Scrap Monster Sew Along: Day 3

Day 3: Monster Mouths!

Monster mouths are one of my favorite parts of making monsters. So many choices. The simplest I've made was to cut pointy teeth out of felt and sew them in to the face. There are two ways to do this. One is by pinching the body fabric where you want the mouth to go, then sewing the pinched part with the teeth sticking out. The other is to sew 2 separate pieces of fabric together and making the seam the mouth. Again with the teeth sandwiched in between like the little yellow monster below.

The larger monster is my zipper pocket mouthed monster. Make a pocket out of scrap fabric and sew the opening of the pocket and the mouth opening together with the zipper sandwich in between. I had hoped to make my own monster version of a zipper pocket tutorial, but since I haven't yet you will have to find one of the many tutorials online for how to sew this kind of pocket into a bag. I used the same method here.

You can also embroider a mouth. I would recommend embroidering once you have the monster somewhat put together, but before stuffing. If you have at least the front and back of the head sewn together you will have a better idea of where the mouth should be and how it's all going to come together.

This time I went for a wire edged mouth. I haven't done this before but when I started playing with my piece of triangle shaped fabric I knew it needed to have a posable mouth.

First I cut a square of fabric for the inside of the mouth and sewed 2 corners to the two corners of my triangle pieces and then together where they met at the corners of the mouth. I used 5/8" seam allowance so that I'd have room to attach the wire to the allowance

I measured and cut a piece of wire equal to the perimeter of the green square pieced I had cut for inside the mouth. Then, using the longest and widest zig zag setting on my machine, I basted the wire to the seam allowance.

It was a little funky turning everything right side out. The wire at the point of the "beak" needed to be bent the opposite way it had been. I made sure that the corner where my wire was twisted together ended up at a corner of the mouth, not one of the beaks, so those corners were easy to reshape. Once turned I pinned all around the outside wiggling the wire as close to the seam as possible and used a zipper foot to top stitch around the whole mouth, securing the wire in place.

In order to keep the inside of the mouth from popping out when the head was stuffed I decided to learn a new skill and used my blind hem foot for the first time ever. I did not get a truly blind hem, but I did get the inside of the mouth securely sewn to outside and I'm happy with how it looks.

Now I need to figure out where to go from here. This turned out a little different than I imagined so my monster is going to be a little more involved than I originally planned, but I really love it so far.

Scrap Monster Sew Along Day 2: monster limbs

Today's post is so very late because a certain little one (who has decided to give school a try this year) needed some extra mama time tonight. She is doing well and liking school, but commented that it does make it harder to do ALL the things you want to do with your mom...

Come. On.

She knows my weaknesses so well. Anyway, she has been fed desserts, cuddled, read a story, given some undivided attention, and tucked in so now, on to the monster making!

Day 2: Monster Limbs

Do you have some long strips leftover from quilt making? or a bit along the selvage? I am using the long thinnish pieces to make my monster's limbs. I'm still not sure if they will become arms or legs.

To aid in turning the long tube of fabric right side out, I tied an oversized safety pin to a scrap of yarn, fed it through the inside-out tube of fabric, sewed the end of the yarn into the end of fabric, then pulled the safety pin to turn the tube right side out. It takes a little finagling to get it started but is super smooth once it's going.

One of my favorite extras to add to the limbs is wire. wrap it in the stuffing or wiggle it in after the piece is stuffed and you now have a poseable limb. My wire was a little too thin so I wrapped it around itself until I had a strong enough wire to hold a pose when put into the limb I had. The thinner the limb or the less stuffing the thinner the wire can be.

Some other fun ideas for the limbs would be to use a tapered piece, or add "fingers" of yarn or felt. These can be added when you sew closed one end of the limb before stuffing, just turn the raw edge under slide some yarn scraps or pointed felt pieces in and top stitch closed.

If you are planning to piece together your main monster body that can be done with this step.

OK, tomorrow I should have some more time for monster making. If you have any questions about this step (or any others) please comment below or send me a message. I did plan a more detailed explanation for this step so I may add some later. Night everyone. Remember to snap some pictures of your progress, tag, and share #monstersewalong

Scrap Monster Sew Along

Want to join me in a little Halloween Scrap Monster Sew Along? In an attempt to encourage myself to use my art/craft/making time more productively I have decided to invite you to make with me :) I have never done a sew along type thing so any tips will be appreciated. The plan is to post a video, along with short blog post for those who don't love watching videos, of the steps I go through to make my cute monsters. [edited: We have been having some technical difficulties with the videos. :( I might get up the nerve to do a live Instagram thing so follow me there if you must have videos, or you want to see what a goof I am]

Day one: Gather your supplies

If you sew you probably have all sorts of scraps available for your scrap monster. My favorite scraps are the oddly shaped leftover bits that seem useless for most projects. If you don't sew regularly you can use old clothing or buy remnants at a fabric store for a discounted price.

