Wicket the Ewok crochet cushion

Hello! Oh my glob, this project has been a long time coming! I was meant to post this yesterday but I totally forgot that it gets dark here at like five now, and so I didn't finish in time to take photos! >___< But I remembered today - hurray! I'm keeping up my (admittedly fairly new) tradition of making a project every year for International Star Wars Day and this year I decided to make a cute little Wicket the Ewok cushion ^___^

 

Now, to be perfectly honest, I find Wicket to be a little bit creepy looking, so I didn't want to make anything too true-to-life (or, ahem, movie). I simplified the design to be as cute as possible and I think it rather worked! 

 

I used stash yarn to make this, although I'm not sure of the brands (I have a bad habit of throwing away labels as soon as I start using a new ball) I'm pretty sure it's 100% acrylic. I used the majority of two balls of brown and orange, and a tiny bit of black.
 

To make it, I crocheted one large flat circle and two small flat circles in brown, and one large flat ring in orange. For the orange ring I started off by chaining to the length I wanted, joining that chain into a ring and then doing the treble stitch into each each chain stitch. I wanted the opening around Wicket's face to make mostly square shaped, so I made four corners by doing a treble, two chains, and then another treble into one chain stitch.  After that first row, I switched to single stitch and eventually rounded out the square shape into something more circular. Everything else I did in 100% single stitch which I think gives it a great look and also prevents the stuffing from popping out.

By the time I got to making the back piece, I was running out of orange but I didn't want a plain brown backing so I ended up doing a striped hexagon. Hexagons are harder to make into circles than squares, and the edges ended up a little ruffled, as you can see from the picture above. Still, I like how it turned out! ^___^

His face was made by making three circles, one a little smaller than the others, and a short length of chain. I stitched everything down with some extra black wool. The orange ring is bigger than the brown head piece, so it covers up the base of the ears, which are just stitched to the brown piece. The orange ring was sewn down around both the edge of the face and the head and then sewn to the back piece with the last precious piece of orange wool. I ended up with only a tiny little bit left - I certain succeeded in using up that particular piece of stash!

 

And now he has found a home on our couch! Basically all the stuffed toys I make seem to end up on the couch so he won't be lacking for company but I'm thinking that this idea could be really easily adapted for other Star Wars characters. Wampa head cushion, anyone?

International Star Wars Day is only four days away (!!!) and it's also my best friend's and my husband's birthdays so I've got to get right back to crafting! Scott has requested a Companion Cube plushie and I'm working on a super secret gift for Pip which is out of this world ~___^

Let me know if you're making or doing anything fun for Star Wars Day and May the Force with with you! ^___^

- Lisa xx

Vintage pyrex embroidery hoop

Hello! How are you? I hope you're well. It is my second week of study break today and since I managed to catch a cold on my second day of study break, I have achieved very little! However, I started being able to breathe properly again over the weekend, so I made this little hoop to show you ^___^ 

 

I really like how it turned out, I think it looks so retro and cute! ^___^ I was inspired by this project from Flora and Purl but I'm linking to a pin rather than a blog post because for some reason Blogger will not let me actually look at the website! Silly Blogger. 

 

Anyway, I decided I would try to make an embroidered version of my Snowflake Blue dish, because the pattern is relatively simple and recognisable and because it's one of the few pieces that I have both the top and bottom of ^___^

 

I had a tiny thought that maybe I would continue to make hoops of some of my favourite pyrex designs, so I added a label to this hoop. This way, if I do end up making more, I can have a little pyrex hoop gallery with the names helpfully included to match up to the actual dishes ^___^ Stitching text is still not my most favourite thing to do, so I wrote this out on paper first and then just stitched over the top.

 

This is a 17cm diameter hoop (or about 6.5 inches) so it's quite small and therefore rather cute. The hoop is a (possibly) vintage one that I found at the op-shop; I really love finding embroidery hoops while thrifting because they are usually only a dollar or two each and you can sometimes find some really interesting ones ^___^ I love the faux bois plastic used for the front of this one, and the pretty metal hanging loop.

 

I finished off the back with some red felt and a simple running stitch. This is basically how I finish off every single hoop I do, so nothing really to see here ~___^

 

The floral fabric is 100% cotton and is brand new, although I think the pattern feels a tad retro, don't you think? I only used about a quarter of the fat flat to make this hoop, so I've still got a bit to work with, once I think of another project for it ^___^

 

The pyrex is made from felt and embroidery thread and was really very simple to make. I drew a picture of the dish onto paper and then cut around it to make a template. I made sure to include my slightly wobbly lines, as that was one thing I really liked about the inspiration piece ^___^ I used two strands of DMC for the outlines and the scallops (which is just a modified lazy daisy) and then a single strand for the snowflakes and the dots. I added crosses in the scallops because I can't do french knots - they are my downfall! If you can do french knots, you could probably make a much more accurate facsimile of this pattern ^___^

I'm very disappointed that my first week of study break was essentially a wash, because now I really must spend this week doing all my homework which doesn't leave much time for crafting! I am working on a couple of crochet projects, and hopefully I will have at least one of them finished before International Star Wars Day as it is, you guessed it, a Star Wars project ^___^ I'm doing both these crochet projects in 100% single crochet stitch so they are taking me agggggeeessss. I am a very impatient crafter at times, so it was good to start and finish a quick project to keep my motivation levels up! Anyway, it's time to hit the books!

