PM: Whole Lotta Baby Dress

So I made a dress, I made it out of 2 T-shirts and some scrap red fabric... it looks like this:

And in err... more normal light... 

of course... tutorial... coming soon

RIP Poly Styrene

I know it's old news by now in the age of the internet... but I have to put my little tribute out there:




Excuse the video quality, but it had to be this clip, I've got fond memories of this venue in London. I went there years ago to support my Husbot (before He was my husb0t) playing with his band One Louder... I am very proud of my boys *big cheezy grin*

GC: Tutorial Tuesday: Jesse/Team Rocket Cosplay!

Crossposted at geekcrafts.com

I need this woman to be my wife, and I'm a heterosexual, pregnant, married woman. You boys have got no chance!

Ryoko-demon is a prolific cosplay artist. Here she is, utterly transformed into Jessie from Team Rocket. Her photos are amazing. And to top it all off she's shared a tutorial on how she constructed that MINDBLOWING wig... She EVEN made HER OWN Meowth!! ... I'm just... lost.... for words... need to find more synonyms for awesome...

Via Geekologie

• Ryoko-demon's DeviantArt
• Jesse Wig Tutorial
• Meowth Work in Progress pics
• Pokemon on Geekcrafts
• Tutorials on Geekcrafts

GC: Reader Submission. Pop Tab Prom Dress

Proud father Steve Pozek sent GeekCrafts some lovely pictures of his (stunning) daughter Maura Pozek who created a truly unique prom dress. Looking at the full length picture (right) you don't quite get the scope of how awesome this dress truly is. Yes, look closely, this prom dress is woven out of pop tabs, ribbon - and, I'm guessing - a whole lotta blood, sweat and tears.

See the full post over at www.geekcrafts.com

Pop the top on another energy drink and make a Prom dress? Sure, why not? This
dress uses 400 yards of ribbon, nearly 4000 pop tabs, and the patience of 100
hours of tedious weaving (sort of like writing code, only more boring and
mind-numbing).

As the proud parent, I watched my 16 year old daughter surrounded by her laptop,
a Netflix subscription, and cellphone (for that all important texting), labor
over this work of art.

Funky Newsprint Nails!

Haha check out my nails!

The base coat is 'peppermint'

Want to have a go yourself? all you need other than your usual kit is some newspaper and VODKA! haha! Check out the tutorial by Foxy Grandpa

GC/Tutorial Tuesday: Azumarill Amigurumi - With Pattern!

Cross-posted at  Geekcrafts.com

I am a girl with a one track mind, and the tracks have shifted this week. I'm still hella-excited about the new series of Dr Who coming up, but that kind of obsession takes energy, which I do not have!... anyhow this week, my mind is on Pokemon!!

I've recently started (re-started) Pokemon Pearl. I'm a DS-aholic and I cannot afford either Pokemon black/white OR a new 3DS (and I'm quite suspicious that a 3DS might melt my brain... ) So I'm hoping Pearl will keep me occupied until those two ships have sailed... anyhow... enough about me... lets talk about crafts!

Craftster user and blogging superstar WolfDreamer . stitched up this adorable Azumarill Amigurumi. As she says in her craftster post:

"I figured this one is perfect for Easter. Part Easter egg, part bunny"

I figure you're right WolfDreamer! ... But wait!! there's more!! WolfDreamer has also made the crochet pattern availiable for free on her blog!!... I love it when bloggers do that... now all I need to do is learn to crochet...

• Get the Pattern Here for FREE
• WolfDreamer's Blog
• WolfDreamer's Etsy

• More tutorials on Geekcrafts
• Pokemon on Geekcrafts
• Nintendo on Geekcrafts
• crochet on Geekcrafts

GC: Space Invaders Hat!

Crossposted at GeekCrafts.com

I can't knit... and people like Craftster user queenofmarigold really make me want to learn.

Queenofmarigold knit this super cute reversible space invaders ear flap hat and figured out how to do the space invaders sprites herself! I'm sure to those of you out there who knit that's a "Well DUH that's pretty easy.. all you gotta do is..." ... but to us non-knitters it's like WITCHCRAFT!... awesome witchcraft...

   
• Queenofmarigold's Craftster Profile
   
• space invaders on GeekCrafts
   
• knitted projects on GeekCrafts

Friday Feminist Geek Giggles

The internet doesn't seem to know this is a parody, but lets face it, as they said on The F Word today: "it isn’t so far off from the reality of how tech has been marketed to women…" ... amen Sister... also as the commentators on youtube have mentioned, this parody is so close to 'there's an app for that' it's unreal... and this comedy programme was PIP (Pre-IPad)... Mr Jobs... I think I've found your inspiration.

PM: Jersey Dress COMPLETED

I've been quiet on the Project Maternity front for too long, in the words of Blink 182: "Work Sucks, I know"

What doesn't suck is this dress:

I'm not that keen on the colour, the green is a lot duller than I'd first intended. The pattern I butchered was from Burda Style magazine, it's not been published on this website yet, when it is I'll post a link.

As you can see I completely changed the pattern around, I got rid of that collar because I don't have time to learn how to do collars... I'm GROWING!! I also modified the sleeves, to make them the more summer-friendly tent sleeve shape.

