Tuesday 21 October 2008

Clawn Sack

The clawn I made the hat to wanted a sack for candies for kids as well.
I started with a tube. I think it should be done from bias, but I didn't, wanted to save fabric:-D The tube is just a thin pipe, thinner at one end. After sewing it you cut the hem to about the width of the tube. The thread I'd left at the thin side was thread through the tube and pulled.

As it wasn't bias I had hard time turning it inside out.
This is the shape of the sack - two U pieces sewn together.

I made two small machine buttonholes. Then I folded the upper edge downwards and pinned. I took a lace and sewed it to the level of the buttonholes joining the pinned fabric.
At first I used a rather thin lace, a bit wider than the width of the tube, but the sack was quite hard to close. This is a wider one, from nylon. Doesn't seem to be very reliable at the first sight, but I think it can do it:)

Some finishing to the cord's ends. I quite like tassels, but I can't remember me producing one so far. I took a spool, it was a new one, with a plastic cover still on. I rolled a couple of embroidery cotton on the spool and pulled this out. The plastic helped me as I could take it of the spool at the same time.
I put the tube in the middle of the future tassel. I took a needle and thread and attached the tassel with two stitches (shape of figure eight) to the cord. Then I cut everything unnecessary and left just one end of the cotton to wrap the joining with. The end has been tucked inside and cut.

I could snip the tassels and hand the little sack on to its destination:-)

Sunday 19 October 2008

Clawn Hat Maybe Finished

The wound after inserting the fusible web had to be healed. Invisible backstitch's what helped me. It's slightly indicated in the picture - a small distance forwards and a double of it backwards.

I've been looking forward to this for a long time. Jingle bells!
I attached them with four little stitches. Without jingle bells it would be no clawn hat:-)

I handed it on to the client - the claw'll try it and if it's too tight or something she'll give it back to me for edits.

Summary -> what I would do other way next time: I'd make it wider - I cut the bands of the exact perimeter of head; I'd make it flatter - the horns sort of erect when stuffed and look higher than the pattern; maybe I'd make the red band fitted; I'd pose with a little bit more intelligent expression.

Thursday 16 October 2008

Clawn Hat Repairing

If you look at this mess you'll understand that I didn't fancy ironing anything inside.
I planned to insert pieces of fusible web and iron them on.
After riping out a seam at the bottom of the hat I found it impossible.

Fortunately, I had one more solution prepared. Fusible web didn't have to be sad as it was in the plan as well.

I cut three ovals from the web and pinned them inside each horn. It wasn't easy and in the end it wasn't perfect but somehow I pinned them.

Now my surprise - glue gun. I bought one. And I managed to spoil it. Now it's messed with melted glue and doesn't move. Skillful hands..
I bought a smaller model. I was more succesful with it. I couldn't make a continuous ring of glue but I put each pin aside and glued the spot under it.

It looked like pinned with ivisible pins in the end:-D

Friday 10 October 2008

Playdough Heart

Just a bit of distracting work. Playdough.

I took two colours and made various hues. What could have inspired me to do something like this? :-)

I smoothened the heart. I decorated it with a few dots and a spinned a cord from two narrow strips.

The cord has been moulded in the way not to disturb the whole shape of the heart.
By the way, my boyfriend went on a trip and I couldn't go with him. I gave him a small box with crisps and I laid this at the bottom. I was asking him inconspicuously about the crisps several times... :-)

I came to the trip to him a day later. I found out that he had eaten the crisps the day before. And he thought that the heart was edible as well, he bit a bit off:-D As his defence I must admit the playdough smelled quite sweet.

I made a handle for my crochet needle from what remained. I made a cylinder, punched in the needle and gripped firmly. I saw it somewhere on the Net, but unfortunately I can't say anyone thank you as I've totally forgotten where I'd seen it. But it's very comfortable.

Wednesday 8 October 2008

Clawn Hat Progress

I liked sewing the spangles on the hat:-) I used for stitches to attach each of them with a cross.

Then I got down to the the bands. They would be tied under a chin. I cut the shape I'd wanted and sewed along the edge. I cut triangles at the pointed places. In fact after sewing this I decided to make them longer.

I turned them inside out and sewed again close to the edge. I wanted to help myself with iron but the synthetic fabric was so *grrr* creaseproof that I didn't succeed.

I cut a rectangle from yellow and sewed the the laces on like this. I sewed one yellow side to the red spangled band of the hat.

I closed the yellow band to a circle and added a buttonhole for the possible rubber band inserting.
I had to pinn all to compensate for the awful crease resistance. Then I sewed the inner side to the red with my favourite stitch that I call rice stitch:-) It's like the York stitch at figure 8 at this small but gorgeous site.

By the way, you can see that the stuffing went down at the place where head should be situated. I'll have to do something about it or I can call myself a poor seamstress as it wouldn't be wearable..

Tuesday 7 October 2008

Pole-axe Decoration

Boss asked me to.
He wanted me to tie this white something to the head of the pole-axe (to make it nicer and to cover the nails:-P) but I didn't like it.

I bought new fringe (syntetic as well - ugh). I cut it in pieces and sewed them in hand, around the pole-axe neck. Three pieces on each.

He wanted me to cover places for grip. I used natural cord from stationery:)
I fixed the end of the cord with the first spin (by force) and covered it with the following ones. The last three spins were loose, I cut the end and tucked it under them. Then I fastened them, one by one, and pulled the end down firmly. Cut it and nothing will be visible but a smooth handle.

Taking picture of 2-meter staves isn't very comfortable:-)