Stuff I Didn't Blog About in 2012

While I wasn't blogging in 2012, I was doing a few things that was certainly worth blogging about. I still want to share them, though. I hope you enjoy them.

In June, the last month I blogged, Patternreview.com was having their One Pattern, Many Looks contest. I needed some new tops, so I decided to enter using the now famous Rose Top from Ottobre Woman's Magazine. This was a fun contest because it really got my creative juices flowing. I made five tops, all different. While I like them all, my favorite is the black one with the white dots and buttons around the neckline. I did wind up winning this contest. I got a $75 gift certificate for Vogue Fabrics and their swatch subscription service for a year. I haven't spent the $$ yet, but I will my friends, I will.

If you've been reading my blog much, you know that my son, Steven, is in a summer theater production every year. This year they performed Willy Wonka and I got to design, pattern draft and sew up 21 Oompa Loompa costumes. This is only a few of them that marched in the 4th of July parade. Didn't they turn out cute? Actually, I had to make two sets of the cuffs and collars because after finding the thin striped brown and white fabric (pictured) and making the cuffs and collars, I found the wider stripe which showed up so much better on stage and I wound up making them all over again. That adds up to 84 cuffs plus extras for lost pieces, 84 socks, and 42 collars. My serger certainly got a workout this summer. July was spent on this project. My son is the one in the center with the glasses, just in case you were wondering.

 

While rehearsing in the theater, one of the directors decided that the geese that laid the golden eggs needed something on their heads. Could I come up with something quickly? Well, of course I can! Didn't they turn out cute.  Without the feather headpieces, they just looked like princesses. These two girls did a beautiful ballet scene and stole the whole show!

 

And because I can't help but brag, Steven not only played the part of an Oompa Looma, he was also cast as Pheneous Trout, the TV Reporter that interviewed all the children that won a golden ticket. He did a great job on this production. I'm so proud of him. This year's play will be A Spoonful of Supercalifragelisticexpialidocious, which is a Disney review of songs from the Sherman Brothers and will feature scenes from many Disney productions . They have asked me to be in charge of costumes this year, but I have declined. I don't need anything else added to my plate right now. I will probably participate in making costumes again, as well as being the back stage seamstress during performances, in case of wardrobe malfunctions. Auditions happen in a couple of weeks. I hope Steven gets another great part.


That covers June and July, but my biggest project to date is what I did in August. But first, let me take you back to The Ninja Girl costume of 2011. I swore I was just going to say no to any more projects like this. I'm a selfish sewist, which I freely admit. I hate it when something else takes away from my sewing for me time.

Then I got asked to sew the mascot for the school I sub at--for no pay. I really, really, really, really want them to hire me full-time after I get my credential. There is going to be a retirement and an open position and everything! So for the price of brownie points, I made this fursuit with a mascot head. It was made for someone about 75 pounds lighter than me, but I still think you get the idea from this photo of me in the costume.

I have never made anything like a fursuit head before. I don't know how we ever learned how to do anything before the invention of youtube. I watches a lot of videos, bought the supplies (they paid for those), and went to work. What I learned is that I have a really good sense of three dimensional objects. I think it comes from having a 3-D body that I have to fit when I sew. You can see that the first picture of the foam frame doesn't quite look like a panther yet. After making some changes, the second picture is very close to looking like I needed it to. The feet with the toes were super cute with fur and claws added.

 

I don't think it turned out half bad, especially not knowing what I was doing. I love the nose and teeth. I made them out of fimo and the whiskers are made from weed whacker cord. The eyes are made from buckram colored with sharpie markers and then rinsed to lighten the color and remove the odor. Also, I shaped the irises around an egg and let it dry into a round shape to give them the appearance of a real eye. You can really see through them too.

 

To complete the look, I made gloves with leather pads and claws glued to the ends of the fingers. Everyone loved it. It was a very big hit. I just hope I get the brownie points and they hire me. Keep your fingers crossed because I really, really, really, really want that job.

September through December was taken up with applying for and getting into Grad school and I began my classes. However, I took the time in November to enter one more Patternreview.com contest. I have become a dedicated thrift store shopper, so the Refashion Contest was perfect for me.

I found this ugly monk-like dress at the thrift store for under $4 and turned it into a really cute sweater dress. I love the way it turned out and wear it often. I didn't win this contest, but I did get 4th place. The prize was a good one too, so I'm sorry I didn't win. It was the Thread's Magazine Archive on DVD. Now I guess I'll have to buy it myself.

So there you have it, what I did with the second half of 2012. I didn't want you all to think I was a slacker.