February 3, 2010

d.i.y. valentine's robot

robot_fromabove
wont you be mine?

i never cared
much
for
valentines day.
just another one
of those holidays
to
convince you
that you
need
to buy
something
for
someone.

those long lines
at the drugstore
of men buying
last minute
stuffed animals
and candy
on valentines day
depress me.
but then again
how sweet
is it to
get
a handmade card
or
homemade edibles
from a
friend
unexpectedly...

bears
and bunnies
are nice
but robots
are so much better,
don't you think?

robot_wooden1

wouldn't it
be nice
to make
a robot pillow
for someone you love?

this robot
is made completely
out of felted
sweaters.
thin cashmere
sweaters
work the best
but any old sweater
will do...
it's a good time
of year to
get rid of
that favorite sweater
with moth holes
or that doesn't fit
right.
or hit your
local thrift store
and get a couple.
my advice is
to get men's sweaters-
they always are cheaper
and bigger.
bigger means
more felt- woohoo!
remember that
the sweater has
to be 100% wool or
cashmere, or
other
animal fiber.

DIYRobot_whatyouneed

so here we go!

DIYrobot1

first,
put on this song
to get you in the robot mood.

then,
felt all your sweaters
(read instructions here).

robot_felt

make sure to cut
the arms & legs
out of
the sleeves:
DIYRobot_sleeve

now you are
ready for these
easy steps:

DIYRobot_1-4

remember,
you can use
a machine
or sew by hand.
i did mine
by hand using
mostly
blanket stitch.

robot_layout_front
robot_layout_back
robot_layout_zipper

DIYRobot_5-11

stuffing/pillow:
arms & legs:
stuff after
sewing bottom
and sides.
then seam top and attach.
body:
after i was
all done
sewing,
i stuffed
the bejesus
out of his head
and then put
the pillow in.
you can resize
the pillow
to fit the body
(i had to).
or just make
a robot-shaped
pillow insert.

here's
what the back
looks like:

robot_back

decorate:
decorate your
robot
any way you'd
like...
use real buttons
i used a small
fabric button maker.
i got at
the sewing store
for $3.
you can make
your own fabric
buttons
using
this guide.

i got
some ideas
from
jes hutch's knitted robots.

Robot_couch

let me know
if you
have any
questions!

robots:  thrifted wooden

try not
to fall
in love
with your
new robot.

i did.

it's breaking
my heart
to mail
him off
to his
new
sweetheart
.

robot_square

xo

{cross-posted
on my blog}

11 comments:

  1. love its expression and one "hair."
    i could see how it would be hard to let this one go!

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  2. isn't this essentially jess hutchinson's robot, but a sewn version rather than knitted?
    http://www.jesshutch.com/robotmain.html

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  3. oops, just saw the reference.

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  4. Adorable...opens up the Robot World for us non-knitters! Thanks for posting such a clear tute!

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  5. Wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing.

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  6. Robots AND felted sweaters!? I'm all over this... I'll be linking.
    dot

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  7. We added this fun tute to our "link luv roundup" today. Come by for a peek! http://bit.ly/d9rBZB

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  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  10. wow. you are awesome gwen.

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  11. This is just awesome! Found via Whipup. I'll be linking today!

    Joanne @ Ready, Set, Craft!
    www.readysetcraft.blogspot.com

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