Lisa xx

Glittery pastel bone and skull hair clips

Hello! How are you doing? Today is my second offical day of Study Break and I have certainly not done any studying ~___^ Instead, I've been working on finishing off some projects from the huge box of WIPs. So, so many abandoned projects; it's sad really. And also I've started some new projects because I am not the kind of person that will ever have all of her crafts actually finished.

  

This is one such project; I decided the other day that I wanted a hair clip shaped like a bone. I have no idea why, I just suddenly really wanted one. So I sat down with some sculpey and made some bones. And then I made some skulls. And then I burnt them (oops!) so I had to paint them.

 

 

I originally spray-painted them white, but then I decided that they should be pastel. And glittery. Because, why not, right? ~___^

I use Scott's Warhammer paints to paint my sculpey but of course those paints only come in dark, army-type colours; no pretty pinks in sight! So I mixed a drop of each of the acrylic colours in with some of the Bone White Warhammer paint  to create my pastels. It worked really well! I think because I used only a tiny bit of acrylic the paint still adherred really well to the sculpey. After I'd painted the bones, I gave them a thin coating of glittery Mod Podge; I absolutely love the subtle sparkle it gives the bones ^___^

 

I was going to attach alligator clips to the back of these, but then I found some great pins in the milinary section of Spotlight. They look just like bobby pins except they have a metal circle on the end of them which made them really easy to glue to the back of the bones. I wish I had found them before I made the bones though, because, as you can see, they are a teeny bit long and stick out from behind the bones.

 

I really like how these clips turned out but they are a little tricky to photograph; I took a whole set of photos yesterday but they turned out too blurry (for the close-ups) and limited in detail (for the in-action ones). So I took some new ones today but you can see from the photos with me in them that I'm still having some trouble with the latter problem; I wondered maybe if because they were so pale they were reflecting the sun too much? I don't really know. I included a couple of the in-action photos anyway, so you could get an idea of how big they are. You'll just have to imagine that you can see a bit more detail then the photo actually provides ~___^

I wore them into the city today as Scott and I checked out the new Codex release at the Warhammer store; but I didn't tell the people there that I've been using paints for non-army related purposes. That'll be our little secret, ok? ~___^

- Lisa xx

The Giant Pineapple Cosy KAL (with free crochet and knitting patterns!)

Hello everyone! Last year Tanya and I organised a Foxy KAL that was so much fun that we wanted to do another one! And it's finally happening! ^___^ 

We found a great retro knitting pattern for a pineapple tea cosy and we're excited to share that pattern with you in our new Giant Pineapple Cosy KAL! You can download the pattern straight away (just click on the image or the text below to go to the download link); it was originally made by Patons in their Nick-Nacks C41 pattern book. We don't know when it was released, but since it includes measurements in both centimeters and inches, I'm guessing it's probably from about the 1970s. Ace!

 Knitted Pineapple Tea Cosy Pattern

Tanya made this one, so you could see what you're getting into! Isn't it lovely? She's done a super job and I'm so excited to make my own!

 Crochet Pineapple Tea Cosy Pattern

Now, even though we've called this a knit-a-long, we haven't forgotten about the crocheters! I've made a really simple crochet version of the original knit pattern; it looks a little different but it's still full of retro-style amazingness! You can click the image above to download the pattern from my Google Drive ^___^ The KAL will start on May 5th, and will run until June 2nd and then we'll announce the winner of this awesome prize pack! Far out! ^___^

Join our Ravelry group to stay up to date on all the KAL chatting fun and to share your awesome WIPs and FOs with us! ^___^ See ya on the flip side!

Lisa xx

Foxy face brooches

Hello! Do you get any craft magazines? I get *a lot* ... probably too many! ~___^ Mollie Makes is one of my favourites, but I almost never get around to making any of the projects that come in the free kits. Which is a pity, as they are totally adorable!

But, this week, I realised that I couldn't show you any of the three long-term projects I've been working on (yet! I will show you soon!) so I pulled out the train case I keep full of magazine kits and decided this one was the perfect one to make ^___^
 

The felt in this kit is a lot stiffer than the felt I normally work with, but it worked really well for this project. The cream part of the fox face is just one thickness of felt, so having the stiffer felt means that it retains its shape very well.

 

The pattern for the foxes included the design for the sleepy eyes, as seen on the orange fox, but I gave my pink fox some happy eyes - just for something different! ^___^

 

Also, I had absolutely no idea how to do the stab stitch in the way the magazine had pictured, so I did a running stitch instead. It worked out fine! But I do want to know how to do the stab stitch now; any stitching experts out there who could give me some pointers? 

