Hey there everyone! It’s a rainy old day here in Dublin, but even blustery showers can’t dampen my excitement about today’s post. This is essentially “What I Did During Lockdown, Part 1″… A monster haul of Beastie accessories for a very special woolly girl.
Hey there, tierneycreates Beastie!
For anyone who hasn’t met her before, tierneycreates Beastie lives with Tierney of tierneycreates.com. She regularly pops up in Tierney’s blog posts (she recently took a trip to the library) and occasionally takes on the task of writing them herself when her human counterpart is busy.
Like a lot of people, tierneycreates Beastie went a bit crazy ordering stuff online while we were all sheltering in place.
Since the only person making Beastie accessories is yours truly, this meant I really had my work cut out for me!
First of all, she ordered some refreshments. And with many of my local off-licences offering home deliveries at the time, I decided it might indeed be a good idea to get in on that racket. Two bottles of Hop Monster IPA (a favourite Beastie tipple) coming right up!
With libraries closed, getting her paws on some reading material was also high on tierneycreates Beastie’s to-do list. Human Tierney loves books about craft, personal development and home decor, so these titles should go down a treat.
Next, she realised that this hat…
… Needed a matching scarf.
“But hey, it’s not winter just yet! I should probably update my summer wardrobe as well. Oooh, polka dots!”
Into the cart it goes.
Fortunately there are always a few Beasties knocking around here at Beastie Towers, so I was able to tailor it to tierneycreates Beastie’s approximate measurements!
However, all this staring at the computer screen was beginning to take its toll.
“I know! I’ll treat myself to a smartphone… Then I can order from anywhere!”
Fair enough. One Beast-iPhone coming right up!
Look how teeny it is! I have enough trouble trying to type on the human-sized ones. This super-slim model is made from felt with a shiny reflective ribbon screen so it looks the part.
Of course, tierneycreates Beastie isn’t just shopping for herself. So that her beloved miniature miniature Schnauzer Mikelet can join her on longer adventures…
… She picked up a doggy backpack, just like the one Human Tierney uses to bring Mike the Miniature Schnauzer out and about!
The top of the backpack is open with a drawstring so Mikelet can peek out and stay involved in the action. It also goes rather nicely with the sundress!
And finally, one of my most challenging Beastie accessories to date. She asked for…
… A sewing machine!
This top-of-the-range miniature marvel is what every Beastie quilter dreams of. Bernina may make the creme-de-la-creme of human-sized machines, but if you’re a little woolly monster, a Beastnina is what you want to have on your craft table.
So, what the Beastie wants, the Beastie gets! But how on earth do you make one? Well, I began by building a framework from wire, and filled out the shape by sculpting it with needle-felted wool. Then I hand-stitched a tailored felt “skin” to go on top, so the machine would have the same smooth lines as the full-size version. Finally, the details were added with embroidery and appliqué. Phew!
Still, I bet it’ll help tierneycreates Beastie to start stitching up a storm in no time.
I just hope she still has time to help Tierney with her blog posts every now and again!
Here’s the finished haul…
… And I was delighted to get a picture of Miss Beastie looking very summery in her new outfit!
Thanks so much to Tierney for this awesome project, and for enabling her Beastie’s online shopping addiction! For any of you who have also been (over)indulging in a little mail-order lately, you can confess all in the comments below. We won’t judge!
We’ll be back next Tuesday with another new Beastie for you to meet – stay safe and see you then!
Pretty rustic, eh? Back then I was using “graduate” sketchbooks – books with a thick paper cover that are stapled together in the middle like a magazine – and sending my customers photos of the pages. That’s why you can see shadows down some of the sides!
That said, I did keep on drawing by hand for a good while afterwards! Here are a couple from back in 2017 – do any of you recognise these Beasties?
Then when I figured out that I could scan in my fabric stash and show people the actual prints I’d be using for their Beastie’s outfits, I couldn’t have been happier!
And although I can now type most of the text, I still like to throw the odd bit of my own hand-drawn lettering into the sketches too.
How about you? Will you be cracking out your pencils this weekend, or creating artwork on your computer? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!
Hmm, then again… Perhaps not, if you actually want to get anything done.
This set of hammer, torch and pocket knife headed off to Illinois with 
… 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 
As I said in the 
(I also kinda love her tiara… It’s probably not workplace-suitable attire, but let’s give it a mention anyway!)
This Beastie-sized needle-felted croissant and hand-embroidered newspaper celebrate the way 
… 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!
“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…”
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.
Hey there Cookie Beastie! Where did you spring from?
I do love a good cactus, and it seems Beasties are no different. That said, it’s pretty hard to relax with all those prickles around… How about we find somewhere else to put our paws up for a minute?
Can there be any better place to spend a tea break?
Um, you might have to put the cookie down if you’re to make any headway with those weights.
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!
… And her miniature miniature schnauzer, Mikelet!
… And a whole heap of accessories!
Her “survival kit” pays tribute to a few of Human Tierney’s favourite things – quilting, blogging and visiting her local library.