This is a great project for trying to work with fabric you've never used before because really anything goes. If you twist your knit fabric, it only adds to the character of your monster. If your needle pulls threads on a fine satin and it runs, it gives a bit of gruesome wear and tear to the monster. Plus you get a lesson in choosing the proper needle.

The point is don't over think it and have fun letting go of the usual rules for sewing. This is really my sewing happy place. I love making a perfect piece from a perfect pattern, but a carefree, rules free project like this gives my creative mind a nice big stretch. So gather any bits of ribbon, fabric, scavenged zippers and buttons and start playing around with a design.

Supplies List:

• Fabric scraps
• Fabric scissors
• Stuffing
• Thread
• Embroidery floss
• Needles
• Pins
• Sewing machine (unless hand sewing)

Possible extras:

• Bits of lace or ribbon
• Wire
• Zippers
• Buttons
• Beads
• Felt
• Fusible interfacing
• Leftover biased binding
• Yarn scraps

Gather your supplies and start brainstorming. I like to use the odd shapes in the scrap fabric, you know that corner left behind when you cut out a skirt, or the curved part from a sleeve. Use the shapes of your scraps to help determine the shape of the monster. Most important remember to have fun, there's no wrong way to make a scrap monster. (If you haven't figured it out already you don't really need me but it's fun to sew together anyway right)
 

Snap some pictures and share them on Instagram, or FB, or Twitter, or the comments here. Make sure to #monstersewalong so we can all share in the fun.

It's not about sewing

When people see or hear about my kids sewing, most think it's pretty great, everyone comments on their creativity and no one says, out right, that it's a waste of time.

L's first dress, designed and sewn herself

They don't point out any obvious flaws and seem genuinely impressed with the finished product. They want to be supportive and encouraging. And, for the most part they are. I love the feedback my kids get and they grow immeasurably in the light that the wonderful people in our lives shine on their hard work. Most of our friends and family, this is what they give, in endless waves, building and encouraging.

 K and her cousin made a playmat for a teacher's first baby

Inevitably, though, there's that one person who, as the kids walk away, or occasionally just before, turns the conversation to the usefulness of such a skill. There is almost always someone who, in essence, says sure it's a neat thing to know how to do, but it's so much more costly to sew your own clothes nowadays. You can buy stuff so cheap and fabric is pricey. Or maybe they imply, there aren't many good jobs in the field of fashion design, seamstresses aren't paid high wages. Oh, but maybe they could work in costume design for movies! In fact, maybe, there have been times when that person was me.

C's first time solo at the machine, a gift for a cousin's birthday

 But, here's the thing...It's not about the sewing. Sure, if my kids choose a job in the fashion, sewing, fabric, or textile fields (of which I am quite sure there are opportunities) they may have a leg up being exposed so young, but maybe not and, really now, they're kids, we're not planning career paths just yet.

B's first sewing project a tree decoration we still use every winter solstice.

No it's not about the sewing. They sew because I sew and it's accessible.

What it's really about is taking that thing in their mind and making it real. It's about seeing an idea, turning it over, looking at it from every angle and figuring out how to share it with the world.

They do this in other ways too. They do it with their drawings, their stories, their Minecraft worlds, the small businesses they start, the skits they perform for us, the movies they write, direct, film and edit, the dances they choreograph for family get togethers, and the video game designs and animations they dabble in.

K designed and sewed herself a medieval costume

So while I'd be proud if any of them chose to pursue a career that put the sewing skills to good use, it's not about the sewing. Instead, lets talk about the research, the trial and error the figuring out when to ask for help and when to plow through. Or about setting deadlines and falling short, all the times it goes wrong . The tears and tantrums and try it agains.

Lets talk about that feeling you get when you add that small detail or find the perfect ribbon that makes all the hard work so worth it because the finished product is even better than you ever could have imagined it would be.

L attaching her first zipper, an invisible zipper. A squeal worthy accomplishment.

Yes, I'd much rather, after we build my kids up, filling their buckets with our beautiful comments, if we could then talk about learning how to learn, learning we are capable, learning we'll mess up and it'll still be fine because that right there, the process, that's what it's really about.

The Pirate Quilt

Ah the pirate quilt. Took me about 9 years from dreaming it up to finished. It's taken me over a year to blog about it. It's like my ultimate procrastination triumph. Never give up! 

I started this quilt with a fair amount of confidence, 3 years sewing experience in my pocket, but not a whole lot of real skill beyond the basics. This quilt was all about pushing my limits. Every piece I dreamed up required techniques I hadn't mastered.

I do this a lot with sewing, rarely using a pattern or changing it drastically when I do, adding details I have no idea how to work with. I think we all need these things in our lives. Something to show us that when we push our skills we grow. Something that maybe we don't have to take too seriously, that gives us the courage to test our limits.

Goodness, this pirate quilt is so loaded for me. There are many different directions I can go with its story. This is my 3rd attempt in a week and if I hadn't given myself this deadline, done today or move on, I'd still be working on it. 

