Completed Hoodies and Update

Ouch, sorry it's been several months! Christmas was a crazy mess between scrambling to get... uh... *counts* Five hoodies all complete before leaving to visit family! And I didn't fully finish, since I had to sew on ears and details parts while on vacation! Thankfully, the jackets have been a success so far! I've got a couple photos, but I need to pester my photography friend to get a proper shoot eventually once the weather allows for it.

From left to right: Night Elf Moonkin, Tauren Cat Druid, and orange Fox

Crafting a Hoodie: Details

Vashti: Likes to sit on fabric and paper

The process with this hoodie has been slow, though the actual sewing went pleasingly fast. It’s just been held up by a number of factors – waiting for the fabric to arrive, waiting for the material for the cuffs/hem to arrive, waiting for the zipper… Getting the free time to actually work on the project!

Thankfully, everything is coming together! I got enough photos to put together another update on our progress. It’s close… So very close!

Crafting a Hoodie: Of Hems and Hemptation

Okay, I don't even know what's up with the title, but it seemed like a good idea now that it's 12:45am. Progress is continuing in spurts since WoW just came out with it's pre-Cataclysm patch. That drained a bit of the focus reserves usually devoted to creativity as I used it to fuel my mad flight around Azeroth re-enacting Pokemon on my hunter. Pets: Must tame them ALL!!

Still! There is progress, slow and in random spurts as I get closer to finishing the sewing process. I'm getting into trickier areas of work as I stray from the pre-made patterns and instructions into parts I've customized.

Jacket: Progress

I would have gotten to this sooner, however I was out of commission for the last several days with a nasty cold. It was that kind that approaches slowly, letting you feel it in the back of your throat for several days before suddenly WHAM it hits you with the Niagra of Noses as your body fluids try to evacuate through your face. Thankfully, I am now feeling much better with the help of Vitamin C and Nyquil!

As you saw with the previous post, the fabric all arrived, and I sent it through a bit of pre-washing. I learned that the fabric should be handled with cold wash and air-drying in the future, a valuable lesson! I also had an interesting time drying 2.5 yards of fleecy fabric. My first attempt at draping it over a couple chairs reveled my poor judgment as the chair tops created dimples in the fabric. Thankfully another trip through the wash and then 24 hours on a long wooden beam courtesy of my roommate eliminated most of the dimples in the fabric.

Continue past the jump for actual productiveness and pictures!

Why You Should Follow Drying Instructions

Or "Why faux fur does not play well even with the low heat setting."

The washed fur was fine after a cold wash cycle and the fluff air, but was still damp, so I said to myself "hey, why not try the low-heat setting! It's a jacket, let's see how much abuse it can take!" Half an hour later, I pulled out a matted frizzy mess. This is actually a picture after I took the cat brush to it and got it de-clumped. It's still soft, but it doesn't have the silky feel of the original fur anymore and doesn't seperate as nicely. Let this be a warning to all the rest of you! This is why I wash samples of expensive fabric first before ruining yards!

Crafting a Hoodie: The Preparation

So working in a fabric/craft shop has reawakened my crafty side. Now, before I allowed myself to jump into costume-piece sewing, I knew I'd have to develop my skills with something simpler (aka less fitted). Before I attempt to mess with darts and pleats and bias tape and who knows what else, I'd have to pick up something relatively simple.

Obligatory supply/workspace shot

I learned how to sew back when I was little, but beyond a couple pillows and draw-string bags, I never developed it further. Thankfully, what they say about bicycles also applies to sewing, and I managed to pick it back up with relatively few run-ins with cars as I cleaned off the rust. In addition to that, I've been applying my research-loving nature and been scowering all corners of the internet for tips and tutorials and videos and blogs. It's just like WoW hunter rotation research or figuring out optimal talent builds, just with thread and sewing machine feet and fabric.


However, I also understand the importance of ruffing out a design before committing to the final inking and coloring. I didn't want to use $30+ of fabric to 'practice' on and potentially ruin. The solution: Muslin! That or any nice and cheap fabric would work. I just got muslin to be traditional. I'll probably hit the clearance bins next time.

Click past the jump for pictures of the process!

Goblin Jumper-Cables Applied!

Holy crud monkeys! Was my last post really in May? Dang, it's been a while since I scanned/posted any art... Sorry about that, folks!

Well, I'm going to be doing a bit of re-acquisi... uh... re-apply... I'm going to change what I use this blog for. :P Instead of being strictly for art pieces, I'm going to use it for more lengthy writing that won't fit neatly into Twitter's 140 character allotment. Like my mother, I have a bit of the Gift of Gab. In other words, I had no trouble filling the word requirement on those old English reports.

I've not been completely unproductive these past months! I just haven't finished much of my traditional art. My creative process has been branching out into other venues, and you shall soon get to see the fruits of my labors with some in-progress pics and updates!