April 10

Do the Dodo

A friend of mine, Rudi, emailed me these photos of the Ffordian Dodo he recently cloned, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to show off on his behalf.

Vikwick is an early version 1.2 dodo, without wings – but since they are flightless that doesn’t seem to make any difference to her quality of life. Vikwick has recently been involved in the SpecOps 27 investigation into Adrian Lush, since the TV host recently opened a chain of bath & beauty product stores and is under suspicion of using the strong smell emanating from the shops to disguise a cheese smuggling operation….

Vikwick was made from socks, following the tutorial on my blog (tutorial includes wings, if you want the)  – the Sockie Dodo’s are 100% Jasper Fforde approved (his little daughter has one) and are really easy to make… but be warned, if you make one, they will steal all your marshmallows

Clone Your Own Dodo Tutorial

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April 7

From Tricking & Treating to Easter Basket, TARDIS!

From Tricking & Treating to Easter Basket, TARDIS! That’s what is so wonderful about the TARDIS, time becomes wibbly, wobbly and what you thought worked as a Halloween TARDIS Trick or Treat Tote would be equally appropriate as an Easter Basket for your favorite Companion as you travel through time.

This free tote pattern is the creation of Jennifer Ofenstein of Sewhooked who was inspired by a request for a TARDIS bag from her daughter.  With some felt, thread and ingenuity, Jennifer came up with a tote that can hold so many wonderful things, not just candy (though it really is the perfect place for hiding that chocolate stash).

 

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March 10

Peace, Love, Pi

Peace, Love, PiYes, we’re almost to another Pi Day. What’s Pi Day you ask? Why March 14th , of course, and with 3-14 close at hand, I couldn’t resist highlighting this wonderful paper piece quilt pattern by Jennifer Ofenstein of Sewhooked.com, simply called Peace, Love and Pi.

One of my favorite crafters and someone who never fails to prove her creativity, Jennifer created this design for her husband and son. The three designs of the peace sign, heart, and pi make a great wall hanging or can be used individually for whatever projects you can dream up. You can purchase her pattern here.

Happy Pi Day Crafting to you!

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February 7

A S’Minchin of Miraculous Matilda

Matilda is one of the quintessential geek kid’s books; the story of a nerd girl who uses her brain to bring a pinch of justice to the world is bound to resonate with swots of all ages. A couple of years ago I managed to get myself to Stratford ‘pon Avon to see the RSC’s christmas musical version of the book and was completely blown away by it – one of those performances that remind me why I work in theatre. Anyway, since then the production has transferred to the West End, won a load of awards and caused a considerable dent in my finances from ticket purchasing.

Laura, or LollyPolly as she is known over at the Minchin fan forums (the music for Matilda was written by our very own rock nerd Tim, who of course did a fantastic job with Dahl’s dark comedy), made this brilliant cushion commemorating the show’s opening song – which echoes the prologue to the book in that we get to hear about how miraculous all the children except Matilda are. It’s a fantastic example of how effective even simple embroidery can be if the colours, fabric and design are well chosen. With any luck Laura will now have caught the needlework bug and will go on dazzling us with her work in future.

Matilda the musical official site

Angry (Feet) – Tim Minchin’s fan forum

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February 4

Red Shirt Syndrome!

Being active myself in historical reenactment for many years, the colder months were often spent at the sewing machine prepping for the upcoming events throughout the year. The same can be said for people who love attending Cons. Their creativity and ingenuity forever astounds me!

Working roughly off of a pattern and adapting on the fly, graverobbergirl on Craftster has made a great version of the original Star Trek costume! Even the hair and accessories show her dedication and attention to detail that are sure to make her stand out in the Con Crowd.

What makes graverobbergirl’s costume extra special is that she has planned for the inevitable. She has a patch to sew onto her costume when she finally (and inescapably) gets hit by the phaser aimed for a commanding officer!

The Expendable Yeoman (2-in-1 Trekkie Costume) – CLOTHING.

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