Needle Felting – Page 2

Marge Featured Image - Pug - CrawCrafts Beasties

What’s Pug Got To Do With It?

Posted on March 24, 2020June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Life at Beastie Towers

Hello there Beastie friends! I hope you’re all keeping well in these rather strange times. To keep things interesting, we’ve got a slightly different new project to share with you this week – a Beastified pug! Here she is now… Hello!

This fuzzy felty lady could probably use a little introduction. Remember the wedding commission I did at the beginning of the year?
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!

I also gave her a typically twisty pug tail…
… 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!

And in un- pug related news…

… Explorer Beastie had a little bit of recovering to do after last week’s St Patrick’s Day festivities…
… 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!

Another aspect of monster-making life that’s fallen foul of the coronavirus is our occasional market days. We were hoping to get out to at least one Dublin Flea over the coming months, and to investigate some of the new opportunities that popped up over Christmas too. While an online store isn’t much of a substitute for the fun of a market day, I’ve been giving mine a much-needed refresh to tide me over until I can get behind a stall again. So do drop in and take a look around – or get in touch by email if you just want to talk monsters!

Well, that’s all my news – how are you lot getting on? Are you working from home, or getting stuck into some long-awaited new projects now your day-to-day routine has changed? Let me know all about it in the comments… And stay healthy, wherever you are!

Virtual Reality Beastie - Commissions by CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties in Virtual Reality!

Posted on October 22, 2019June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions

Hello Beastie friends! And in case the post title had you wondering – no, I haven’t drastically changed direction and started working in near-future tech. The Beastie virtual reality experience is probably at least a couple of years away. Virtual reality FOR Beasties though – that I can do!

This woolly monster dude was created as a very special gift for a guy who’s also super into his tech. The VR headset and headphones are modelled on his human-size equivalents… But they’ve been cunningly Beastified using 100% wool felt and a little bit of embroidery!

And the tech doesn’t stop there, either! He’s also got a special Beastie-sized controller for a drone…
… Which is apparently hovering above us somewhere!
But how is he holding onto that thing?

Special magnetic paws, of course!
Now he can grab all sorts of cool stuff.
A Beastie has to stay fit, after all! And since this little guy’s human counterpart works in a gym, he’ll fit right in there too. Especially in his cool shorts and muscle vest outfit…
Wait a sec, who’s that I hear?
It’s our Beastie’s trusty pup – a Beastie-sized Pekingese! (Or should that be Beastie-ngese?)

Anyway, it looks like this sweet little felted fuzzball is certainly happy to see his owner!

Good dog!

And now, just one more accessory to complete the look. This Beastie is off to live in Greece, so he’ll definitely need…
SUNGLASSES!

That’s better. Time to kick back and relax…
… Because this modelling malarkey is tougher than it looks!

Thanks to Trish for commissioning this awesome, accessory-laden Beastie! I hope he’s enjoying his new life in the sunny Med. I really need to start delivering these Beasties by hand, and get to some of the exotic places where they end up!

We’ll be back next week, when Paddy and Plunkett will be helping out an unexpected visitor. See you then!

A New Beastie… And Kitty!

Posted on July 2, 2019June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Greetings, Beastie friends! It’s Tuesday again, and what better way to kick off your week than to spend a little time getting to know a new Beastie? Hello there, little monster… Plus kitty!

I’ve noticed a natural affinity between Beasties and cats over the years…
Is it because of their shared curiosity about the world around them? Or just because they both have pointy ears? Either way, my first Beasties with their own feline friends proved popular at the markets we went to last Christmas.

Skip forward a few months, and I was delighted to receive a picture of this kitty owner Beastie…
… Enjoying some cosy feline cuddles in their new home!

However, it seems that this Beastie was also craving more monstrous company. And, under the pretext of creating a special gift for my customer’s girlfriend, I set about making a complementary cat-loving Beastie to make this one’s life complete!

Let’s start with the colours – the same as before, but I switched the main colour and the stripes for a nice yin-and-yang effect.
Then, a black cat this time… With bright green eyes!
Eagle-eyed readers will also notice that the cat is sitting the other way around in the Beastie’s paws… So Orange Beastie and Blue Beastie will make a lovely matching pair when they’re together!

