Simply Mi – Page 9 – Mi's Blog & Costumes

Christmas 2013 in crafts! (part two)

January 10, 2014

Some more things from Christmas!

So my sister really liked the camera case I made myself in September, so I got out those same fabric scraps and some lace and made one for her camera.

Camera case & kitty bag!

I had seen this type of design when I’d searched something like… “Camera case diy,” probably on pinterest, for ideas on my own camera case.

It’s a super basic design, long skinny piece for back and flap, short wide piece for front, darts for corners, and then slap it together with binding.

I used fleece as the batting, and lined it in flannel.

Then I had to get another gift covered so I browsed my pinterest (my addiction 8D;;) for something cute and decided I like this bunny bag. After I saw how it’s just a rounded rectangle sewn up the sides, I didn’t look at the tutorial though. Which… probably caused some issues (like I’m not particularly fond of how the base came out).

Anyway, got more scrap.

I knew she would like a cat waaay better, and wasted a lot of time looking for some scrap I might have that would be black on black, for Pippin, but ended up with just plain black cotton.

Anyway, basic piecing, semi quilted onto some batting.

I think the tail is my favourite bit.

The face is just stitching with embroidery thread.

I didn’t like the way they just slapped binding over the seams, far too bulky, so this is fully lined with pockets. ‘Cause, pockets are awesome.

I made one other thing, but I can’t seem to find pictures at the moment, so perhaps in the future they’ll be a part three.

Christmas 2013 in crafts! (part one)

January 8, 2014

This Christmas I made a lot of handmade gifts.

For my family, but there’s a lot of them (so Imma break this post up).

Some things I remembered to take pics of when I finished them, and others I was like “Augh gotta get a pic before I wrap it!” so sorry for blurry, not ironed things for some of them :/

Stuff what I made!

Originally I made this for my mum.

I drew a picture of a basic leaf on a piece of printer paper and then just cut it out and added 1/4″ seam allowance to each piece as I cut (except for the outside edges). My terrible stitching in the ditch ;_;

And then I just finished it off with bias tape and a button. All scrap fabrics!

When I gave it to my mum, she said a family friend would probably also really like one, so I made a second one and let my mum choose which one she wanted >.>

Then I made a makeup case thing for two of my sisters.

I started with this free pattern by Lindsey Rhodes and modified it based on looking at other cosmetics cases.

I don’t really wear makeup, so I ran several designs off a makeup buddy 8D

I’d also just ordered Kam snaps and wanted to snap EVERYTHING. (I wish I’d got a basic black though :/)

This is another sister’s.

I really liked the fabrics used on her’s.

Everything is still scraps! Most of it came from my gramma, who quilts.

For my brother I made a messenger bag from a San Diego Comic Con promotional bag (and scraps).

I wanted to put A MILLION ZIPPERS, but I got lazy. So there’s this one on the back.

This one on the inside.

And then pockets elsewhere.

It looks way better in person :/
My favourite bit was I was able to use the hardware from the original bag for adjustable straps, that was super exciting for me 8D;;;

I told him it was a purse, so if he didn’t want it, I’d understand and take it off his hands…

2013 Cos review addendum

January 6, 2014July 11, 2020

I skipped right over CoCo!
That’s because I didn’t wear anything new, not really. But it was still one of my highlights because I got to spend lots of time with Aimee’s little ladies, R & J <3

And I got to meet new people~

(Loren’s photo~ I managed not to get a group one on my camera, boo)

Also underwear & a bonus! Read more →

2013 – Cos Review

January 1, 2014July 11, 2020

2013 is over!

Here’s what was new, cos wise:

Suuuuuper scaled back on the production this year, apparently. I didn’t necessarily feel like I did less though.

I had planned on doing more Historical in 2013, but I only managed two.
Highlights after the break!

Current Project!

October 29, 2013

So my next day in travel is really daunting ‘cause we took like 1000 pics (we did the Rome circuit at a run basically) so I keep putting it off. So much so, that I’m actually going to post progress pics of what I’m working on right now.

