Kurt Cobain for the Battle of the bands Challenge on Plush You!

Thanks for bearing with me while I make all these changes to CottonSpool. I am trying to pretty the place up around here and so far, it's looking like an absolute mess. I promise it won't be like this forever, I just have to try and figure out this html junk. Gosh, it's really driving me nuts! lol

Anyways, I have been a busy girl lately. There has been weddings and birthdays and all sorts of things going on around here. I have still been crafting like crazy only I keep forgetting to take pictures so I will have to go on a picture-taking binge to catch you all up.

So I just finished my Kurt Cobain plush for the Plush You Battle of the bands Challenge! You could choose any artist/band dead or alive so I chose my childhood crush Kurt Cobain. He was one awesome dude until ... well, you know. Anyways, I could never do him justice but I did my best to capture his expression and look from the famous MTV Unplugged show which is rumored to have been designed to look like a funeral, some even say it was a message from Kurt regarding the tragedy which was to follow.

On to the details! I designed the pattern completely and specifically for this challenge. He is made in a "waldorf style" and I use the term verrry loosely. He has a molded face including a nose (which is not so prominent and you probably can't hardly see on the photo). I used a cotton jersey type material for his skin and felt for his facial hair, eyebrows and guitar. The jersey was wonderful to use and it allowed just enough stretch to make it easy to work with and not too much stretch that I was going to end up with bumps and elongated limbs etc. lol. His hair is tea-stained acrylic-mix wool which I hand dyed specifically for Kurt's hair. I used a tutorial to make a sort of wig which then gets sewn on to the doll to keep it all in place but unfortunately I can't find the site again so I will have to do some intensive "googling" so I can give credit to the wonderful person with the tutorial.
I made all of the clothes as well, The jeans are made from an old pair of my own jeans and I distressed them with my quick-unpick and some rough sandpaper because as we all know, Kurt liked his jeans well worn in (Oh I love the grunge look). I was a little disappointed that after many a trip to my local thrift stores, I couldn't find any khaki green/brown knit sweaters to cut up for Kurt's infamous cardigan so I ended up having to use some cotton that I had in my stash but at least the colour is pretty close. The mini Con's (Converse All Star) are made from felt by me and I think they turned out super cute! I may just have to make some for my daughter too.

Well that's it, that's how I did it! If you have any questions or any comments -  I would absolutely love to hear from you.  Check out the other entries when they are posted on the Plush You blog very soon. I am sure there are going to be some truly awesome designs.

Thanks for reading and Happy Crafting, kiddo's! :)

Another day, another doll.

This one is waaaay better. I'm much happier with this geeky little girl. I think she's cute and I much prefer the stitched face than the fabric marker although the latter is much easier. You reap what you sow I guess. Anyways, I think I've got it right this time, but hubby seems to think her arms should be by her sides so a slight adjustment is all. I'm thinking of all the different variations of her I could do, different faces and different hair. I'd better write it all down and sketch it out I think before my sieve-like memory loses it!

I'm really wanting to make some stuffed toys too but do you think I can get a decent fleece selection anywhere at this time of year? Oh well, I managed to find some green fleece in a really great fabric store that I'd never been to before (it's so HUGE with so many different things, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!) but seeing as it's green, I have to think of things that can be green and cute at the same time. hmmm.

Also, kinda off-topic, my hubby is totally my hero. I seem to have this knack for stuffing up my sewing machine but after a little internet research, hubby fixed it! He took it all apart, adjusted the timing and voila! Take that, Sewing-shop! I get to keep my $85 and have my machine working beautifully. $85 - seriously?! I wonder if that's a career I may pursue - it seems like easy money to me. That's nearly as bad as the $240 the dentist charged me last week to take out my last wisdom tooth which took him all of 15 minutes. Geez.

Well that's enough of my ranting for now, I hope you like the new doll.

Happy Crafting!

Long time, no see.

I know, I disappeared again! So, so busy over Christmas and New Years. Boy, am I glad that's over for another year!

Well anyways, I've been busy stitching up some stuffed toys as I've decided to try my hand at a market stall and I thought I'd make rag doll's to sell. After about 5 prototypes (and counting) the best one so far is this little girl. I'm still trying to decide whether to stitch the faces on or not and whether or not to make her body thinner so she can have removable clothes or leave her with her inbuilt dress? Any thoughts? I may end up going with both and making some of each anyway, it's good to have options.

Anyway, there she is, I hope you like her. (Her arm isn't wonky by the way, it's just the way she is sitting or at least that's my story anyway. haha)