Now, one more picture before I send this woolly duo off to their new home. Big smiles, everybo… GAAAAAAH!
Oh, hello Ophelia! No, don’t worry… I wouldn’t dream of doing a photoshoot without including you too.
Thanks so much to Rosa for this Beastie request… And for giving Ophelia an excuse to drop into the BeastieBlog for the first time in a while!

And to any non-cat-people in the audience – fear not, I’ll have a less feline new Beastie for you next week.

See you then!

Feline the Beastie Love!

Posted on April 17, 2019June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Hello everybody! I’m a little later on my blogging than usual this week… But I promised you a new Beastie, and here she is!
Meet Julia Beastie! This particular monster lady was made as a very special “Yay, you finished your MA thesis” gift… And as you can see, she’s not travelling alone. She’s being kept company by her feline felt friend, Paddy the cat!

Let’s take a closer look at him, shall we?
Now, Beasties with pet cats aren’t new – you may remember that I made a few for the Dublin Cat Fair, back in November.
However, this was the first time I had attempted to copy a particular cat’s markings. Since this Beastie’s human counterpart is the proud owner of a devilishly handsome polydactyl cat, it only seemed right that Felt Paddy paid proper tribute to Real Paddy.

Fortunately, the wonders of needle felting allowed me to add tiger stripes to his coat, and give him a white nose, bib and paws!

Now, on to the Beastie herself! I love her lustrous alpaca locks…
… And the combination of delicate green skin with rich dusky rose stripes!

Next, I believe I promised you a few accessories? I thought a book might keep her entertained as she travelled to her new home…
Aaah, you can’t beat those classics! Although I adjusted this Anne Brontë novel (a favourite of Human Julia’s, I hear) sliiiightly to make it suitable for a Beastie audience.

Then, since Human Julia has already made a name for herself as a theatre reviewer, Julia Beastie had to have a notebook and pen for her own note-taking and reviewing activities.
And how about a ticket to a show, to complete the set?
“Carousel” is one of Human Julia’s favourites, so it’s fairly safe to assume that her new Beastie companion will enjoy it too. Just one thing, though…

“My paws are a bit full at the minute – maybe you could take all that cool stuff…”
“… And pop it in my backpack for me?”

“Cheers!”

And the good news for Beastie Paddy (who looks so comfortable cuddled up in Julia Beastie’s arms) is that he can stay exactly where he is while the backpack goes on!
As you can see, the straps clip into place at the base of the bag. That means they can simply be slipped around a Beastie arm and attached!
Perfect!

And better still… Here’s the pair of them meeting Paddy for the first time!
Here’s wishing them all kinds of monster adventures together!

So, thanks for joining us for this latest Beastification… I should have a monster adventure of my own to share with you next week, so be sure to swing by! Catch you then!

Beastie-Sized Dog, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties For OLIVE The Family!

Posted on August 10, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting

Hey there everybody, and happy Friday to you all! Now, earlier in the week I promised you new Beasties… So, new Beasties you shall have. And not just a couple, either… There’s a whole family of them waiting to meet you!

This project started when I met Lino from Olivieri’s Fine Italian Foods at a market just before Christmas. We got chatting, and I mentioned that as well as the gang of little knitted monsters hanging out on my stall that day, I also do requests. Fast forward a few months, and I’m sure you can imagine how delighted I was when he got back in touch and asked me to Beastify his entire family AND their faithful pooch!

I should probably introduce you to the man himself – or at least his Beastie counterpart!
I used a wool and alpaca yarn for his hair, and dressed him in a smart blue felt t-shirt and grey shorts.

And what’s that in his paw?
It’s a Beastie-sized bottle of olive oil! Lino has been running his family’s olive grove and farm in southern Italy since 2010, and he brings the oil he produces there back to Ireland to supply specialist food stores and restaurants across the country. His oils were even listed as being among the best available in Ireland in this article in The Irish Times last year! Definitely an achievement worthy of being celebrated in felt and teeny sewing, I’m sure you’ll agree. I made sure to include his company logo on the bottle’s label – accept no substitutes!