How I did it:

• I traced the pattern pieces from the Burda Style Pattern Sheet.
• I used this great technique on burdastyle on how to create a Tent Sleeve (thankyou BurdaStyle member sunnie for contributing this technique)
• I modified the front pattern piece by performing a full tummy adjustment, with the effect of lengthening the front hem
• I cut the fabric, but as I said I was omitting the collar so I just cut the front piece on the fold and rounded off the neckline at this stage.
• I redrew the neckline on the fabric and after checking it was symmetrical and giving myself a seam allowance for the ruffle, I cut the new neckline.
• I drafted my pattern for my ruffle. Ruffles can be made lots of different ways A separate tutorial for how I did this collar ruffle is coming soon!
• I serged the edges of the sleeves and the ruffle using a 3 thread setting so that the weight of a hem wouldn't ruin the drape.
• I constructed the garment with my serger, on a 4 thread setting, in this order:
  (1) attach front piece to back piece at shoulder seams
  (2) sew on sleeves.
  (3) sew sides together with seams that run from end of sleeve to bottom hem.
  (4) attach ruffle collar as you would a facing - right side of ruffle facing wrong side of dress - use regular sewing machine on zig-zag setting.
  (5) finish hem by turning over twice, pressing and zig-zag stitching.

In retrospect, I think this dress is probably still too big. I think the pattern I cut was too big in the first place, but actually that's completely welcome in the heatwave we're having in the UK, and my classroom is so hot too!! Not to mention the fact that I am growing! I love the sleeves, I think some kind of interfacing around the collar would be a good idea as it feels a bit shapeless. I think the hem should be shorter... but then what is the appropriate hem length for a pregnant lady?

I wish I was better at modelling... 

Tutorial Tuesday - Weeping Angel Cosplay

Crossposted on Geekcrafts.com

I know, I know, poor readers, I keep bombarding you with scary, scary angels.

The truth is I'm SO excited about the new series of DW coming soon... I seem to have developed a bit of an obsession...
This cosplay has been on the Internet for a while but I completely missed it the first time round and recently re-discovered it after reading the blog post about  10littlebullets' awesome interpretation of this weeping angel cosplay.

The original version (pictured, right) was created and conceived by penwiper337 who has created an amazingly detailed tutorial which you can see on the crafty tardis livejournal group here
Look carefully at that photo, yup, that's a weeping angel strangling Jewel Staite!! (there's a whole lotta AWESOME in that picture!)-  (c) Ray Radlein

• Penwiper337's Weeping Angel Cosplay Tutorial.

• penwiper337's Livejournal profile.
  
• Penwiper's Website.
• 10littlebullets' version of the costume.
• The Crafty Tardis LiveJournal Group.
• Weeping Angels on Geekcrafts
• Cosplay on Geekcrafts
• Tutorials on Geekcrafts
  

Adorable Tardis Cross Stitch

Crossposted at Geekcrafts.com 

I like the bit when someone says it's bigger on the inside! I always look forward to that.

This is the creation of Crafty TARDIS/livejournal member Xcarex. I love it.
If you're not plugged into Crafty TARDIS you should be! I love the charming honesty of this cross stitch, the way the TARDIS seems to be shining with all those dotted lines, and the care and attention taken over the different shades of blue.

• Crafty TARDIS
• Xcarex on Livejournal
  
• Cross stitch on Geek Crafts
• The TARDIS on GeekCrafts
  

You are Invited to a Baby Rave!!

Check it out!! (ignore my legs :-/)

\m/ Craftster Metal Swap \m/

Did I tell you I'm organising a swap on Craftster?

 

yes :-) It's a Metal craft swap and it's looking to be a lot of fun!! \m/! I'll be assigning partners on the 15th April so get your questionnaire in!!

Check out the Gallery from round one,

British TV Comedy Swap - What I Sent!

This is what I sent to Baloo:
(1) a Jupiter Mining Corp Tote Bag:

I love the sorta hessian strapping/webbing stuff I got from Needlecraft I'll definitly be getting some more of that when I'm up there next.

2) a SMEG headband (HAHAH)

You can find a tutorial to make a headband like this for yourself over at Burdastyle. I used a comic book style font to create the applique myself and handstitched the interfaced Jersey to the gorgeous polka-dot fabric using basic running stitch, easy peasy!

and this is my favourite, even though I hate the boosh:

Lovely lined zipper pouch/clutch bag/purse/make up bag/whatever with an embroidered mighty boosh quote, and the picture that it inspired in my mind!

April Fools day: Screenprinting Craft Fail!!

In the spirit of the season, let me share with you what a COMPLETE fool I was a couple of weekends ago!

...

So, I was scheming away for the British TV Comedy swap on Craftster and I thought it would be a good idea to have a go at screen printing for the first time!

I'd head from various sources that you could do it with some old tights, PVA glue and an embroidery hoop... well... You  probably can, but I fell flat on my arse. Observe...

This was to be my design, I thought, nice and simple... I was going to make a matching tote bag and purse out of fabric I'd printed with this image .... HA!

I got my equipment together, I even got an array of different types of brushes so I could apply the PVA more accurately!... anyone whose done this before will already see my 2 fatal flaws:

1. Black tights... I only wear opaque tights... and most of them are black. But of course, when it can to trace my design on my screen made of stretched tights... well.. I couldn't! they are black!
2. Cheap PVA glue. I think this was the MAJOR downfall here as I did manage to get the design sorta right... anyhow... .lets continue...

I prepared my fabric for printing, weighed it down with Tuna tins (mmm)

One last look at the screen... looks good:

I'm ready to go:

So lets try it out on some scrap fabric first... oh... oh... .OH NO...

That's not right at all.... OH MY GOD ITS GONE RIGHT THROUGH!!!

AND IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN THAT!!!

AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH Grab the cleaning stuff GRAB ANYTHING!! If the Husbot sees this he'll go SPARE>!!!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

(don't worry.. it all came off.... well... it all came off the dining table... the fabric still has a stain in the  middle of it even after I chucked it in the washing machine.... but I can't really complain about that science the purpose of fabric ink IS to stain fabrics....)

MORAL OF THE STORY KIDS!! use mod-podge or some other super gloopy PVA glue... well... Thats what I'm going to try next anyhow... with me luck!!!

x G