Whoooo current! So this project is pretty much a challenge to myself, on multiple levels. I wanted to use up fabric (so no buying anything fabric for this), I wanted to work more with creating my own textiles (inspired by the awesome art quilts I keep seeing), I wanted to create something out of my norm (organic and not about the clean lines), and I wanted to create a fairy that wasn’t a corset with stuff shoved under it.

Right now I’m succeeding with using up fabric, and not being clean about it (uh, it is, in fact, a mess). So just a heads up, a lot of these were taken at night so the lighting is just… weird. And I didn’t want to muck about with fixing it. I started with a pile of fabric:

And went from there!

The same pile, with flash:

Okay actually I started with cutting a loose vest shape based on a diagram in The Cut of Men’s Clothes, a 1770s-ish one if I remember right.

And a roll of stabilizer. I intentionally cut it big, for shrinkage, but actually I ended up cutting a LOT off later (which I should have taken a pic of, but didn’t). Anyway, then I just kept cutting strips in the various fabrics and semi places them.

And stitched the strips on!

I had a full size pic of it more complete, but it was super blurry. Here’s the back:

Oh here is a cellphone pic:

Anyway, so then I thought this needs pockets.

For the back of the waistcoat I was going to put lace ups… here is a really not great pic to show how I failed at grommeting.

So I did button holes instead, but I don’t seem to have taken a pic of that. And then on to work on the jacket!

I cut leaves while watching Batman: Under the Red Hood (again) and crying on the inside.

This was not enough leaves, and I still have more to go, but it was a start!

This was again loosely cut out after looking at the diagrams in my book, and modifying the pattern I made for my 1850s coat for Dickens last year.

Basically I just used the back from my old pattern and eyeballed the front…

And now cell phone pics!

Alright! I’m further along, but I guess I haven’t been taking as many pics as I thought. We’ll just… see where this goes….

Update of bags!

October 3, 2013

As always, so behind on things. I keep posting things long past. Which I will continue to do, until I’m caught up, but still. I thought something a bit more recent would be nice 😀

Anyway, I made this last month.

I really needed a camera case! And I’d been meaning to make once since the protector sticker thing I had on the screen randomly SLID OFF in my bag one day in Japan and the screen got scratched. That was well over two years ago. So yeah, long over due.

Progress & detail pics to follow!

So uh, this is what I was using before….

… it’s a sock. The fuzzy slipper kind 8D

So I went through and chose smaller quilting scraps that coordinated. This is actually left over from the clothe napkins I did for the tea party. I really like the look of the white print on off white 😀

The polka dot stuff is fleece, which I lined the bag in.

All my pieces!

I think… that I had wanted to do a tutorial on this.

… Because I took a lot of detail shots.

Like this. And SO many more.

But I ended up not, because my camera is very bulky and most people have itty bitty cameras.

Also I wasn’t 100% happy with the flap, you can see in the first picture that the top gaps a bit (I’m holding the strap so it’s gapping more than usual there, but still, it was enough to annoy me).

Anyway, finished product!

People give me their button jars all the time in a “Oh you sew!” way, so I had lots of really random buttons to choose from 😀 That was nice. Not totally pleased w/ my hand stitching on the leaves though.

A few months ago I made this small bag, as a trash bag in my car:

It was hard to capture the colour, but this thing is NEON.

So it contrasts nicely with my camera bag XD

SDCC 2013

September 5, 2013

I’m so behind on posting, again, so! COMIC CON! (and after this, Costume College, then I can finally move onto new stuff!)

I flew into San Diego on Thursday morning, I’d flown into San Diego once before but couldn’t remember how I got to the convention! Usually I fly into LA or thereabouts and drive down with friends. So I just spotted some Comic Con likelies and asked how they were getting there, and ended up cab sharing with a guy who was very interesting and it turned out was working the Lucasfilm booth so he got the cab as he’d be reimbursed. I did look for him a few times at the booth, but never saw him again, and now I don’t remember his name anyway.

