What I've Been Working On

What's this?  I actually made progress on a project?  Yeah, graduate school has been kicking my butt and not leaving a lot of time for fun things, like hacking fabric apart to make soft and squishy things.  I did make a cute little turtle that didn't take very long at all.  In fact, I think I like him so much I'll make a few more, or go with an underwater theme, and maybe put together a mobile for my sister's soon-to-be-baby.

I've also successfully finished piecing together my second sweater quilt!  I haven't put the backing on it yet, but the important parts are all there.

This was made by cutting apart four 100% merino sweaters, and I picked the softest ones I could find at that.  There was the black argyle, a nice GAP striped but had too many holes to wear, a burgundy one full of holes, and a dark charcoal gray.  Hey, if Goodwill wants to sell holey sweaters for $0.15 on sale, I won't say no!

Also, thank you to Resweater's blog for giving me this idea and for having a lot of inspiring ideas in general.

What I've Been Working On

Is actually quite a lot!  I finally got plastic safety eyes in the mail and got the big 20mm ones added to my bear rug, as well as stitching on a faux leather nose (note: this is WAY harder than it sounds).  I still have to make some claws and sew on the liner; pics when it's done, promise.

I also finished up two more microwavable heat packs, this time as a monster head and a snake.

Both are made out of fabric scraps or recycled sweaters from Goodwill.  The funky eyes are made of felt and done crooked on purpose.  The fiance actually had to ask me if I intended it that way *rolls eyes*.

As sort of a funny story, the fiance also bought 12 bars of Irish Spring soap because he had run out, but apparently didn't buy the kind he was used to.  He now has 12 bars of "cleansing scrub" soap with sand and gravel and rusty nails and bits of iron filings in them for that extra exfoliating action.  The first time he washed up he got out of the shower with pink skin and visible lines down his arms!

In steps my friend the internet, and reveals there are "soap scrubbies," wool soap liners that let the suds out but keep the soap in.  He insisted it have a "manly" decoration on it: no flowers or birds, but wouldn't tell me what.  Ok my manly man with extra iron in his soap... you get a big red X.

What a manly, tough guy decoration!

I'll let you know if it works!

WIP: Bear skin rug

Remember that hideous faux fur coat I got at the thrift store for <$1?  Last night it began its journey towards freedom (and looking a little less hideous.  First I hacked it up and cut out the pieces.

Already attracting the attention of the resident furball, as you can see.  Due to the size of the coat and a couple wrong scissor strokes I had to improvise on the pattern.  I sewed up the head and muzzle and attached them to the body, which was actually much easier to do than expected.

You can kinda see the shape of the head emerging.  I had enough time to make the ears and sew them to the head, which was actually quite annoying.  One is still bigger than the other, but I'm hoping no one notices ;).

Still to go: eyes, nose, claws, tail, stuffing, and backing.  This requires a trip to Jo-Ann's as I don't have the material, but hey, doesn't this look vaguely bear-like?