Fáilte!

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

My Recent Creations

So much activity going on recently! Despite our (hopefully) impending move in the next year we have been taking a hard look around and seeing everything we will have to move with. Or, if you're me you're looking at what cargo you can 'throw overboard' or use haha. One such item - liquor. Drinks all around (for everyone but me haha) between David's birthday party, his graduation party and any other occasion we can use as an excuse to use the stuff we are trying to minimize what we move with for sure. Other items include my craft stuff. They might not be heavy, but I sure have accumulated a lot in the three years I've been here. I've got pieces of all kinds of fabrics in my attempt to improve my sewing skills (it hasn't really worked if you are curious).

However, I recently decided to get crafty and at least try to create some items for near future entertainment for a wee one. With all the soft and colorful fleece pieces I have on hand I started searching online for ideas since I don't know what small children, or children in general, find fun to play with. Some really cute ideas came up - I love Pinterest by the way - one of the tutorials were these "Jelly Fish" stuffed animals which fit perfectly into my skill range. I could stumble through it and end up with something nearly resembling a jelly fish I thought to myself. Well, after a lot of doing, and several "May-Day" moments, I ended up with a creation that I might not call a jelly fish, but it's definitely some kind of creature (perhaps not earthly though). I suppose it's good that the kid won't be able to ask questions about any toys that I create that they'll be playing with this young.


 
Yes my friends, that is one 'Jelly Fish' that has faces on two sides. This specific species you won't find swimming around just anywhere in the ocean - but maybe near the coast of Australia, I hear they just discovered a new type of dolphin. Haha I hope my kid(s) appreciate my effort and don't judge me by the end result.
 
Another use of these craft fabrics I'm using up I've started soft blocks. Which may be the harder craft of the two. Sewing together the block sides wasn't too bad, but the hand sewing of the little adornments nearly had me throwing it out for a bit haha. Again, not sure what kids like or find fascinating, but I felt like you can't go wrong with the A B C's. 


 
And now since I've got one block that has A B C and D on it I just have four more of these devilishly difficult blocks to make. I told David these had better last through ALL kids we have because I'm not making these again haha. Of course we could always buy them, but I would still have all these craft things lying around which doesn't help our cause . . .
 
I've also tried my hand at some spiffy kicks that I found a nice tutorial for. This is what I have discovered about myself while working on this project - I am not and never was a cobbler in a past life, so that's a no on trying to channel a previous lifetimes experience to help me through this project. I am relatively certain that these will never be able to actually go onto a humans foot, no matter how small a baby they are, but by God I was going to finish the project if it killed me (it nearly did). In the beginning I was trying to make them fancy and things started off well, I had some nice dark leather scraps I cut soles out for, I had no problem following the tutorials instructions for cutting out the soft sole liner for the inside or the shoe tops. All was good in the world until they expected me to be able to put them together. That's when the tears and crying out to the heavens and shaking my fists at the sky came into play. I was quite a scene, and as Sara would say: "It. Was. Dreadful." As David has said, I am entirely too stubborn for my own good. But in my defense let's be real - I would have entirely no street cred if I let an infant's shoe project break my spirit. I had to at least finish, even if they would never be worn, used, or displayed in any way haha.


 
 
Even if they aren't functional, I sure love the look of those leather soles :D
 
Right now we are much closer to having less random bits and pieces of my craft stuff to move with, but still a box full of kid stuff. I guess at least I will have these things made when I don't have the energy to walk to the other room anymore... :D More fun projects on the way!