But hey, where’s the rest of the family?

Let’s meet the girls first, starting with… Florence Beastie!
This sweet little monster lady seems to have a real way with animals… In many of the photos her dad sent me, there was usually a four-legged friend in there somewhere too. At his suggestion, I went hunting for a dress fabric with an animal print… And wow, that’s a tricky thing to find! Many of the fabrics I liked had an oversized design that would be totally lost on a Beastie-sized outfit. In the end, I found three designs that fit the bill, and this was the pick of the bunch – cute without being babyish, and the little pink birds sit nicely alongside her candy-coloured complexion.

I also had fun styling her hair!
And let’s take a proper look at that dress, too.
I changed my dress pattern up a bit for this project – I opted for a circle skirt instead of pleats, and I really like the neater line it gives. The dress closes with my new favourite hook-and-eye fastener, too!

Meanwhile, Beastie Florence’s sister Sophia Beastie is sporting an outfit that shows her love of dance! This was a first for me…
…Voilà! One Beastie-sized leotard!
Perfect for a day at the studio, or her next big stage performance! She looks happy, anyway.

And let’s not forget their brother, Lucca Beastie!
He’s looking sharp in a tailored button-down shirt and boxy-framed glasses.
And after seeing a set of headphones in one of my reference photos, I thought I’d better Beastify those too!
And, last but not least, meet Lino Beastie’s partner Lynn Beastie!This is another new dress design – a sweet sundress inspired by one of the reference photos I used. It’s cut on the bias with a cute A-line shape, has a halterneck (well, as much as I could manage given that Beasties don’t have necks) and fastens with a ribbon at each shoulder.
Then a pair of snazzy sunglasses completes her look!
Oh, and who’s this?
Well, I did mention there was a dog! Hey there, Beastie Lego!
Heehee! I think he likes you.
Now, let’s get everyone together in the Teeny Photo Studio for a group shot!
Lovely!

But this isn’t the end of the story for this monster family! Stop back in on Tuesday to find out where these Beasties are going, and why they have special feet…
… See you then!

A Shy Baby Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQ

Beastie Super Science!

Posted on July 3, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Hello everybody! It’s a new week, and a new month… So I reckon we’d better have a new Beastie, too! Following my first experimental leap into the world of the Scientist Beastie…
…I got a request for another science-minded monster from the same customer, who wanted a special gift for a friend! And this one has even more of a twist, because…
… She’s also a SUPERHERO!

Here, take a look! I made her some special accessories to keep her heroic alter-ego a secret… A hand-stitched felt mask and a silky cape to billow behind her as she flies off to fight evil.
I also created a personalised superhero logo to go on her jumpsuit, in colours that complement her outfit and her delicate rose-pink complexion. Brand identity is very important in the superhero universe, y’know.

But who’s this? Looks like there’s someone else here too… Although apparently they’re feeling a little bit shy. Can we maybe see that pretty face?
Yay! That’s much better.
Supermum Scientist Beastie’s human counterpart is also a proud mum… So it only seemed right that this monster lady had a little girl Beastie of her own to keep her company. Ready for your closeup, Baby Girl Beastie?

She’s inherited her mum’s lovely pink skin tone, and her rich chestnut-coloured hair too. But hers is still baby-fine, so she loves to wear it in a cute pineapple ponytail on top of her head. I’ve completed her outfit with stripey legs and a sweet botanical-print cotton skirt!

But hey, where does the scientist bit come in?

Right now, actually. It’s time to head off to the day job! On with the lab coat…… And grab a coffee along the way!

Once she arrives, she’s got everything she needs for her working day, too. Supermum Scientist Beastie’s human counterpart is a biologist, so I made Beastified versions of some of the equipment she uses – a cell culture flask and a micropipette!
I used a combination of sewing and needle felting techniques on these accessories to get the shaping just right… I even ended up stitching the flask with fishing line to keep it as close to transparent as possible!
Phew! I reckon I just about captured all the facets of this busy Beastie’s life! What do you think?
Don’t forget to drop back in on Friday for more German shenanigans (or should that be Germanigans?) with Explorer Beastie! And if you missed part 1, you can catch up here. See you then!

