DIY Kennel Mats

So, I recently made some curtains for my parents' kitchen, and I had some left over fabric. Since the fabric was mostly just long strips, I decided to make some kennel mats for my local animal shelter!

This project is really pretty simple, and you can make them up using either a sewing machine or handsewing!

Supplies:

• Scraps of fabric (You can also use thick plastic tablecloths to make them more durable)
• Thread (this is a great project to use up all of those half filled bobbins/spools you have!)
• Sewing needles (for machine sewing you will need medium weight AND heavy weight needles)
• Batting
• Scissors

Let's get started~!

1st: Lay out your scraps, and cut the ends so they are even. I used a cutting mat and a rotary blade to make this quicker, but you can easily use scissors!

Fold your fabric in half, right sides together, and sew up 2 of the sides (leaving 1 side open to stuff the mat!) Also, to make the project quicker, when you get to the corner, put leave the needle in the down position, lift up the presser foot, and swivel the fabric around!

To make the corners neater, cut close to the seam at the corner, and make a couple of slashes into the seam allowance!

Then, just flip the fabric right side out, and use a needle to pick out the corners!

Then, measure your mat shell, and cut your batting to a size that will fit inside. I simply took 1 inch away from the top and side of my mat shell to make sure the batting fit.

I was feeling pretty lazy at this point, and simply folded my batting over until I felt that it was thick enough. Then, I used a ruler and cut through all 4 layers at the same time.

After I shoved the batting inside the shell, and lightly pinned it in place, I folded over the last side to sew! I simple folded over about 1/2 inch, and pinned in place.

You might want to sew a bit closer to the edge on this side. That way you will make sure to actually sew over the folds, and not have any loose edges on the outside of your mat.

If you are using a sewing machine, now is the time to trade out your medium weight needle, for a heavy weight needle! You are going to sew the batting into place, and you don't want t broken needle flying at your head. And DO NOT SKIP sewing the batting into place! This will keep the batting from bunching up, and ruining the mat after it is washed!

I tried two different ways to sew the batting into place, and this is the first one. I simply sewed a few strips down the center. It didn't turn out very pretty, but the thread will do its job.

This is an example of how I sewed my last couple of mats, and they turned out prettier. Though, it did take a little bit more time.

Word of advice when you are sewing the batting down: you may want to hold the batting and fabric down while you are sewing. This way it all doesn't bunch up and look crazy.

So, there you have it! A simple way to use up some of your scraps, and help make an animal's day! This was a pretty quick project, and I made 4 mats in about an hour. That included the time spent taking pictures, and figuring how in the world I was actually going to make these things.

Kawaii crafting~!

Now that I have finished with University, I have much more time on my hands for crafts and hobbies. Recently I have been doing some research into the uber-kawaii world of felt and polymer/paper clay crafting! There is seriously so much cuteness in the world of crafting that it's diabetes inducing.   So, here are some of the more helpful books that I have found. I hope they help any of you aspiring crafters out! XD

 "My Favorite Felt Sweets" is a great book with great instructions, plenty of pictures, and full-size patterns! XD  The projects in here would be great for long, lasting kids toys (if the kids are gentle, these could last years....as opposed to the 2 -3 week life-span of most plastic toys...).

"The Polymer Clay Cookbook" is AMAZING~! It teaches many basic techniques such as shading and using Liquid Sculpey to achieve icing effects. It also has step-by-step images of the projects~!!! So, this is a great tool for those just getting into either polymer clay or faux food creation!

"Felt Friends from Japan" features many retro-inspired projects that are just a cute as they are kitsch.The instructions are very good, and most projects are pretty basic with a couple more advanced ones. There are quite a few projects featured in this book. So, you should be able to find something you really enjoy! 

Tumblr~~!!!

So, I LOVE tumblr. It's serious the best thing ever, guys...I just....I can't escape it...
Anyway, I thought I would share with you all some of the tumblrs I follow! <3 p="p">
Lolita:

http://ladyderascole.tumblr.com/  - Classic
http://angel-cake.tumblr.com/ - Runs the blog: http://www.parfaitdoll.com/
http://honeyed.tumblr.com/ - Runs the blog: http://www.fyeahlolita.blogspot.com/
http://fuckyeahclassiclolita.tumblr.com/ - Classic lolita focused!
http://sugar-honey-iced-tea.tumblr.com/ - OTT Sweet stuffs
http://star-parade.tumblr.com/ - OTT Sweet, again!
http://fannyrosie.tumblr.com/ - Classic and OTT Classic!
http://lovellochka.tumblr.com/ - Sweet and Classic
http://liliesinmycereal.tumblr.com/ - Sweet and all around nerdy-ness!
http://pinkish-white.tumblr.com/ - General lolita

