Sophie got a new Halloween costume! Sophie, being an irregular shape, is a fun challenge for designing custom patterns to make clothes that fit her body. For this dress I used the pattern I made for her princess ballgown, but I shortened the skirt and added some black tulle underneath to give this dress a more festive, less formal feel. From shoulder to hem, this dress measures 6.5 inches, not including the tulle underneath. I also made her an adorable set of bat ears on a tiny headband, but they looked strange with her own ears and horns, so I gave her a little black bow instead.
A series of photos showing the wire work for making the wings on the costume. I used a soft leather for the inside of the wings, which gave them a nice, subtle texture. I left the velcro that closes the dress unstitched at the top, so that I could slip the wire support into it and then stitch it into place. This gives the wings a lot of stability, hides the wire really well, and insures that the wings will always be centered on the back when the dress is closed. I considered using a button to make the wings removable, so that we could wash the costume if needed, but I decided to stitch it in place instead. Halloween costumes are only worn once a year, after all!
A miniature belt with a brass buckle and a tiny eye patch that I made for a pirate doll costume. The pliers help show the scale of the buckle.
What's a pirate without a hook? I made a tiny hook out of heavy gauge silver wire and then sewed a little leather arm guard. I am going to make a tiny matching pirate hat next and then I'll update with a photo of them together.
Measurments
Mathing
Sewing
Notching
Some of the steps for figuring out the cone shape of the leather arm guard for the little pirate hook. The last photo isn't great, but it is important because it shows how I notched the top of the leather so that it would create a more rounded top for the cone when the hook was put in place. Also, the hook has a loop that is hidden inside the leather that I can use to attach it on the doll.
Princess Dress
Night Gown
Kimono
Kimono Sleeve
Sophie is such a fashionable giraffe! She has ball gowns, pajamas for sleepovers, and a kimono. Her pear shape and entire lack of shoulders made the kimono especially difficult to fit and sew, but I think I mostly pulled off the nice, clean lines of a traditional kimono. Plus she's got the fancy long sleeves that make it extra pretty. These clothes are all 8 inches long from shoulder to hem.
Here is a sample of how I use Illustrator to document the patterns I create for her.
Of all the costumes I've sewn over the years, this was my favorite! I was asked to sew a robot with a pink tutu costume for Rose City Comic Con. She was thrilled with it and added the top hat to complete her look. She even got to show off her costume to her favorite droid!
I crochet so many things, but here are a few notably interesting projects I've done. The little tortoise has a wire armature inside that allows him to be fully posable and his mouth can open and close. The dice bag is a crocheted replica of an actual 12 sided dice. The filet crochet beetles was made with a super tiny hook that is normally used for making lace.
When my daughter was small and just learning how to walk, I used to crochet her little wool or cotton house shoes and booties to keep her feet warm. Our hardwood floors meant that the soles of the little shoes needed to be made out of something less slippery than just yarn, which didn't give her any traction. So, I got scraps of soft leather and would cut them a little bigger than the size of her foot and then use a leather punch to make holes around the edges. Then I would crochet the uppers of the shoes or booties directly onto the leather. I also crocheted small strips of elastic into the ankle cuffs to better secure them to her feet. They were perfect, keeping her feet warm while still giving her enough traction so that she was more confident taking those first wobbly little steps!
A while back I got a bunch of the wool trimmings from the Pendleton Woolen Mill. These are the long strips that they trim from the edges of all of the blankets and cloth they make. These trimmings are really long strips that make a beautiful thick, heavy and super soft 'yarn' of sorts. They sell it in bulk for fairly cheap and it is perfect for crochet, using your hand/arm as the hook. The results are these super plush, colorful and warm woolen rugs. Plus you get a great arm workout while you crochet! I made several for our bedrooms, the living room, and even one for our bathroom. It is so luxurious to get out of bed or the shower and step onto one of these comfy rugs instead of the cold floor.
Squid
Elsa Hat
Rainbow Dress
Bee Buttons on the Rainbow Dress
Just a few more random crocheted projects. A squid, an Elsa hat (with her signature braid), and a little rainbow tunic dress with bee buttons for my busy little bee!