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

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.

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..

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:-)

Alternated Bun

Little alternation of classic bun. I made a braid from ponytail and twisted it around the center.

Before attaching the end of the braid under the rest I made a small loop that was pinned as well as the rest.

This is not very noticeable, rather just for me:-P
In addition to this rather boring post I can give you a link to my shared items in Google Reader - I put there posts that seem interesting to me. However, you won't find there any post from Racaire and Elsi - I read their blogs directly:-)

French Braid Shamrock and Figure Eight

I came back to my hair experiments.
After a try of this hairdo I started to make the French braid a bit on the left from the center of my sister's head. When I finished the French I continued braiding right and up - I didn't hold the braid as usually but it was really braided in the position you can see at the photo.

This is one of the following options. You can arrange the braid in figure 8 with the tail hanging from under the braid. Secured with hair pins.

Now to the shamrock. I unbraided a small part and attached two of the strands to head with hair grips. I braided all three parts separately.

And pinned them as you can see. There's one pin hidden in the place the end comes under the braid, in the direction of the thicker part of each braid. It should do for the end and for the loop as well..

Here you can see a hairdo this all came from:-) I think this is usable to be worn every day and it can be easily done on oneself. I just love it!

Green Reflective Poi

This was an experiment. I'd been thinking about reflective stripes but I didn't dare making these poi for someone unknown because I didn't know what it would turn out..
So when my boyfriend asked me to make sock poi for him I suggested and he agreed:)

I bought two meters of streak reflex. I cut it in five parts. This time I drew the pattern on the right side, so that I could exactly mark position of the stripes and easily sew them on.

I made poi from this semiproduct, and of course sacks for weights and pocket and so on..
I usually embroider a sign in connection with the color, this time I just had to make something else:-)

In fact the streak reflex isn't very effective. It reflects light only in the exact direction from what the light came out. But it's nice silver:-D

Dance Sack

I'll take belly dance lessons again! I'm nuts about it!
I decided to make a sack for my training clothes.
In fact the basic process was the same as when I was making sacks for fireshow costumes. I just didn't deal with the upper hem and I made a small flat pocket with one side higher.
You can also notice that the bottom was quilted from several layers of black canvas to be thicker (I didn't like that the black fabric was a bit thinner than the brown one).

I cut a strip, I folded it in half, then the halves were folded again, inwards. I put this onto the upper side of the sack and inserted the pocked under it with its higher part. Sewn along the lower edge.

I added grommets and a cord and declared it finished for now. Maybe once I'll add a band to be worn by, because I can't hold it for the cord (grommets (put in by someone who's not particularly good at) on thin fabric + heavy intestines = grommets sliding out of their position), but I think I'll be too lazy for it:-D

By the way, the small pocket's for ballet shoes, not to have to take a special plastic bag for them.. (I hate plastic bags)

Gothic Toque

I have a new gothic dress (brocade) and I wanted something on my head. Luckily I found a nice article on toques at Virtue Ventures. You can also see nice examples at Kats Hats, they just aren't open. These two ladies also call them torque or coffee hat.

According to virtue's instructions I used a quarter of circle as a pattern. I slightly edited the joining sides to fit my head and cut out of.. a carpet! The one without rubber below.
This piece I could use as a following template for drawing on brocade.

I cut two pieces and sewed them together. I watched to threads in the fibre to be in the same direction on the two parts. I turned this over and slipped it over the carpet. The threads go horizontally on the picture. That's probably why it wrinkled at the center (the sides were bias so they were a bit more flexible). I had to cut a few milimeters in the middle and it was better.

The white something under the pattern in the picture above is a future band that's worn around head. I took a rectangle, folded in the middle (I got a narrower one) and sewed two sides of it. This is before ironing and closing one side by hand sewing.
I sewed the ends of the carpet together, then the brocade in hand and pinned the parts of the hat together (the band to the rest + the band to a circle at the top).
And here you can see the lacing my dressmaker made on my new brocade robe. It seemed too sparse to mee.

She gave me some loops for me to finish it. I sewed them on according to her example. Two little stitches down and two up. This is a little trick, as they look like circles from the right side of the dress:-)

One side's done. For now. In fact, I wanted to have eyelets there as lacing (there's no space between when worn), but holes in this kind of fabric - it would fray out after a few days..

Of course I'll wear petticoat under when among people.
I won't torture you anymore with boring things and I'll show you the hat:-)

Clawn Hat Stuffing

I have a new task - I am to make a hat for clawn. Fortunately I got an example to sew it according to, because in this case I would be totally helpless.
I sewed three pieces like this - one side yellow, one side red - together along the curves.

Then I took them still outside in and sewed the vertical sides together.

I cut the edges, turned it over and sewed on a wide red band. This is the base for the outer look of the hat.

Then I had to make the inner part (as it would be stuffed). I pinned four triangles on my skull until they fitted. You can see what pattern I gained.

I sewed them together (this was a good practice to sew a neat cross when it's not important:-) ) and added a red band as well.

I took a sack of milled foam and stuffed the outer piece. My dog was sniffing around and for the photo he made an innocent-thing look. I helped myself with a pencil. In case you'd like to try this for stuffing I must warn you. It's the worst mess I've ever seen. It's full of static electricity and it sticks to all of your clothes or carpets.

I pinned the two pieces together and sewed along the upper line of the band. That's all for today:-)