The rest of my room came in around the same time, it was great timing! We checked in, and went and badge got, and then zoomed and got pretty much all the exclusives I had wanted.

Anyway, we changed into our first costumes of the con in the afternoon!

Summary of the con w/ photos after the break~!

They had decked out this ship for Assasin’s Creed, but it wasn’t open yet when we went.

These costumes were what took up soooo much of my time. I just didn’t really think it through, what with my evening summer class.

Anyway!

Us with the artist of Fables! So that made it worth it. And he recognized us (both the characters and the fact that we’re “those” Fables costumers), so yay!

Then we trooped back to the hotel, changed, and dinner!

Friday

I got up semi early and went and joined Jey in line for the World’s End panel, which was the first panel of the day in Hall H.

The guys were a bit jetlagged 8D

I didn’t cos this day, but followed my lovely Wonder Women around, and shopping was had! (I will, one day, do a Wonder Woman w/ them :D)

Idk if these are screen used, but neat nonetheless.

Saturday

Again w/ semi early getting up, I joined Audrey in the Once Upon a Time panel 😀

First was for the new Wonderland show starting soon (actually, this month I think?). We got to see 40 min of the first episode! It wasn’t completely edited so was rough in places, but looks good! These three are Alice, the love interest, and the villain.

Then the OUaT panel~

It was fun to see them, but they have such a huge cast, we couldn’t really hear from everyone.

I ended up bailing early to go get a ticket for the lego raffle (I tried every day! But I didn’t get one ;_;)

Then back to the hotel to change!

Yay Sandman~ This was totally Vertigo Con for me.

We did Cereal Con versions for the Sandman panel, we didn’t end up getting pics really, but we did meet up w/ this very neat Merv there. Anyway, I think we looked fetching.

Then we did dealers room browsing and in the afternoon I went to the Batman The Animated Series 21st anniversary panel, which was less interesting than I’d hoped (pretty much the same things they say on the dvd commentary) and then the voice actor for Dick happened to be in the audience and he made me (and many others) so sad by saying his daughters aren’t into the show/Batman because they’re girls.

-_-

Sunday

More early getting up! This time to jump in line for the autograph raffle, for Doctor Who 😀 I really really wanted to get signed the pic of all of us Doctors w/ Matt Smith, from 2011’s SDCC.

I diiiiid get a ticket! But, we weren’t allowed to have our own things signed. In 2011 you could bring two items, of your own choosing. So it was bummer that it was only one, and it was provided by them (a publicity postcard). I was super disappointed ;_;

Then I joined some friends in line for Hall H for the Who panel, we didn’t get in (aaaugh and we were sooo close). Did some dealers room browsing, then went to the signing.

But after that, which ran really long because they told me one time, but it turned out they told me an early time, <i>and</i> they were running way late (which also means they rushed us through the line, boo), I went and met up with my gang.

More Sandman!

The Kindly Ones~!

We planned these costumes for that day because of Gaiman’s panel, but we underestimated the line, and decided we really didn’t want to spend our last day waiting in it.

But I’m glad we got some pics 😀 I think it was a fun group. Also, Sandman never goes amiss.

State of Mi

July 25, 2013

I did seriously mean to keep up with this journal, but San Diego Comic Con madness hit me hard. No sleep so certainly no time for blogging. Also not a lot of progress pics >.< It really was that down to the wire where I would think about taking a pic and then go “No! There’s no time!”

Really the culprit was the summer class I decided to take after work, which was great and I really enjoyed it and had very much wanted to take it, but I hadn’t thought how it would impact sewing and other life things. So basically it left me with very little time.

Anyway!
Costume College in less than two weeks!

I had some grand ambitions.
I am doing none of them.

I plan on rewearing my Spring Regency at the gala, and my 1850s Victorian Gent or my 1912 dress for the ice cream social.

The only thing I *need* to sew is a Regency chemise for Sunday Undies, but…. since I had nothing planned with my evenings now that my class is over… I may have started cutting out a 50s dress I just happen to have a pattern and fabric for.

We’ll see!