Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Passing Along an Award and A Costume for a Goddess

 
Yesterday, I posted the first part of receiving this award from my dear blogging friend, Trudy.
I listed ten things about myself that you weren't supposed to already know, but if you've been following my blog for long, you will see that they were all things you did already know.  I'm not interesting enough to have more unknowns about myself to tell!  If you really want to know what I wrote, you can go back to that post, but unless you want to be bored, you probably won't want to do that.
Now for a list of bloggers to whom I am passing this award:
It's A Sewing Life - an Atlanta mom who is an amazing sewist.  The story of how we actually met and didn't know it, is very coincidental.  Now that I really know who Elle is, I want to meet up with her and really get to know her.
Psychotatter  - another Atlanta mom who makes the most amazing tatted things.  I have one of her beautiful bookmarks that I use all the time.  She posts the most gorgeous photos of sunrises and sunsets!  I love to read the humor in her posts about her family.
Jackie - this lady and I share a love of reading.  We also both love to sew, but instead of clothing, she makes the most unbelievably beautiful and precisely sewn quilts!  You just have to go to her blog to see what I mean!
Scrapbooking in Turkey - this lady is new to my blog list.  She is an American living in Turkey.  I've seen scrapbooking, but I've never seen such beautiful creations as those made by this lady!
Bessie - what a generous and inspiring lady you will find at this blog!  This lady has had a very serious issue with her eyes, having to have surgery and all.  She smocks and sews.  Recently she pleated a bunch of little bonnets to send to a smocking convention, even though she can't go because of her eyes.  These bonnets are for the Wee Care Charity!
Flower Kim - another very generous and creative lady.  Kim has also been having some health issues, but she just keeps on keeping on.  She has sent me two very special gifts that I will always treasure.  She makes the most incredible miniature things.  You won't believe your eyes when you see what she has done!
Claudia - talk about a beautiful blog!  She has a very quaint homey cottage in NY that she and her husband have nurtured, loved, and furnished with things with a story!  Nothing in her home just happens.  She has a true love for the things with which she surrounds herself.  She works with actors on their diction, so sometimes has to be away from her gorgeous home.  I would love to meet this lady in person.  Perhaps I will someday when we are traveling to see our daughters.  We pass within about 20 miles or closer to her home every time.
Cheryl - this is the sweet lady from whom I won the Halloween fabrics recently.  You need to go to her blog to learn more about how generous and creative she is.  I have enjoyed feeling that I have a close friend in her, even though we have never really met.
Just A Little Southern Hospitality - otherwise known as the Happy Cottage Quilter.  This blog is truly inspiring and beautiful.  It definitely qualifies as a BEAUTIFUL BLOGGER AWARD RECIPIENT!
Her Quilting blog is wonderful, too.  Please visit both of her blogs to be awed!
Slipstitches - one of the most encouraging ladies I think I've ever "known".  She always leaves the sweetest comments.  Her blog is amazing as well.  Please check it out if you haven't already.
All My Seams - You won't believe the embellishments and detail work this sewist creates on her garments.  She is working on a coat now.  I can't wait to see it finished.  Last year she made a felted jacket and embellished it with the most amazing appliques and embroidery.  She inspired me to try my hand at felting.
Goosegirl - what lucky daughters this lady has.  She makes the cutest, most adorable things for her youngest little daughter!  Her older daughter gets some very stylish garments, as well.  This lady is so very busy, but she never lets that get in the way of "doing" for her girls!  She also has created patterns for a bloomer skirt and an apron that are incredible!
Kaddidlehopper - is a lady with two little ones and another on the way.  I love the sweet little things she makes for her children and the gorgeous, stylish maternity things she is making for herself.  She recently knitted a red riding hood cape for her daughter.  She is also a pediatrician!
Mushywear - is a young, beautiful lady who must have the most extensive and stylish wardrobe in all of Hawaii!  She looks great in everything she makes.  That isn't fair, is it?  Her personality is just as beautiful as her physical self, though, so I can't help but admire her.

