I’ve added lots of new things to the shop including paper mache sailboat #7.
iago
Motiveless malignity.
And something else: Over the summer I took Susan Sato’s “One Patch Scrap Quilt” class at Fiber Notion here in Park Slope. The class was great, I had zero experience with traditional quilting techniques and I learned a ton, stuff that I use in my other hand sewing too. The class is being offered again beginning November 4th. You can contact Kat at Fiber Notion for more info.
(indigo one patch cushion cover – in progress)
boro owl and birds -wip
update 10/15:
I’ve abandoned the plan to put new things in the shop this week, instead it will be the beginning of next week. I was photographing things yesterday and this morning and saw lots of stuff I felt iffy about or didn’t like. I was particularly disappointed in the indigo owl, among other things his beak was completely wrong so I’m re -working it now and already like it much, much better.
I’ll post a couple more progress photos here later today.
indigo owl – in progress
Thanks for giving Chillingworth such a warm reception! I’m working on a new indigo owl now for next week’s shop update. The Japanese scraps are courtesey of Stephen Szczepanek. This owl is of particularly robust figure.
Some other work in progress:
And a couple things for the new “small things” section of the shop. A set of tiny office supplies in matchboxes and a pensive little cherub. I got the cherub an the Park slope Flea market – it washed up on Plum Beach in Brooklyn.
froth, foam and the daily bird
This truly glorious antique underskirt is destroyed in the skirt sense, it’s so fragile I’m surprised I was able to hang it for the photo, but it will make a wonderful foamy, boiling sea for a paper mache ship.
Bird news: the daily bird is back for one week. I’ll post one little bird for sale in the shop Monday through Friday, the time will vary. I’ll post a link here in the side bar each day when it’s ready and also on twitter.
*little clarification – I’ll post a link here in the sidebar but will not be emailing subscribers for each daily bird *
This is Monday’s bird matilde in a pine tree in Prospect Park.
couture
I’m working on lots of things for the shop including a small collection of sweetheart birds, one of a kind things, detailed and intricate, elaborate and self indulgent – couture girls, la belle epoch. I’ll post progress photos here and if you’d like to be notified when they are ready you can join the shop mailing list.
I was working on this girl last night and she reminded me of a story I read as a kid. I must have been about nine when I first read it and I still have the book, a collection of stories, “The Doll That Was Rich” was read so frequently that the book falls open to the exact page I was thinking of: ” On the table in front of them were two dolls, one dressed and one partially dressed. Beside them was an open parcel, full of bits of bright colored silk; and beside that again was a work basket.” I still love the idea of a basket of fancy scraps and somebody to dress up.
More shop news: Just for fun, I’m adding a new section of found things, very small collections of very small things, flea market treasures, stuff I love- like this mini iron and trivet.
The first collection will be up within the next couple weeks – just six little things .
chillingworth
“A striking evidence of man’s faculty of transforming himself into a devil, if he will only, for a reasonable space of time, undertake a devil’s office.”
Chillingworth, finally finished. I’m going to keep making things from the antique bodice he’s constructed from until there is nothing left at all.
Find the sewing pattern to make a your own dastardly owl here.
tiny tophat
How to make a tiny tophat (in excruciating detail).
What you will need: top hat pattern (click to download pdf), black poster board, scissors, manicure scissors ( for trimming the little curved bits), elmer’s glue, floral tape, large paper clips, a light color pencil, a dowel or something for curling the poster board and black glitter.
Trace the 3 pattern pieces onto the black poster board and cut them out. I use a large paintbrush handle to curl all the pieces a little as shown below. I feel this step is key to your success as a tiny tophat maker. Next, overlap the edges of the cylinder about a 1/4″, glue, and clamp with a paperclip.
When the cylinder is dry trim off any extra bits you might have so the bottom and top edges are pretty smooth, apply glue liberally to the top and bottom edges and place the brim and top. I use floral tape to hold it all together while it dries.
When the glue has dried trim off any excess on the top and brim and shape and smooth the brim with your fingers. Use the exacto knife to poke a hole in the bottom and then insert the little scissors to cut the opening.
Paint it quickly and completely with elmer’s glue, give it a roll or shake in the glitter, leave it to dry and brush off the excess glitter with a stiff paint brush or old toothbrush. Finished!
Hello tiny tophat!
vintage fabric give away
I’m doing a major “getting rid of ” here and starting with my big old trunk of vintage fabric, there’s all sorts of stuff in there – I don’t even know exactly what any more but for optimum productivity and mental health some of it has to go. There are a few big pieces but it’s mostly smallish scraps, it’s all vintage and some bits I’ve had my entire life; if you would like some just leave a comment to this post that you would like to be included in the drawing. I’ll pick 3 names this Friday, September 18th and email the winners for their addresses. Also on the subject of free stuff for you I’ll be posting a tiny tophat pattern/ tutorial later this week.
* Comments are closed, names have been drawn and winners emailed. Thanks for participating everybody! *
diabolical
I started working on an owl on Saturday made from this ruined antique bodice and someone very wicked is emerging.
I fully intended to make another scoundrel but this guy is so scoundrelly he makes the other look like a pussycat – he kind of surprised me. I already know who he is, a really villainous character, and I’ll tell you his name as soon as he is finished. I also got a massive cold this weekend and spent an insane amount of time staring into the internet. I came upon 2 honest, insightful posts about making stuff and selling it, one is by future girl and that led me to another by dudecraft, both talk about money, creativity and motivation.
feather
I got another surprise package from Stephen Szczepanek ( sri threads) yesterday, so many treasures it’s too much to think about all at once but I’ll share a couple: A single exquisite feather – the picture doesn’t do it justice – it is so soft and iridescent it seems almost liquid, it makes me think of this quote from “The Rings of Saturn” :
“I have always kept ducks, he said, even as a child, and the colors of their plumage, in particular the dark green and snow white, seemed to me the only possible answer to the questions that are on my mind.”
Some impossible blues – already being made into something. Thanks very much Mr. Szczepanek.
And something else – progress this morning on a new ship.
wire
I’m running out. I was working on some new bats and spiders over the weekend and realized that the big spool of wire I got at the flea market a couple years ago, the wire that is ideal for bats and spiders, the spool that seemed like a lifetime supply when I got it, is nearly gone. There weren’t any markings on the spool and I don’t know what it is- it’s pretty stiff and it’s flat on two sides; if you’ve got any ideas on what it might be or where I might get more or if you have some in your basement – I’d love to hear about it.
