June 7

Retro Robot Plushie Pattern

Retro Robot PlushIt’s the 21st century, and I have to say, I’m pretty darn disappointed. I thought by now we’d have flying cars, and that every home would have their own personal robot servant. Until the times catch up with my unrealistic expectations, I’ll just have to go DIY.

Luckily, I won’t have to design my ‘bot from scratch, thanks to this adorable Retro Robot plushie pattern from Gulf Coast Cottage. He’s got everything I want in a robot: flexible arms, eco-friendly wind-up powers, and a fully huggable chassis.

For those of you who already have plush robot minions, you should check out the Gulf Coast Cottage Etsy shop, anyway. It’s full of the most adorable felt food and play set patterns (including a super-neat under the sea set) you’ve ever seen!

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June 4

READER SUBMISSION: Geeky Coffee Cozies

geeky-coffee-cozyCoffee is a really special thing. By special, I mean an absolutely necessary, absolutely delicious morning ritual that could never be done with out. Something so special, necessary, and delicious should also have the opportunity to look really cool on a regular basis, so when Tara from SewTara linked me to her Etsy shop full of Geeky Coffee Cozies, I immediately logged in to show them to you. Well, immediately after I finished my cup of coffee. That’s okay, though, Tara understands coffee induced procrastination.

In addition to the Geek Coffee Cozy, she is also selling this Procrastination Coffee Cozy. Being

procrastination-coffee-cozysomeone who is always putting things off “until I’ve finished my coffee”, I couldn’t resist showing this one as well. You can also flip it around so the “Do stuff” box is checked, but I figure, why lie?

Never  one to marginalize, and always one to appreciate some cool binary stuff, I couldn’t leave the tea drinkers out of this (I am, after all, British by marriage). So, don’t fret it coffee isn’t your thing. I admit, I will never understand how someone couldn’t love a nectar so sweet, but, at least Tara is looking out for the geeky tea drinkers with this awesome Binary Tea Cozy. That says, quite simply, “Tea”.

There are way more geeky-awesome hand sewn cup cozies in her Etsy shop, including Scrabble Tile inspired cozies, and even one with a little gnome. Who doesn’t love gnomes?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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May 27

Crafts of WonderCon 2011

WonderCon Intro 2If the San Diego Comic-Con is the arena rock star of the convention world, then San Francisco’s WonderCon is the concert-hall favorite. It’s not nearly as big, but much more manageable, and (in my humble opinion) just as much fun.

I attended two days of this year’s Con, where I met numerous writers, artists, and geek icons. My favorite folks to talk to, though, were the hard-working crafters tabling throughout the Con.

Some had made items to promote books and webcomics, others were devoted to selling thier handmade crafts. No matter the reason, though, they were always happy to stop and share a little about their creations.

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May 25

Fascinating Quilt

I love quilting, but I tend to stick to more traditional patterns. But maybe it’s time to change that! Funthreads made this Spock quilt for the Spring 2011 online Blogger’s Quilt Festival?. It was intentionally made so the image is difficult to see up close. But step back and there’s Mr. Spock! Funthreads said she usually gives away or donates her quilts, but this one she made with her husband in mind. Nothing says “I love you” quite like Star Trek. She started with a pumpkin carving template, and designed the whole thing from there. It’s 58 x 82 inches, so I can only imagine how long this took. But it was obviously worth all the effort. She details the whole process on her blog and it’s…fascinating (Sorry! I couldn’t help myself!) Good luck with the festival!

May 20

Trilobite Friday Roundup

Trilobites were once one of the most abundant types of animal on the planet (there are more than 20,000 known species). As a result, their fossils can be found on every continent. They’re instantly recognizable, and so have become a symbol for fossils in general. Combine that with their rising popularity in steampunk and you have one geeky bug!

Trilobite Cross Stitch sampler

Not only are these adorable, but they’re scientifically accurate. The species Phacops, Anomocaroidea, and Asaphida Ogygiocaris are here and “In the interest of science education and encouraging our small community of scienc-y stitchers” Adventures in Stitching posted the patterns: here, here, and here.

Clockwork Trilobite Brooch

Based on the Girl Genius comic (this is the steampunk I was talking about), Jake von Slatt posted the entire process of making this gorgeous brooch.

Trilobite Embroidered ATC’s

Donkeywolf always has the most amazing embroidery pieces, and this is no exception. She made three trilobites, each 5″ across and sewn on silk. Beautiful!

Fondant Trilobite

These are sweet and cute! Complete with instructions and printable template, so you can have your own prehistoric cake!

Trilobite Stuffie

I would have never thought to make a stuffie out of a trilobite, but this one is so cool looking! He’s made out of felt, and I love that his antennae are pipe cleaners, so they can move around.

Knitted Trilobite

He’s so tiny! I wish I could knit so I could have my own…but there’s a tutorial if I ever learn!

Trilobite Bracelet

I know this looks too heavy to be practical, but it’s actually clay! The trilobites are molded from real fossils. Etsy.

Trilobite Softie

And this is the cutest trilobite I’ve ever seen! Floresita made this for her niece using Aunt Martha’s Dinosaur Iron on transfers. I bought that transfer book because of this cutey!

Have a great weekend!

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May 19

“The Pandorica Opens” Embroidery

Just when you think the Doctor Who crafts can’t get any more awesome… they do! PurpleHeather made this epic hoop for her Doctor Whoopla Swap partner, and I’m SO jealous! They way she mixed the thread colors mimic Van Gogh exactly. I don’t think I need to say much: just look at how gorgeous it is! PurpleHeather said: “The background is dark blue velvet, because as Vincent says, the sky isn’t dark and black and without character, it’s deep blue!” The most impressive part? She did it all freehand! What a work of art!

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