Beastie Besties - tierneycreates Beastie and Dog by CrawCrafts Beasties

A New Addition to the Beastie Family!

Posted on June 26, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting

Hello everybody! Wow, can you believe we’re nearly at the end of June already? It’s really flown in… But I figure we have just enough time to squeeze in another new Beastie post before we fully jump into July! So, allow me to formally introduce my latest Beastie commission – tierneycreates Beastie!
Some of you may have met her already – she’s been very active on Tierney’s blog from the moment she arrived in her new home! But this project had me trying my hand at some new/long-neglected techniques which I’d like to share with you… And besides, it’s pretty much traditional to give every Beastie commission their 15 minutes of fame on the BeastieBlog! Now, on with the show!

Let’s start with the outfits, shall we? This little monster lady has a choice of two ensembles – a hand-stitched felt t-shirt in a burgundy shade that goes beautifully with her delicate orange complexion, and a cosy handknit Aran sweater for cooler days and possible return trips to her Irish homeland.
Beautifully modelled, tierneycreates Beastie!
And like many of my recent commission pieces, she’s rocking an excellent pair of Beastie-size specs! Those are removable, by the way.
My Mum also suggested that I start using props in my accessory photos to give you all an idea of their actual size. She’s full of good ideas!

Next, let’s talk hair. Oh, this hair! You see, I went a bit over the top trying to copy Human Tierney’s very awesome skinny dreads. Early in the Beastification process, I decided that the chunky wool I planned to use was entirely the wrong texture. But I figured that if I needle-felted it, it would become dread-ier… And I’d have an excuse to do some needle felting. Double win! Unfortunately, post-needle-felting, my crazy eyes detected too much fuzziness and uneveness in the strands. “I know! I’ll wet felt them to even them out!”

And once I’d started down that road, I couldn’t very well turn back. Cue several cycles of felting, waiting for the pieces to dry, attaching them and then realising I’d need more. Fortunately, we had a minor heatwave as my deadline approached, or I would have had to send tierneycreates Beastie out the door with wet hair!

That said, all this practice has really honed my wet felting technique… Something I plan to make use of in future projects! Oh, and here’s how those dreads turned out…
Also pictured is tierneycreates Beastie’s hand-knitted slouchy beanie hat, inspired by one Human Tierney recently made for herself, but with one slight difference – strategically-placed earholes to help hold it in place on her head!

Then, to complete the top-to-toe ensemble – check out those natty little Beastie boots!
The yellow stitching is modeled on my own beloved DM boots, but I chose a nice sky blue for the Beastified version to add a pop of colour!

Phew! Are you still with me? Because that’s not all.

This Beastie needs a bag!
Human Tierney is a very talented quilter, and I wanted to reflect this in one of her accessories. So I selected some fabrics, cut teeny-tiny squares and pieced them together to create a miniature quilted panel, which I then stitched onto the exterior of a felt bag made to my usual pattern. This is the first quilting I’ve done in about 20 years – although the less said about my teenage efforts (which remain in my parents’ attic to this day) the better! And now tierneycreates Beastie can carry around her trusty laptop and library card in style!

So, that’s everything, right?
Not quite! I think we forgot somebody…
They’re a schnauzer household chez tierneycreates, so it only seemed right that this Beastie should have her own canine companion! And because the humans in the home already have a miniature schnauzer called Mike, this miniature miniature schnauzer has been named “Mikelet”!

Ready for walkies, Mikelet?
And of course, there’s always time for a cuddle!
You can see where tierneycreates Beastie and Mikelet went on their walk in Tierney’s latest Beastie-based post… And don’t forget to join us again on Friday when I’ll be sharing a Beastie adventure of my own!

See you then!

A Sweet Sweetheart Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

Enough Beastie Love to go Around…

Posted on March 14, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Info, Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

Well hello there! And WOW, for some reason it feels like ages since my last post – there’s been a lot happening this past week. I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

But first, I think I promised you a new Beastie – although some of you might recognise this little guy from the post I did a couple of weeks ago about my new Beastie-sized photo studio!
Let’s take a look at how those pictures turned out, shall we?
Ooooh, look at that! Cerise and blue, side by side, with neither colour flaring or getting washed out – teeny photographic studio, I salute you!

