Emergency rations

So, this thing still exists.
Let's put it to some use in "those troubled times."

You're a geek? A crafter ? Do you like cross-stitch?
Chances are that you may have some spare time at the moment.

Here are a few home-made patterns feel free to use them for your own enjoyment.
(No money-making, play nice, children.)

Take care.

We aten't dead. Yet.

The past year has been... let's settle for "interesting". Not necessarily leading to much activity, other than baking.
However, it was 2015. As everyone knows, a certain car was supposed to arrive on October 21st.
That called for some appropriate attire to go to the special showing of the Back to the Future trilogy at a local cinema.

Rather last minute, and low-budget. The dye for that old lab coat was the most expensive part.
The symbols on the shirt are different from the original, because:
a) I have too much time on my hands,
b) I am a hopeless geek
c) It was the 40th anniversary of the Rocky Horror Picture Show

So off to Google Translate I went, with the lyrics for the Time Warp. This probably reads like some of those famous user manuals, as I went for the symbols which would fit best. Shame on me, certainly, and I apologise to anyone who can read Chinese.

Earlier in the year I went to a small gathering of geeks which involved costuming too, so being the owner of a Roger Delgado Master costume, I decided to go as a Spoiler, adding a detail to said costume:

Not time travel (recurring theme, it seems), but close : Procrastination.
My old nemesis.
For "some time", embroidered bits and bobs had been waiting for a frame. And now it is done:

Others are still waiting to be made or framed:

Others have been planned.

And then there is a project for a costume, which seems to take a very, very long time, because so far it is too simple. 

And this concludes our bout of activity. Hopefully it will not take another year-and-a-bit for more.

What does it have in its pocketses?

Two months since the last post. Bad. Baaaaad.
But predictable, with hints of "I told you so."

There is, however, some work being done behind the scenes at the Ministry, as well as a whole lot of procrastination. The proportion may not be half and half, and considering that the deadline is coming, more work is likely to be done this month. If not, the project is going to be late.

The uniform pocket is nearly finished, it only needs to be sewed on:

With barely a drop of blood spilled, too.

A pin or nine can save time.

I put a spell on you... (Hocus Pocus version, of course)

This week* in the Ministry Files:

Voodoo dolls, the practitioner's favourite cuddly toy.

The dolls are meant to represent the target of whichever interesting time you wish to see enacted.

You could certainly run after someone with pins, but it isn't as discreet or sneaky. And there could be witnesses. The dolls can have many different looks, but we prefer the easy “Gingerbread Man” model, as it easily doubles as an interesting pin cushion.

1. Draw a rough shape for your doll, you may use a cookie cutter as a guide. Remember to make the outline slightly wider to compensate for the doll's thickness.
2. Prepare your fabric, here the same old linen as the mandrake root in the previous post. Pin two layers, draw the outline of the pattern.
3. Sew the two layers together, leaving the top of the head open. Cut around the shape.
4. Turn the doll inside out, stuff with batting of choice.
5. Close the top of the head, done here using a blanket stitch running all around the doll, for looks as well as durability.
6. Choose buttons for the eyes, sew in place. Embroider a mouth and heart.
7. Be careful with those pins. The Ministry declines all responsibility.

*As if I were going to update this thing weekly. But I suppose one can hope.


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Cette semaine* dans les dossiers du Ministère :

Les poupées vaudou, je jouet favori des praticiens.

Les poupées sont sensées représenter la cible de tout ce que vous pouvez souhaiter.

Vous pouvez certainement courir après quelqu'un avec des épingles, mais ce n'est ni aussi discret, ni sournois. Et il pourrait y avoir des témoins. Les poupées peuvent avoir différents styles, mais nous préférons le « bonhomme de pain d'épice », plus facile, qui peut aussi servir de pelote d'épingles.

1. Dessinez la forme de votre poupée, vous pouvez utiliser un emporte-pièce comme guide. Souvenez-vous de laisser de la marge autour du tracé pour compenser l'épaisseur de la poupée.
2. Préparez votre tissus, ici le même vieux drap de lin que la mandragore du post précédent. Épinglez les deux épaisseurs, dessinez la silhouette.
3. Cousez les deux épaisseurs, en laissant le haut de la tête ouvert. Découpez autour de la silhouette.
4. Retournez la poupée, remplissez de bourre.
5. Fermez le haut de la tête, ici avec un point de boutonnière, continué tout autour de la poupée, pour l'aspect autant que pour la solidité.
6. Choisissez des boutons pour les yeux, cousez en place, brodez une bouche et un cœur.
7. Attention aux épingles. Le Ministère décline toute responsabilité.