I was going to send this award to Cindy and Faye, but I saw that they had both already received it. 
Again, poor Smokey (Un. of TN mascot, a bluetick hounddog) is being a very cooperative model.  If only he were a bit taller!  As you can see, I lucked up on some very "snaky" $2.00 a yard fabric at Walmart.  I couldn't believe how perfect this was.  Little 4 wanted her Medusa wig to have green snakes!  I cut this fabric into stripes so that some of the snakes were the green and black streaky pattern and some had the blotchy pattern.  I made 26 snakes.  With each one that I made, I did a little better. They all have quilt batting and pipe cleaners in them.  I sewed these with the stitching on the underbelly of the snakes.  My stitching is on the outside.  I just tucked in the raw edges and sewed down the seam with the batting and pipe cleaner already inside.  Does that make sense?  By doing this, I didn't have to turn the snakes or stuff them.  I shaped the heads as I went along.
 
For the dress, my plan was to drape this cheap green lining fabric that was in my stash.  But, I would never make it on Project Runway, if my draping skills aren't improved.  It was not too bad, but the outcome was a little too "sexy" looking for a 4 year old, so I scraped that dress.  Thank goodness it was cheap stuff.  I looked again in my stash and found these two fabrics.  The watermarked taffeta is what I used for the top and the bottom is made from flag fabric.  A friend had given it to me after she made flags for our local high school band flag corp.                            
The snakes can't be scary because then Little 4 can't wear it to preschool.  So I used Googly eyes hoping that would make them look a little cuter.  I started off planning to use plastic snakes and some fake green hair that was attached to headbands that I found at the Dollar Tree, but I just wasn't happy with how it turned out, so I started over when I found this snaky fabric.  The plastic snakes probably wouldn't have been as comfortable for Little 4 to wear.  On the inside of the snake wig, I made a tshirt knit tube hat.  I cut little holes in it to put the snakes through.  They are each stitched by hand to hold them in place.  Then, I wrapped them around each other, etc... to make it so that there wouldn't be snakes hanging in Little 4's eyes and to hide the hat.  I sure hope that Little 4 is happy with her costume.                                                                                              
Now, it's on to make a girl version of Dracula.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

G'day Julia ~ What a lovely write for your blog lady friends. Jocelyn I know & love dearly. Will have to visit the others.

You are soooo creative, love it.

Have a great day ~
TTFN ~ Hugs, Marydon

Claudia said...

Thank you so much Julia! I appreciate you thinking of me, my friend! I am honored.

xo
Claudia

Jocelyn said...

Oh my Julia, thank you so much. What an honor to be named on your list. And your costume is absolutely amazing ;-)

Liesl said...

The Medusa wig is amazing. That's a lot of snakes to sew!!

KID, MD said...

Oh my gosh!! That medusa wig is genius! The fabric is perfect - what a great find - and the googly eyes are awesome.

Thank you for passing the award on to me. I appreciate it!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Julia, thank you so much! You're so sweet and I value our friendship.

The Medusa costume totally rocks!!! I had no idea how you were going to do the snakes and your idea is just perfect. Do you need another granddaughter? :)

Unknown said...

I was worried about friends, very sweet costume, where the snakes came to mind:) loves

MushyWear said...

Impressive, with a capital "I". You did an amazing job on the Medusa costume. 26 snakes?! That is so many, but if you hadn't made that many it probably wouldn't look as impressive. Little 4 will surely be "wowed". Thank you so much for the award and your kind words. You made my day!

Samina said...

Wowwee! I just published your comment and hopped on over just to see if you had finished the costumes yet (which btw are amazing I wondered how you were going to do those snakes, excellent job!) but I did not expect the award...thank you soo much, and I too enjoy your blog and find your work amazing :D

Jan M said...

Thank you for the kind words and award!
Looks like you are having as much fun creating costumes, as the children will have wearing them! Making costumes was one of the things I loved most when I had a little one!

Ladydy5 aka: Diane Yates said...

Another great sewing project. That is so wonderful. The snakes look really cute with those eyes (less scarey). You are an artist grandma.

Cheryl said...

Thank you, Julia! I consider you a friend, too. and I LOVE the Medusa snakes! What a creative costume!

Kim said...

Julia- thank you so much for your sweet words ♥ I LOVE the Medusa costume-your grand is going to be thrilled!

Faye Lewis said...

Julia thank you for looking in at my muslin. I'll tell you - you are so much like my Mother. Not the same age of course, but like her you see all good in what I do. You encourage and inspire me so much.

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