Hey there everyone, and greetings from a slightly grey and showery Dublin! What a strange coincidence that, as life here starts to return to something like normality, the weather follows suit! And since Ireland is very slowly starting to head back to work, I thought I’d devote today’s Flashback Friday to some of the “tools of the trade” accessories I’ve provided Beasties with over the years.
So, how about we start with a literal toolkit?
This set of hammer, torch and pocket knife headed off to Illinois with Spencer Beastie in late 2018. The torch even has a glass bead “bulb” inside…
… And the pocket knife opens to reveal a sharp(ish) felt blade!
Next, some of the more unusual work related items I’ve created – a Beastie-sized micropipette and cell culture flask!
Honestly, these little monsters can (and do) turn their paws to just about anything! You can find out which Beastie left Beastie Towers with this lot here.
And seeing that reusable takeaway cup in with the lab equipment reminds me… This Beastie wasn’t the only one who liked to kick off their work day with a delicious hot coffee! Does anyone remember this, from September 2018?
As I said in the accompanying post, a Beastie could easily drown in a human-sized grande latte… That’s why they go to Starbeasts, where the beverages are scaled down to Beastie size. Now this monster lady is ready to start her day!
(I also kinda love her tiara… It’s probably not workplace-suitable attire, but let’s give it a mention anyway!)
And while we’re on the subject of workday routines… This comes to mind.
This Beastie-sized needle-felted croissant and hand-embroidered newspaper celebrate the way Bruce Beastie‘s human counterpart liked to start the day while he was working here in Ireland. And with good reason! Nothing beats a tasty breakfast…
… And a scan through the news of the day!
Phew! After that lot, you’d almost need to take the weekend off and put your feet up! Did I miss any favourite Beastie accessories out in my round-up? If I did, be sure to give me a nudge in the comments!
PS…
Speaking of weekend activities, you might want to take 20 minutes out to catch up with the latest episode of The Book Owl Podcast. Not only do the Beasties get a lovely shout out at the beginning (thanks Tammie!), it’s also a timely look at a very famous diary and the girl who wrote it. You can track it down on Podchaser, here.
And for dessert… A comment about the Beasties meeting up on Zoom on Tuesday’s post made me think of this. You’ll need to watch to the end to see why 😉
Enjoy! We’ll be back on Tuesday with more monster-shaped mayhem… See you then!
“Exploring some interesting places, by the look of it!”
“Wow! You’re right, we should go and visit her… I wonder where she is now?”
“This place looks nice. I wonder if anyone’s in?”
“Oh, look! Is that… The kitchen?”
“Yes! I think I’m going to like it here.”
Now, I know that June Beastie’s ever-present rolling pin has raised a few eyebrows throughout her travels. Did she have trouble getting it through airport security? And why would she need it on a visit to a National Park?
So… Many… Rolling… Pins! And look at all those recipe books, too.
“…I’ll whisk them up a tasty snack!”
“…Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…”
On her way to her new home last Autumn, 
Then again, the reason this geyser is called Old Faithful is because it erupts frequently and regularly – every 90 minutes or so, to be precise.
Well, this looks much more peaceful. Where are we now?
Aha! Abyss Pool, on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. The still waters of this hot spring really do run deep, too… The bottom lies 16m (53 feet) below the surface. So don’t fall in, June Beastie!
“Really?”
“Hmmmm, maybe that’s what these are?”
Unfortunately, our knowledge of US flora and fauna has let us down here – can anyone identify the mystery guest?
… And to take in a few more hot springs before the sun set.
Those colours are quite something, aren’t they?
My very first Beastie dogs were knitted. You know me, I love to knit! But although the technique and yarn worked well enough here, I soon found it quite limiting. It’s hard to capture the huge range of dog body shapes, colours and fur textures with yarn!
… And he makes a special guest appearance in Tierney’s latest blog post, 
…And a Pekingese from a little later that same year.
And of course, because I err more on the side of “cat lady”, I also started making Beastie kitties along the way. My first ones were special editions for my first time selling at the Dublin Cat Fair…
… But I soon started making them to order as well! This Beastie with a black cat was made as a partner for the one in the photo above…
… And then there’s this handsome fellow, created as a gift for a lady who owns a beautiful polydactyl cat called Paddy.
I still love those glasses.
