Sunday 16 June 2013

We're all mad here....

The birthday girl has deemed that Mummy should be "The Mad Hatter" next weekend because I'm "already mad".

Can't really argue with the that!




My outfit is pretty much sorted but I needed a little something round the neck.

So rummage, rummage in the sewing drawers.............








I rediscovered some lace I bought a while back in a upholstery "job-lot" off ebay.

A left over cream pendant from a previous bunting make.













A packet of "Dress it up" novelty button with a sewing room theme that have been waiting for the right project.

A few other assorted buttons including a giant orange one.

Plus, a couple of cute teapot charms.










Ta-Dah!!





 A bit of a close up.


 



Should tie in nicely with my Johnny Depp-esque orange wig and hat.


Finally, a few co-ordinating buttons sewn onto the waistcoat I'm wearing.





Job done!


Monday 10 June 2013

I'm T-shirt culling. Stand by your drawers!!

I'm still doing my "Alice in Wonderland" prop making in economy mode.

The Playing Cards are key characters in the novel. They are playing cards with a human head, arms and legs. They are loyal servants as well as guards for the Queen of Hearts.


I did a bit of library and internet research to explore the various interpretations of this character in books and film and took it from there.

My aim was not to buy anything new and I managed it!

The two giant playing cards were left over from the pack purchased to make invitations and various other props so I'm counting them as free - OK?

The T-shirts were pinched from my husbands drawers while he was out!! Like most of us, he has an assortment of white T-shirt in various states of shrinkage and heading towards grey so I just swiped the worst two which I class as a side perk of this little project. Wink*


Materials:

Old white T-shirt
 Wooden coat hanger
 Giant playing card (A3 size)
Bamboo cane
Red foam sheets (raided from my daughters crafting supplies)
Plain paper
Red and black fabric pens
Glue (regular and fabric)

Hung on a metal garden lantern stake

1. Make a heart template and cut two hearts from the red foam sheets and one smaller one from the plain paper.

 2. Glue the smaller paper heart upside down onto one of the larger foam hearts. Turn this foam heart upside down draw a small red heart for the nose and a smaller one for the mouth. Still the wrong way up in this pic.


3. Back the other foam heart with cardboard to reinforce and glue to the top of a bamboo cane.

4. Glue the giant playing card to the front of the T-shirt.


5. Draw on some basic feet onto the T shirt at the bottom of the playing card using a fabric pen.

6. Hang the T-shirt on the wooden coat hanger

7. Glue the "face" onto the wooden coat hanger - positioning in the neck of the T shirt so as to hide the coat hanger.

Repeat as required!!! 
 
 
 
 



I hung my guards on metal garden lantern stakes that we already had in the garden. I found planting the "spear" in  front of the "shoulder" area it helped stops them spinning if it's windy.

Overall I'm happy with the result as they only need to stand up to a two hour party.

I'd like a few more but my husband is closely guarding his T-shirt drawer and I've only got two lantern stakes, so I'll stick with a pair.


Next: The Mad Hatter...........