The function of the artist is to express reality as felt. Robert Motherwell
Friday, July 30, 2010
Part 2: "Mr. Smiley" Door Stopper
Actually, it was one of my daughters who suggested that the cut I had made in the felt...
...looked a lot like a smile.
At the time I made it, I had merely worked out that a slit at the top or bottom...
...would either interfere with stability or show too much...
...and had decided to put it where it could be hidden, instead.
I had planned on merely sewing up the hole...
...and putting it against the door during use.
My decision to use the cut as a design element...
...legislated how I needed to dry my finished piece.
In order to maximize his happiness...
...I stuffed cotton dishtowels into the top and bottom...
...creating a gaping mouth, flat bottom and a rounded, 3-D top.
(Remember, as with all single resist pieces...this started out flat and needed to be shaped during the drying phase.)
Using a pound bag of dried beans and the sleeve of an old knit shirt...
...I made a ballast by pouring the beans into the sleeve, and sewing up both ends.
(If you do this, you may want to use two pounds of beans. A little more heft would have been welcome!)
I filled the remainder of Mr. Smiley's cavity...
...with some wonky roving from my stash...packing it firmly.
Next, I cut a square piece of felt quite a bit larger than the 'grin'...
...tucked it inside the cavity, and stitched it firmly into place using embroidery floss.
For eyes, I used thin bits of black roving to make outlines...
...and filled them in with white and purple roving.
Because I have no formal artistic training (and cannot draw)...
...his facial proportions are, no doubt, all wrong.
I think he's quite cheerful looking, though...
...and he looks very content in the last photo, guarding his post! Grin.
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7 comments:
Perfect! :)
Thanks, Kelly!
well he looks very happy! How about making a scary one, keep the burglars out!
Great idea, Karen!! :)
this is so cute! Better than having a stone or something ugly :) Super cute!
Thanks, Mariana! I had sewn a doorstop with a handle like this for my boyfriend a couple of years ago from the Lotta Jansdotter book "Simple Sewing".
I was trying for a similar shape with this project, but it ended up being a lot narrower. 'Resist creation' is still hard for me!! :)
The extent of your imagination delights me. Your door stop is adorable, and he seems to be enjoying being made useful. I love it. :)
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