sewing project: teddy bear vest

Sun, 23 Jun 2013 19:08:59 GMT

A little while ago I came across a vest made of teddy bear fabric. It didn't fit quite right, and felt a bit unfinished without a lining, but it was really cute and only ~$5, so I got it anyway, thinking it would make a good base for a sewing project. After a trip to the fabric store, and a few hours with my sewing machine, I had an inner vest, made and added a ribbon to the back and put a bit of red trim in front to match, and (with thanks to my dad for giving me his 'old' DSLR) I'm happy to be able to share the results!

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report from a busy weekend

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:18:17 GMT

I spent a busy but enjoyable weekend in NJ, attending my cousin's wedding, and visiting with relatives in the area. Now that I'm back, I can finally share a couple of my big projects from the past couple of months.

This was the painting I made as a wedding present:

It was inspired by the library scene in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which my cousin and I once watched together over twenty times in a single week, and is set in the Barnes and Noble store where she and her husband met for their first date. Eagle-eyed viewers may notice a bit of subtle advertising on one of the tables in the background ;) I had this printed on the same watercolour paper as the Salt and Pepper painting that I did for my aunt and uncle last year, and presented it to the new couple in a frame 'wrapped' with a translucent overlay that I also decorated with a Beauty and the Beast inspired image, and the words "May you live happily ever after..."

The wedding, of course, presented me with the recurring problem of finding sensory-friendly formalwear...and this time I decided to solve the issue once and for all by sewing my own dress!

fabric & lace detail:

Unsurprisingly, my sensibilities lie more toward costume design than fashion design, so the pattern was heavily influenced by renaissance gowns and Disney princess movies. In a stroke of pure luck, the fabric I found happened to be an exact colour match for a shirt I already had, so I didn't have to sew the sleeves. I'm quite pleased that the full skirt allowed me to add unobtrusive in-seam pockets, and let me walk without getting tangled around my legs, but the best part is what you can't see in the photo. The bodice is lined with plain cotton cut from a bed sheet that I got at the local thrift store, so I can wear it sleeveless without irritating my skin, and under the skirt is a hybrid petticoat with a skirt made from the same cotton bed sheet attached to the waistline of a pair of short pants! I think this was the first time in my life that I've been able to wear a dress all day without squirming.

In EDST news, we've begun distributing rewards to our Kickstarter backers! I took advantage of my visit to the US to pick up the puppets for those backers who chose them as rewards, and I will be adding eyeglasses to them over the next few weeks. ego_sideways also sent me a few copies of the book to give to my family, and everyone who has seen them so far has been impressed with the quality. :) We are still working on arranging large-scale distribution, but in the meantime, copies can be ordered from Elder Days Story Time (Only US addresses for now, sorry! Still working out the details for international shipping.) My sample set of cards from moo.com arrived as well, and I'm very happy with it, so I'll probably be placing an order with them soon.

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meeks

sewing project: teddy bear vest

report from a busy weekend