More progress on fairytale fantasy Fionna’s ball gown. This is the outter shell of the under bust corset.

Because I chose a brocade, I decided to flat line it at 1/8” to another layer of the broadcloth I used on the lining to help prevent fraying. (I had tried to just do a zig-zag stitch around the edges, but it ever so slightly pinched the seam allowance that when multiplied by 12 seams shrank the overall width of the outter shell so it didn’t line up with the boned lining.)

After flat lining all my pieces, I decided to use French seams to encase the frayed edges, prevent further fraying, and make the seams stronger. This involves sewing each panel wrong sides together at 1/4”, trimming off 1/8” excess, inverting the seam inward so fabric is right sides together, and sewing again at 3/8”. Then some pressing so the seams lie correctly and viola!

Next: Added trim, sash, and finishing.

Karasu Tengu, or “Crow” tengu.  [link]

This one actually started as a sketch commission at Fanime-Con last month, but I liked it so much I asked if I could take it home to work on it more.

Another of my commissions to fund my cat Lily’s medical expenses. Slowly working through that list!

This one is for my friend Robbie and features his armor design for his samurai-inspired version of Pokemon’s Giovanni of Team Rocket.

Oh my goodness!  I just realized I have 100 followers!

That’s pretty great!

fuckingrapeculture:

A common argument in the ongoing debate over gender and videogames is that women and men both are equally objectified. Is that really true?

As always, Emperor God King Jim Sterling puts His holy foot down and delivers wisdom true to the masses. He totally isn’t smug about it, either!

Read more at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/7290-Objectification-And-Men#3D0Fdw2WKSIWcZ3O.99 

I don’t normally reblog these sort of things, but this is such a well-spoken and intelligently realized comparison between objectification and ideals in video games.

Big difference between being reduced to an object or a goal, something to possess, and being an ideal or something to want to be.

So I’ve been working on a “fairytale fantasy” version of Fionna from Adventure Time’s ball gown that I’ll be debuting at Anime Expo in a couple weeks. (Ended up using different fabrics than the ones in my original plan above.)

Thought I’d share some progress pics from my collection, starting with the corset lining!

First, made a mock up from the pattern before adjusting and fitting. Cut out 2 sets of pieces and flat lined each together before sewing the double-thick panels to one another. Pressed the seams open and sewed in the channels using bias tape. Then measured and cut the plastic boning, being sure to round the edges, and inserted into channels before sealing them up.

Next: The outter shell!

was-that-a-pun:

Remember that cute little ruppee pin I posted the other day?

How cool it was?

Well guess what you can buy it now!

Only FOUR BUCKS and NO SHIPPING COST INSIDE THE U.S.!

Not only that I have some other really adorable pins you can get your hands on too!

And I’m taking commissions for much more detailed pins starting at just FIVE BUCKS! Look at how awesome they are!

And I’m gonna be making more designs too! Drop me a line if there’s anything in particular you would like to see and it might just happen!

Check it out, spread it around, buy some stuff!

(I could use the extra pocket money >_>)

My friend Amber makes adorable, hand-embroidered pins. And they’re CHEEEEAAAAP.

Seriously, she doesn’t charge enough. Get one now before she comes to her senses.

Catching up on my Lily-cat fund raiser commissions.  So far enjoying this samurai version of Giovanni from Pokemon, design courtesy of my friend Robbie.  Color version coming soon!

Has anyone heard of this? A musician by the name of Theophany did an orchestrated remix of select tracks from Majora’s Mask that he/she released on December 21st last year (the “End of the World”), with a countdown leading up to the release 3 days prior.  (Seriously, how cool was that?)

It’s quite gorgeous, and it’s free!  [link]

Or you can go throw a dollar or two donation toward their artistic effort at their Bandcamp site…  [link]

So I’d just like to say, I have the best friends ever.

For my birthday, my adorable friend Kim made me Mario mushroom macarons with fresh raspberry cream (and she even ground her own almond flower) and strawberry rice crispy Mario Super Star pops dipped in white chocolate.  Simply AH-mazing!!!  My friend Melissa also made perfect Russian tea cakes to go with all the tea we were drinking.

Kim also made me this adorable Link purse with heart and rupee shaped beads on the strap, that came with a hand-written legend about the purse’s creation.  She also coffee-dyed the felt for the face since she couldn’t find a good flesh tone felt.

As gifts, my husband took me to see “Les Misérables” on stage, my friend Jim got me a rare DVD of the legendary George Méliès collected films, Jim’s mother Cheryl knit me a beautiful scarf, my friend Matt got me a FF6 Dream Oath Opera t-shirt, my friend Amber got me some cute tea things (a rubber ducky tea strainer, tea buttons, tea bags, and truffle pig truffles), my friend Devon gave me the only plushie he’s ever constructed, my friend Melissa drew me a sketch, and my friend Shane got me a copy of the first volume of Archaia’s “Siegfried” graphic novels.

What I love most about these gifts is, not only was each one carefully selected with thought and consideration, but I can look at any one of them and know who gave each to me based on the personality of the items and shared memories with that person.  Thank you everyone for making it a truly memorable 30th!