I reckon I'll wear these cuties as sweater clips, because it's finally getting cold enough here to actually wear cardigans! I'm so excited! Last night I was wearing pants, socks, a jumper, *and* a hat - it was actually lovely ^___^ Anyway, I best get back to my knitting - I can't wait to show you this project! But I have to finish it first; hopefully with practice I will one day be able to knit faster than at a snail's pace! ~___^

- Lisa xx

A pillbox hat for a night at the theatre

Hello! Do you like dressing up? I do! I love to wear costumes and pretty dresses but sometimes it just feels like there aren't enough reasons to really get out the glad rags, you know? So I really try to seize any opportunity to overdress! ~___^ Rebecca and I decided to go and see A Murder Is Announced last week and since it's a stage show, and set in the '50s, we went all out! ^___^

I wore a gorgeous halter-neck dress with a sweetheart neckline and the most fluffy skirt ever - which I promptly made even fluffier by adding my petticoat underneath. There is no such thing as a skirt that is too fluffy. We had decided we wanted to look like '50s ladies, so I added a set of vintage pearls, a vintage handbag, and a handmade pillbox hat and gloves. I also had a lot of fun trying out victory rolls! Rebecca did credit to the motto of "make do and mend" by making her skirt, and thrifting her top and clutch purse. I wish I had a better photo of her hairstyle too! She did a great job working her shorter hairstyle into victory rolls and twists ^___^ Since it was an evening show, Rebecca also wore a gorgeous vintage fur stole while I favoured vintage black velvet.

My pillbox hat was a lot easier to make than I thought it would be and really adds that little something something to the outfit, but unfortunately I didn't take any photos while I was making it! I did take some additional photos in better lighting though, as it is a little hard to see the full hat in the outfit photos above.

 

I made it from the lid from a plastic container, black satin, a big black and white ribbon (it's reversable), some black tulle, and a lot of hot glue!

Here is how to do it!

1. Cover the outside of the lid in black satin

2. Add a circle of black satin to the inside of the lid

3. Glue one end of the ribbon to the inside of the lid, wrap it around the lid in a nice-looking way, adding glue to twists to prevent movement

4. Secure the other end of the ribbon to the inside of the lid

5. Arrange the tulle over the lid, wrapping the gathered end into the inside of the lid

6. Fasten the tulle by adding glue to scraps of ribbon and pressing them over the tulle

7. Make a big bow with the rest of the ribbon and glue it to the back of the lid. I made this bow by making two circles with the ribbon, one smaller than the other, then wrapping a smaller length of ribbon around them both and gluing everything into position. I also glued the ties to the underside of the bow.

8. Glue on a small hair comb of the inside of the lid, underneath the bow.

 

The inside isn't very pretty looking,but it gives you more of an idea of what's going on under there ~___^ The hair comb I used doesn't secure the hat to my head perfectly, but it does add stability while I add in bobby pins and means that I don't need to hold it on my head while I'm fastening it on.

We were definitely the most overdressed people at the theatre, but it was so much fun! I think I've also overcome my fear of victory rolls now, which is very good since as I looked at so many photos of actual vintage hats in preparation for making this one I've got many many millinery plans, so I'll need to be getting better at the hairstyles to match! ~___^

- Lisa xx

Nerd Love

Hello! I have finished Scott's Valentine gift with plenty of time to spare, so I thought I'd show it to you in case you'd like to make one too! ^___^ I was inspired by this project on making a motivational mobile, but decided to mix it up a bit. I used the supplies that I already had on hand, and made it a bit more "us"; i.e. nerdy. ~___^

 

 

I've had a set of magnet letters sitting in the craft room for a while now, since they were displaced by my washi taped magnet alphabet but, like a true crafter, I kept them knowing they'd come in handy one day (that's kinda our motto, huh? ~___^). I spray painted them with Super Chrome (the best metallic spray paint!) and then used baker's twin to hang them.

 

The glasses were ones that we originally got from a 3D movie; we stashed them in our costume box and used them approximately zero times since I already have glasses and Scott didn't really have any costumes that needed them. So I popped out the lenses, pulled off the arms, and they became the perfect detail for this nerdy bit of wall art ^___^

If you look closely you may be able to see some faint lines between the letters. They didn't hang very well because they were weighted unevenly (due to the magnets) so I used some thin plastic (from a piece of packaging I took from the recycling) to join them together and ensure they wouldn't keep flipping around. I used hot glue to attach everything, and it worked a treat! ^___^

And here it is in action on the lounge room wall - I think it fits in quite nicely ^___^ Since the whole thing is made from light plastic and string, washi tape is strong enough to hold it up. And it looks pretty too ~___^

 

I've still got most of the set of magnetic letters left, so I'll have to think of another project to use some of them up. Unfortunately, I only have two of each letter to work with so I'm slightly limited for phrases I can make ... perhaps I'll just put them back on the fridge! ~___^

- Lisa xx