We can talk about the growth in my sewing skills, the late nights after finally putting babies to bed working a little here and there while trying to stay awake long enough to make it through a movie with my husband. 

Or, how much I learned about fabric. When you spend that much time with a piece of fabric, you get to know it intimately. Bottom line, don't skimp on the big projects and PJs are perfect trial runs for anything.

I could tell you how each piece reminds me of the growing boy who waited so patiently for his quilt, piping in with ideas of his own. How while I was working on the palm tree, one of my most favorite, skill stretching pieces, my boy had fallen in love with Franz Ferdinand and would request his song then bop along to the fun beat while I maneuvered each leaf through the machine, sketching with my needle

I could go on about work spaces. The kitchen table set up I had, with a wall plug just a hair too far away, which caused an innocent hop over a stretched out cord to send my machine crashing to the floor bending metal bits in impossible places at impossible angles, and how that led to a basement studio near to the playroom that sounded like a good idea but, out of sight out of mind, my sewing frequency slowed. 

We can share frustrations, the times it was put aside and sat until the guilt of not working on it for ages became unbearable, or a burst of excited inspiration caused it to be picked back up. And how the stories that fill those moments in between, when it was set aside, they are here too. Little reminders in each stitch of all the life happening along the way.

We could talk about how much I learned about learning and how infrequently I applied that knowledge when we first started homeschooling, even though I really wanted to and knew it was the best way, for me and my kids. 

Or, how about the nuts and bolts of it all? How I did the appliques, each piece has it's own method. And the hand quilting I opted for. Having burned through two sewing machines by then, I was left with only my daughter's, too small to handle a twin size quilt, Hello Kitty Janome. which is actually much nicer than either of my other machines ever were. I loved laying the quilt down on the carpeted living room floor, a book under the spot I planned to quilt next, to sketch the swirls in the water, the ropes of the ship, the fish hidden throughout. Then sitting with needle and thread on winter evenings, cozy under it, many times my boy snuggled next to me his patience wearing as the finishing seemed so close. It was already getting regular use even before it was done.

See loaded. I've already rambled on and on and I've just scratched the surface of all I see and feel when I look at this quilt, at these nine years of my life, at the time I've had with my boy who is quickly becoming a young man. (he has assured me he will cherish it forever, will never be too old for its childish appliques and embroidery, and plans to pass it on to his own children one day)

I could go on for days. I haven't started another quilt since finishing this one, but my youngest and I have started planning hers. Actually we started planning long before the pirate quilt was done, and she and her brother still shared a room, and so Mermaids and sea creatures it is. We've started buying the fabric. She's much older than her brother was when I started his quilt, but I'm faster and have learned to dedicate more time to my sewing so I'm confident we'll have it finished up before she's 9...maybe...we can dream. And even if it takes another nine years to finish it, we will have another nine years of learning and growing and memories wrapped up in the finished quilt. I think I can handle that.

A Farewell to Steve (our paper--mâché friend)

I feel like this is a strange post to come back here with after such a long absence, but the kids insisted that Steve get the farewell he deserves.

For those who never met Steve, he was an accident, he was never supposed to be. But a goofed attempt at a piñata led to the creation of Steve, and a brother and cousin refusing to take part in the girls' big movie brought Steve to life in his first role as "the groom" in their inaugural film.

After that he became a part of our everyday lives. Steve helped us out in a moment of need, playing the part of scarecrow when a crazed bird was relentlessly bashing itself into our window trying to get to the trees reflected in it. He loved playing the creepy silhouette on the porch to scare tick-or-treaters on Halloween. But, most of the time he could be found modeling the gowns and capes L or I designed and sewed. He wore them well, and always with a little extra flare.

Yesterday Steve was unceremoniously laid to rest. Too many late nights spent in a damp basement led to a soggy noggin and after holding on for the past month or so with a misshapen, flattened form he finally began to fall apart. We started finding a piece of stiff paper here, a pile of floury dust there. When he lost an eye we finally accepted his fate and said our good-byes with a promise to never forget our Steve and the wonderful acting, haunting, and general support he showed for all of our projects.

There are plans in the works for attempting a reincarnation, alas we all know the second Steve can never be the same as the first, but his legacy will live on in the paper-mâché heads of tomorrow. Steve you were loved, you will be missed, you will live on in our hearts and projects evermore.

Finding Comfort

I actually wrote this a few months ago, while my niece was having her surgery. It felt too real to share at the time, but I want to remember these feeling, this moment in time. I don't want it to be lost in a list of drafted, never published posts, so here it is.

My heart is so tired lately. All the worry, sadness, and truly amazing things happening around me everyday are exhausting.

I am finding some comfort in meditative stitching, working on a quilt that has been in the making for 9 years now, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And in appreciating how truly blessed I am by spending more time really watching and listening to my kids during the times I have them all to myself.

And in the fun and engaging distractions my Adobe Generation Pro courses give me when I need to quiet my mind.

And, in the kindness and generosity of friends who send meals for my sister's family, while they travel an impossibly rough road.