Big brother, little brother

My brother's second son was born the first day of our vacation, so I'm playing catch-up. A huge welcome to baby Sam, and congrats to Max, newly knighted as a Big Brother. I made some boy monsters for them -- the Big Brother and the Lil Brother. Big Brother is made from some of hubby's old shorts, plus some bright and cheery flannel to make his pajama bottoms that he refuses to take off. He's got crazy monster hair, a huge red monster tongue, and his ribbon claws make it look almost like he's making obscene gestures, like a naughty little monster. (But he's not, he's a very good monster really, and will even protect Max if Bad Monsters sneak into his home.)

Lil Brother resembles his big brother, yet is not at all an exact duplicate of his brother. No way. He's got his own personality and though he may look to Big Brother for some guidance on the ways of the monster world, he is ready to jump in and take on challenges. He, too, has lots of ribbon claws, a wild monster tongue, and a couple of horns. Crazy, yes, but very snuggle-able!

Miss E loved them so much that I had to make her a monster of her own. She said, "Mommy, I don't have any monsters. You need to make me one right now." I did. His name is Zorba and I still need to take pictures of him.

Short girl custom monster shoulder bag

My BFF's mom loved the monster tote so much that she requested a custom one for herself, so here it is, as a sneak preview for her. She's picking it up tomorrow. She opted for turquoise instead of orange (nice choice), with a messenger-style strap and cell phone pocket. I couldn't find the turquoise felt on the bolt, so I made the strap black to match the cell pocket. To pimp it up a bit, I added some colorful shapes on the straps and used a fancier method of attaching it to the bag. There's one more fun little surprise for her, but I'm not tellin' yet, MomBoo. You'll have to wait to see it for yourself! ;)

The monster is nearly identical to the one on Miss B's orange tote, but the antenna on this one spirals in the opposite direction. This one is definitely a better sewing job, and my embroidery is improving, too. Such fun!

Totes!

A purse is what got me back into the sewing game, and I finally made my first tote on Saturday. Saturday was actually a very good crafting day because I not only finished Fiona the cat, but I also finished up a doll that's been sitting here for three weeks. Initially, I couldn't get her eyes right, so I set her aside. Then I just got side-tracked. She's intended to be a twin, but I'll work on her sibling in a couple of weeks. They're earmarked to be sold, hint, hint. She turned out great, but I'll do photos some other time.

I've been wanting to make a tote for Miss E for Halloween, and a week or so ago (has it really been longer?!), we got supplies at JoAnn. Found a cute glittery pumpkin fabric on the remnant table, plus some felt, and had all the ideas, just no time. On Saturday evening, I cranked out the first 80% of the tote; it was that simple, as promised! (I LOVE the Amy Karol book. Have I said that enough?) Last night, post-birthday party, I sewed the handles and top in place, turned it right side out and smiled. I did somehow twist the handles so they don't lay right, but for a pint-sized trick-or-treater, it's not an issue, really. Overall, I'm just thrilled b/c it WAS so simple ... Now, when my Sandi Henderson pattern gets here, I'll have to try out my hand at a REAL purse. For me. Mama wants more purses! (Just a side note, I'm going crazy over Sandi's patterns and want ALL of them. Isn't that the most gorgeous cupcake you've ever laid eyes on?! I got the ruffle pants pattern for Miss E, too.)

So today, needing more crafting time to iron out my mental wrinkles, I did a second tote, this one as a surprise for Miss E's BFF, the girl who loves monsters. Miss E and I were at Target on Sunday morning and the dollar bins are loaded with monster stuff right now. I came home with an armload of books for inspiration, and the monster on this tote was the result of the inspiration.

I got to practice more embroidery, too, which was fun. Check out the detail of the monster face. I should probably have done a bit more hand sewing on the legs, since they got a bit wonky, but I like the way I finish off her toenails. ;) My machine sewing was definitely not my best work, but it gave me a chance to practice something like this, and I doubt that Miss B will notice the mistakes. Let's see ... this has french knots, backstitch, chain stitch ... I think that's it. Cute, though! I can't wait to give it to her!