drool.






Live long and prosper ^-^

Purse-pective

Greetings all :)

Today, I wanted to talk about perspective.  Namely: yours.  Unless you are one of those odd people who always manages to see their work through the eyes of their adoring fans (whether they have them or not), you are probably your own worst critic.

It is so easy to get bogged down in what's wrong with your make, that you miss all the positive, impressive parts of it.  It's difficult to find the balance between looking over your make with a critical eye, and setting it on fire because you hate it.  I am guilty of this (more the "putting things in a box forever" than the "set it on fire" school of thought, but same principle), even with the makes I have on this blog.  The purse I made in an afternoon now lives in a box because it distresses me with it's failure to be beautiful.

Get back in your box!!

But the thing is, it's not terrible.  It works as a coin purse, and it is all held together nicely even though it was hand-stitched in an afternoon.  Sure, the button is a little off centre, but I can put a little popper under the flap to hold it in place.  It's a little boring, but I've had an idea to Geekify it, and it's given me ideas for how to improve.  This one isn't perfect, but the next one will be better, and the one after that better still.  Eventually they will be of a standard that I'm happy with, and I'll have picked up some valuable skills and tips on the way.

So when you're looking at the finished product of all your hard work, try seeing it as someone who hasn't watched it being made.  Someone who doesn't know where that one top-stitch is slightly out of line, or how the corners aren't completely flat.  If you can't, then show it to someone, without criticising it as you hand it over.  Let them help you be happy with your work!

Unless you're this guy...

... you are usually better at something than you think   You've just got to have the confidence to be able to look at what you've made and decide where it needs improvement, whilst patting yourself on the back for completing a good make.  Difficult, I know.  Have a try next time you make something.  It's all about perspective.

Live long and prosper ^-^

Crummy Christmas Crafts

Greetings all.

You'll have to forgive me today, because today is a rant day.  Today is a day to rant about crummy christmas fabrics (yes, the title says crafts just for the purpose of alliteration.  That's just the kind of person I am).

Don't get me wrong, I love christmas!  I really do.  But I have a personal hatred for the crummy christmas fabrics that are starting to be sold around this time of year.  They are either too gaudy, or too boring.  They look ridiculous "out of season".  Plus, the crafts you can do with them are only useful for a month at the most, then you have to hide them away in the attic to feed your growing army of moths (don't lie.  I know what you're planning!).

I recently bought a sewing magazine, as I am often want to do, which had some free "Scandi Fabric".  I use the inverted commas because usually I like the Scandinavian fabric designs, but apparently christmas is a time to lower your standards in order to fit a particular mould.

I know, I know: it was free fabric.  I shouldn't really complain, and christmas is a "theme" of sorts so, of course, designs are going to end up similar.  But I see the same designs year after year, and nothing ever strikes me a fresh or inspiring - I never see christmas fabric and say "that would make an awesome (insert appropriate christmas craft here)".  I see:

Ergh, snowmen

Huh?

Well, actually, this is cute, I could make... no.  Wouldn't work

Oh gods.

I mean, they're just so CHRISTMAS!  And don't even get me started on snowflakes (how do they make snowflakes boring!?) and calligraphy writing of Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays.  

I do find the occasional (heehee, get it?) awesome christmassy fabric, that doesn't feel the need to throw robins, snow-things, deer, or fat men in red suits at me.  But on the whole, the designs are always so similar and the colours so standard that I never bother with christmas makes.  Well done to those readers who have found wonderful things to do with these types of fabric - I'm sure you're out there proving me wrong, but I just can't do it.  I stumble upon pages like this one, and despair.

However, it is still September, and I have plenty of time to create some christmas crafts.  So I put it to you, dear readers: is there subtle christmas fabric out there that won't make me curl into a ball and cry?

Let me know if you find some, and I will gladly eat my hat and make a new one from the wonderful fabric you have suggested to me.

Live Long and Prosper ^-^