Greetings, Beastie friends! And wow, do I have a new Beastie treat for you this week… A fashion-conscious monster lady with an eye for retro style. Say hello to everyone, Ms Beastie!
This Beastie was commissioned as a gift for a stylish girl who’s also big into vintage, and I have to admit that I had so much fun making her clothes and accessories.
For starters, let’s take a look at that dress.
Oh, do I love a good bold print! They’re my biggest craft shopping weakness. My fabric stash is heaving with fat quarters I’ve picked up while travelling, or random half-metres I bought “as a treat” when all I went into the shop for was a spool of thread. I was on the verge of wondering if perhaps I had a problem… But with all my favourite haberdasheries still closed, I was incredibly glad to have this stockpile! It meant that I was able to offer my customer a selection of prints with a bit of a 60s/70s flavour, and I’m so happy she chose this one. It caught my eye immediately when I saw it in the shop, and the colours look great with the Beastie’s lustrous red locks.
If you look closely, you’ll notice that I’ve been monkeying around with my construction techniques lately, too.
Facings in the bodice area on both sides of the dress make for a neater neckline and armholes, and the closure on the back sits better as well. Happy days!
The dress has a sweet A-line shape and closes with a hook and eye fastener on the back.
Oh, and while we’re looking at the back, let’s get another shot of that amazing hair.
This wool and alpaca yarn is outrgeously soft, and so much fun to style! It’s quite chunky though, so I cut down on volume by teasing some of the strands apart to make thinner pieces. Then I completed the hairstyle with a cute mint-green felt bow!
Turning around to the front again… A nice flick of eyeliner adds a bit of retro chic to any outfit, doesn’t it?
And this Beastie has more in her makeup bag, too. Behold, for the first time ever… Beastie nail varnish!
I’m not a big fan of using glue, so the best option for a monster manicure turned out to be pearlescent sequins held in place with embroidery thread. They’re a sweet baby pink that flashes pastel yellow or blue, depending on how the light catches them.
Then, to complete the outfit, a pair of Beastie-sized pumps!
These are based on shoes that our Beastie friend’s human counterpart actually owns. And this isn’t the only time we took style inspiration from her wardrobe… I also Beastified her earrings!
Aren’t these cool? And she doesn’t have to wear them all the time, either. The lobster claw clasps easily clip in to the small silver “everyday” hoops in her ears.
And last but not least… Let’s complete the look with a pair of Beastie-sized cat’s eye glasses!
This pair marks a bit of a departure in Beastie spectacle style – I don’t normally get to make bright or pastel-coloured frames! As usual, they have bendy wire legs to fit neatly around the Beastie’s head, and real lenses made from clear plastic.
Now, I know I said “last but not least” just then, but there’s more to this Beastie than her cool outfit. You see, over the last while, I’ve had a whole lot of “GME”s… That’s when I do up a sketch with lots of accessory options for someone and they say “Give me everything!”. And this was a serious GME! So be sure to join us again next week to see what else this Beastie took with her to her new home!
PS…
To celebrate the long weekend and the arrival of spring*, we’re having a sale!
Beastie buddies in the Republic of Ireland can use the code SPRING2021IE to get free standard shipping on any purchase from our online store. Or, if you’re in the US, UK or Europe, MAYDAY21 will get you a €7 discount on registered post shipping for your Beastie store order. That makes it half price!
Both offers run until midnight on Tuesday (that’s the 4th of May), so get ’em while they’re hot!
*In theory, at least. I’m trying to ignore the frequent hail storms and chilly mornings we’ve been having this week.