I was reminded of this when I looked back at “Definitely Maybeast” in 
Another bit of teeny sewing that somehow fell into the BMML (Before Magic Magnifying Lamp) era. I look at these now and wonder how I’m not blind! This appliquéd felt and embroidery board game was an important part of the accessory lineup for a 
The Beastie TARDIS was made of felt, and reinforced with foam and interfacing so it didn’t collapse in like a woolly tent! I lined the inside with shiny silver material for a space-age feel, and embroidered on the window panes and lettering. The doors also close with velcro so the Doctor can travel in safety.
… I made a second one! And I took more photos that time. You can see the original posts about these commissions 
… And only went a bit overboard by making the lens and strap removable.
Oh well, sometimes you just have to! Laura’s little monster left Beastie Towers with a whole heap of other accessories too – check them out 
… I did end up with the ferocious-looking gold and silver dragon that my customer asked for! You can relive the entire, um, interesting experience 
… Got a Covid-19-era update!
The face mask is made from cotton, pleated and lined with felt for some good woolly air filtration. Then, a pretty ribbon strap with a little elastic helps to hold it in place.
Two needle-felted wool sponge cakes, sandwiched between layers of felt jam and icing? That would put a smile on any Beastie’s face!
She’s also dressed to impress, in a sweet floral print sundress with ribbon ties on the shoulders.
And finally, check out those lustrous alpaca tresses! I really should get the Beasties to share their hairdressing secrets.
Now all we need to figure out is how she’s going to blow out the candle without removing her face mask!
Big thanks to Annemarie for suggesting this fun and timely project! And speaking of fun…
As such, I have been avidly following the daily patrollings of Big Ginger Cat and Little Tortoiseshell Cat, who swing by several times a day to sunbathe, hunt bluebottles and wage war on the magpies in the big tree. It’s nice to see them continuing about their usual business!
While Dad was harking back to the “Madchester” era in a football shirt and parka. Check out the furry hood!
I also can’t believe I managed to do all that teeny embroidery on the album cover before I got my wondrous magnifying lamp!
Hey there, FrankenBeastie!
Woooooooo! SCARY!
Finally, I dressed him in a ragged-edged shirt and faded charcoal trousers.
Let me know if you bump into him when you’re out for your daily half hour of exercise!
Well, the happy monster couple was only part of the deal. I was also asked to Beastify Marge, a charming and elegant pug who came into the guys’ life disguised as a humble birthday card, and then became a member (if not the ruling matriarch) of the family. Here she is getting ready to enjoy the marriage ceremony back in January.
Unfortunately, Beastie Marge wasn’t ready in time for the wedding. She takes her appearance very seriously, and that held things up a little! But while the boys and their Beasties were honeymooning, I had time aplenty to get busy with my felting needles.
Ta-daaaah! You know, it’s actually quite strange to see her with feet!
… And her glasses really have lenses!
Finally complete, she was ready to hop in a box and travel to her new home. By all accounts, she’s settling in nicely!
… Although, Beastie antics aside, it has been nice to be at home for the last week getting on with some commissions! They’ve been stacking up a bit this past while, but with my teaching schedule completely on hold for the time being, I’ve really been enjoying getting on with some teeny sewing!
First of all, you can see she’s sporting a very lovely handknitted Aran sweater. This Beastie’s human counterpart loves to travel… And although she’s been to some pretty far-flung destinations, the Aran Islands (which lie just off Ireland’s west coast) remain one of her favourite places to visit. What better way for a Beastie to celebrate this connection than with knitwear?
And now, how about something to tie into her working life? For a time, our Beastification subject worked for St Patrick’s Athletic Football Club – a Dublin team based in Inchicore, just to the west of the city centre. She’s also the head of a family of self-confessed football addicts… That made this a prime candidate for being included in the accessory lineup!
When it’s not holding the ingredients for her latest gastronomic experiments, she can use it to carry everything she needs for her other favourite pastime – getting lost in a good book!
As you can see, I’ve provided her with a selection of Beastie-appropriate titles – The Monster Family Cookbook and a classic Hercwool Poirot crime thriller!
… And let the good times roll!
Thanks to Niamh for choosing to celebrate her Mum’s retirement the Beastie way… And for all her help in getting the blend of accessories just right!