*Comme si j'allais mettre le blog à jour chaque semaine. Mais je suppose qu'il y a toujours un peu d'espoir.

Botany

Another file from the archives

The mandrake, Mandragora officinarum , said to grow under gallows, due to a certain... fertiliser not found anywhere else. Its scream as it was uprooted reputedly killed people, and its magical properties were of dubious taste.

Various antique illustrations may be found on Bibliodissey.

We endeavoured to create a simple simulacrum with a friendlier look.

1. Prepare a simple pattern, drawing the shape of the root you would like to obtain, slightly wider as it will be stuffed. Then cut a simple leaf pattern.

Examples are provided:

2. Choose your fabrics. The example was made of vintage, rather thick linen, and the leaves were made of dark green velveteen/imitation suede, with thin, lighter green lining. As the project is small, it may be easier to sew first, and then only cut. Fold your fabric in two, or place two parts with the right sides facing. (You will need several leaves)
3. Pin both sides of the fabric, and sew. The top of the “head” and leaf stem should be left open, to enable you turn the result inside out.
4. Cut around the seams, leaving just enough to make sure they will hold.
5. Turn the root and leaves inside out.
6. Add rootlets to the main root, using thread, twine...
7. Stuff the root with batting, cotton wool... pack tightly, leaving some empty space at the top.
8. Embroider the veins on the leaves, the open stem may help you hide some thread, if you are as good as I am when it comes to embroidery. Once done, sew the stems shut.
9. Gather the stems in a crown, you may want to add a flower or two. These were made of felt (after a few tries with lighter material), on a braided embroidery floss stem. Sew together.
10. Slip the bottom of the stems in the top of the root, adjust stuffing if necessary. Sew the root top closed, making sure to sew through the stems too.

Leaves have been cut individually to save fabric, but it may be easier in the end to create a one piece“crown”. It may also be easier to obtain artificial flowers, thus lessening the amount of cursing required.

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MANDRAGORE

La mandragore, Mandragora officinarum, a la réputation de pousser sous les gibets,

grâce à un certain... engrais que l'on ne trouve nulle part ailleurs. Son cri lors

de l'arrachage pouvait, selon la légende, tuer, et ses propriétés magiques n'étaient pas du meilleur goût.

Des illustrations d'époque peuvent être trouvées sur Bibliodissey.

Nous avons essayé d'en créer un simulacre simple, à l'allure plus amicale.

1) Préparez un patron simple, en dessinant la forme de la racine que vous désirez,

légèrement plus large afin d’accommoder la bourre. Découpez ensuite la forme d'une feuille simple.

Des exemples sont fournis:

2) Choisissez vos tissus. L'exemple a été réalisé à partir d'un vieux drap de lin,

et les feuilles à partir de suédine vert foncé, et de doublure vert clair.

Le projet étant relativement petit, il peut être plus facile de coudre avant de couper.

Pliez votre tissus en deux, ou placez-les afin que les endroits se fassent face. (Vous aurez besoin de plusieurs feuilles)

3) Épinglez les deux morceaux, et cousez. Le haut de la "tête" et la tige des feuilles doivent être laissés ouverts, afin de retourner le tissus.

4) Coupez autour des coutures, en vous assurant de laisser suffisamment de tissus pour qu'il ne se découse pas.

5) Retournez les racines et feuilles.

6) Ajoutez les radicelles à la racine principale en utilisant du fil ou de la ficelle.

7) Remplissez la racine de bourre, de coton... assurez-vous de bien la compacter, en laissant un peu de place dans la "tête".

8) Brodez des veines sur les feuilles, la tige encore ouverte peut vous aider à cacher les fils, si vous êtes aussi doués que moi en broderie. Vous pourrez ensuite coudre les tiges pour les fermer.

9) Assemblez les tiges en couronne, et vous pourrez ajouter une ou deux fleurs. Celles-ci on été découpées dans de la feutrine, attachées avec du fil à broder. Cousez ensemble.

10) Glissez le bas des tiges dans le haut de la racine, ajustez la bourre, fermez et cousez, en vous assurant de passer au-travers des tiges.

Les feuilles ont été découpées individuellement afin d'économiser du tissus, il pourrait être plus simple de créer une couronne d'une seule pièce, limitant le nombre de jurons nécessaire.