As for the Beastie, he’s a Sweetheart Beastie… One of the mainstays of my monster crew for every market I go to. Hearts speak to everybody*, and a soft, squishy felt one stitches up nice and quickly. This particular one was made to order for a customer I met at the Dublin Christmas Flea, who wanted a friend to keep her niece company while she’s in hospital. Hopefully his big toothy smile will help keep her spirits up…
… And he’s so proud of his oversized cuddly heart!
I also couldn’t resist kitting him out with a funny little bobble hat! Very stylish.
This Beastie had quite a way to go as well – as soon as he was ready, he left Beastie Towers and headed Down Under. But he’s bringing a flavour of this side of the globe with him… Since half of the family originally hail from Huddersfield in the UK, he’s proudly sporting the local football team’s colours!
I hope he’s settling in well in his new home!

*Well, almost everybody. At a Christmas market a few years ago, a boy marched up to my stall and told me that he really liked the handsome black and red Sweetheart Beastie I’d brought along. “Apart from that,” he said, indicating the heart, and pulling the most disdainful face I’ve ever seen.

And now for my other big news – I’m in a magazine!
I first found out about Caboodle, an independent magazine from the UK that publishes twice yearly, through the blog Claireabellemakes. I ordered a copy, loved it, and when I saw an email calling for submissions a few months later, I thought why not? Then, can you imagine how excited I was when they actually accepted one of my tutorial ideas? WOWEEEEEEE!

The magazine is available now from the Caboodle website, but here’s a sneak preview to whet your appetite! I should add (although it is probably quite obvious) that those clumsy arrows in the first picture were added by me in paint.net as an expression of my joy at being a published author. Check it out!

My tutorial is a simple dip-your-toe-into-needle-felting project, inspired by my own first forays into this craft last year. If you’re interested in giving needle felting a try, this is a handy way to get used to the basic techniques by making and decorating some simple shapes!

Big thanks to Kayti Peschke from Caboodle for sharing an electronic version of the magazine, and giving us permission to use it! And also to Eirin, who took all my photos – believe me when I say that the tutorial would have been a disaster without her help! You can view her own stunning, atmospheric work on Instagram.

Phew! That’s about all I have time for this week! Swing by again next Tuesday, when I’ll have another new Beastie to share… In the meantime, have a great week!

A Pint of Plain is Your Only Man!

Posted on June 28, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Ideas, Knitted Beasties

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Well, I promised you a new Beastie today, and here he is – another Barróg (that’s the Irish word for “hug”, if you haven’t seen it before) Beastie, proudly holding a pint of the very finest felt porter!

Some of you might be thinking, “Big deal! We’ve seen Pint Beasties before!”… But let’s take a closer look at that pint, shall we?
Here at Beastie Towers, we’re always on the lookout for new ways to make some of the Beasties’ favourite accessories! So I decided to put my recent obsession with needle felting to good use, and rework my existing pint design. You can see one of the old-style ones in this photo…

The stitched head on the pint has a tendency to pop up a little bit once everything is sewn together – fine for Eastern European lagers or some Belgian-style ales, but if your pint of Guinness looks like that when it’s served, you should probably send it back. Being something of a perfectionist/masochist/certifiable basket case, especially when it comes to the accurate portrayal of fine ales, I’ve been working on seeking out the perfect Beastie-sized pint. And that’s where the needle felting came in.

Behold! Smoother sides! A flatter top! And a texture that more closely resembles the creamy surface of a freshly-poured pint of the black stuff!

All that adds up to a better pint – and a happier Barróg Beastie! Cheers!

In fact, he’s so delighted that he’d like to share one of his favourite books with you… Now you’ll see where we got the title of this post from!

As for me, I’m looking forward to brewing some more reworked Beastie pints soon – I might try a nice red ale next, or perhaps a summery Weissbier. Any requests? Let me know in the comments!

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