Helping hands

Last year, i was enrolled in a Sculpture class. i had planned to make two hand sculptures that i would mount on the wall and use as quirky and functional artwork. i built a base of galvanized wire and chicken wire, and the next step was to cover them in strips of burlap coated in plaster.

Sadly, the plaster building step turned my lovely wire hands bulky and misshapen. So, i did what any passionate artist would do: i smashed them into pieces and started over.

i did my best to bend the wire forms back into their original shapes and then covered them with masking tape. They're not perfectly symmetrical and kind of remind me of mummy hands, but they're handmade! (Get it?)

Afterwards, i mounted one in the bedroom to hang my necklaces on and to be my sunglasses holder.

And the second one is mounted in the bathroom to hang my hair scarves and bandannas on.

Failure is not a option for this kitty.

Here's to never giving up on crafts in the future!

What has it got in its pocketses?

 i have completed my very first pouch for my fairy belt!

Closed.

Open to show lining.

Backside with belt loops.

On the fairy belt.

Nicely sized for fairy hands.

One pouch down and two more pouches to go. Now, i must get back to my crafting.....

Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered...

i have fought my way back to my blog.

When it seemed that all hope of my return to the Carolina Renaissance Festival was lost, a marvelous turn of events occurred and i can dust off the sewing machine and get back to work on my fairy costume!

Now, where was it that we left off?

Oh, right! i had made a dummy of myself.

For the first piece of the costume, i hot glued A LOT of craft leaves to a brown stretchy-fit camisole top.

So. Many. Leaves.

Then, i gathered my materials to make a mantle worthy of an Autumn fairy.

My first time using fun fur.

i used a mesh knit pattern to form the mantle and then attached feathers with white sewing thread and hot glue.

Back.

Front.

Next, i used some lovely variegated yarn to finger weave a belt with tassels.  (Many thanks to my father for teaching me this technique.)

Super soft yarn.

Each of the tassels is topped with a small jingle bell to aid in my fairy persona.

All together now!

The next step is to take these lovely fabrics and make pouches to go on the belt so that this fairy can have pockets!

Sure wish the lighting was better. These colors are quite lovely in person.

There are also wings that need to be made and a crown of leaves and flowers that will complete the ensemble. All which needs to be done in less than two weeks! Eeek!

Here's to my next adventure in crafting!

The Post of Crafting's Past

Ladies and gentlemen, i present to you the evidence of my earliest adventures in crafting with fabrics.

Dryad costume for DragonCon '03. Hand-dyed with green RIT dye and hand-sewn leaf garland accents. The belt was a simple braid of leaf garland and hemp twine. Inspired by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's artwork.

The very first thing i ever made with my sewing machine! Ravenclaw robes made for DragonCon '03 and reused for Halloween years later. (i worked in the Children's Department of the public library at the time.) My favorite part of this costume was my hand-painted Ravenclaw crest. *nerd pride*

i cut the sleeves off 3 men's dress shirts and then sewed them together to make a quirky panel skirt. i've done this several times now. The varieties are endless!

i accessorized an over-sized hoodie with two handkerchiefs. This craft was my first introduction to fabric glue.

Technically, this is a fabric craft. One of the 6 pairs of fairy wings i made for a coworker's birthday party. Knee high pantyhose, baling wire, acrylic paint, artificial flowers, ribbon, and bells. Each pair was made to fit the personality of the wearer.

Tatter skirt made from fabric scraps. Originally made as an accessory belt to wear over leggings, i sewed it over a brown skirt and incorporated it into a fairy costume.

i made an adorable octopus applique out of a pair of *ahem* "granny panties" to wear on my shirt for a trip to the Ripley's Aquarium last year. It is now my favoritest shirt, as you can see. <3

More adventures in crafting are coming soon!

In this post, i make a dummy of myself.

Literally.

In my first year of attending Art school, i was given the assignment of making a personal project. i experimented in making a piece of art that really illustrated who i was as an artist, in the truest sense. i followed this tutorial and made my first duct tape form. i ended up covering it in paper mache and making a neat sculpture that has since disappeared.

Fast forward to the present. i find myself constantly inspired by fashion design television shows, hometown seamstresses, and endless pins of repurposed and up-cycled clothing. i've made a few quirky skirts and a costume or two in the past, but i aspire for a better level of quality in my craftsmanship.

Thanks to the enormous patience of my mother, i was able to create the dress form pictured above. It is currently being used to make an original fairy costume for our up-coming trip to the Carolina Renaissance Festival. Here's a little sneak peek of some of the work:

i'll be posting more about this costume when i have made more progress on it. Speaking of which, i believe my hot glue gun is calling.

In which we begin a new adventure.

One of the crafts that i like to dabble in is the culinary arts. Being a newlywed, i am determined to teach myself how to plan and prepare meals with what is in my pantry - instead of spending money we don't have on frequent trips to the supermarket.

(Major props to this book for being an essential guide in this new phase of my life!)

Another reason that i am determined to be a little Betty Crocker is the fact that i have a soy intolerance. This greatly affects our eating habits. It has been a frustrating, but educational experience so far learning what does and does not contain soy.

And lastly, in our marriage infancy, cooking has been my husband's domain. He excels in rich dishes, huge portions, large messes, and plenty of leftovers. (Bless his big, tall heart.) But with his evening shifts at work, i am often left to fend for myself.

All of these factors are leading me to embrace another facet of being a homemaker, and i'm finding it a delightful challenge!

With 2 consecutive days of successful dinners and desserts behind me, i tackle a new task today:

Here's to the next adventure!

Why a blog?

Over the years, i have been making crafts and posting images of the successful results onto my Facebook account. i even have a Pinterest board devoted to my crafty achievements. i've taken step by step photos on occasion, but i've never really captured the real process of crafting.

After much deliberation, i have come to the conclusion that i need to blog about my craftiness. This way i have an account for, not only myself, but for others to see and be inspired. Isn't that what crafting is truly about? Inspiration.

i'm hoping to have good quality photos, links to inspirational sources, and maybe even a video or two of my adventures in crafting. And someday, after i hone my craft (pun intended) i will have a link on this page to my very own Etsy shop. :)

Yay!