Nerdy:

http://mantrabent.tumblr.com/ - SMT focused
http://firefly-class.tumblr.com/ - Gaming focused
http://dapperbitchmalice.tumblr.com/ - Fashion and generally nerdy-ness
http://vocaloid-problems.tumblr.com/ - Name says it all~~!
http://sugarbonesloli.tumblr.com/ - Avengers focused


Fashion:

http://sarahalldolledup.tumblr.com/ - Street fashion girl with an awesome style!
http://neogrotesk.tumblr.com/ - Gothic and decadent
http://suiprincess.tumblr.com/ - Hime Gal
http://ornamentedbeing.tumblr.com/ - Classical styles
http://tokyodeadbarbie.tumblr.com/ - Gal and street fashion
http://fashion-squid.tumblr.com/ - Kawaii street fashion
http://kai-la.tumblr.com/ - Kawaii street fashion, again~~~
http://anikachu.tumblr.com/ - Rocking street fashion
http://stupidvisualism.tumblr.com/ - Gyaru-o


~~~And in case you all want to follow me on there: http://yokaiakito.tumblr.com/~~~

Hope this list helps you all out in your awesome internet discoveries!
Feel free to reply with your faves!

Awesome Outfit Music Videos!!!

Okay, here's the list I mentioned that I would post earlier. I hope you all like it, and it helps inspire your wardrobe!


AWOLNATION - Burn It Down


I don't know why I like his outfit and hair so much, but they seriously rock! XD


Ultraviolet Sound - UVS 2011 Video Megamix


AH! I love this group soooo much! The outits! The hair! The music! THE DANCING! <3


MC Melody Doll - Throw It In The Bag


This video showcases some seriously cute and cool brand coordinations! (Come on, you know I had to throw in some lolita somewhere! XD )


Dal Shabet - Supa Dupa Diva


These girls have a super cute sound and style!


Black Veil Brides - Perfect Weapon


These kids seriously know how to dress like rock stars.


BIGBANG & 2NE1 - Lollipop


Gah! Best outfits ever! I love both of these groups separately, and it's just pure awesome when they come together! XD


Orange Caramel - Magic Girl


Pastels and poofy dresses. I think I'm in heaven! <3

Western Lolita and Fairy-Kei Brands

I've seen many lists on the internet of indie lolita brands, but most of them are Japanese, Korean, or Chinese based brands. The problem I find with a lot of these brands is that, since they are indie, they often don't ship internationally. T^T So, I decided to create a list of Western lolita (and fairy-kei! XD ) brands! <3

This list is in no whttp://englishcharm.com/ay comprehensive. So, if you know of any US or European based brands that I didn't include, post a link to them in the comments~!

 ~~~*** Clothing ***~~~

English charm- A UK based lolita clothing store. Mainly features classical and gothic lolita styles.

Lilly of the Valley - A US based store that features classic and country style lolita clothing. (The creator of this brand also creates some AWESOME lolita KiSS dolls!!!)

Sweet Rococo - I've posted about this California based store before, but I'll do it again! XD This store features a generator tool wear you can create you own skirt, accessory,  Jumper Skirt, or One Piece. They have a gallery for you to gather inspiration from as well! They also have a select type of items available for sell including a wonderful petticoat!

Silversark -  Wisconsin based store that sells sweet, country, and classic lolita clothing.


Lauralyn - An Oregon based store that sells sweet lolita clothing and accessories. Has super cute kitty scarves~! <3


In The Starlight - AMAZING Illinois based lolita clothing store~! X3 Sells mainly gothic and classic lolita clothing, but they also sells a few sweet accessories as well. They also make a very good petticoat!


~~~*** Shoes ***~~~


~~~*** Accessories ***~~~

Kawaii Goods -  California based accessory store. Mainly specializes in hair clips for fairy-kei and Over the Top sweet lolits styles.


Le Chat Beige - Canada based store that features some nautical and fairy-kei/OTT sweet accessories.

Zambi Candy - California based store that features cute jewellery and artwork. Many of the items would work for fairy-kei and possibly OTT sweet lolita styles!

Jilted Coquette - Washington based store that mainly features gothic hairclips, rings, and necklaces. Has a few classic and sweet lolita accessories as well.

Dellamore - California based fairy-kei accessory creator~! I have actually ordered from her, and I personally think she's fantastic. X3

~~~*** Undergarments ***~~~

Sock Dreams - Oregan based shop that sells many styles of tights, leggings, and socks. Many are great for casual wear, and a few would work for lolita or fairy-kei outfits.

We Love Colors - Florida based store that sells tights, leggings, and socks in many, many different colors! Most are pretty flamboyant, but the plain tights come in 51 colors. So, you can match them perfectly to your outfit!