Sew Geeky: Episode 6- Studio Ghibli style!

So Sew So.  I finally got over my fear and joined a creative non traditional sewing group where monthly themes generate creativeness.  Studio Ghibli inspirations come in all shapes and sizes.  I didn't want to get too crazy since I decided to go back to work even tho i was super happy farting and belching my way through life in holey jammies while hanging out and playing with the twins.  But reality wall palmed us when we decided to buy our own home.  With 7 peeps in this rental house things are ok but we just want to have a place to call our Home.  Where everybody knows your name, right?  So off to Joann Fabric and Crafty McCraft store i went.  Right now we are gearing up for the Holidaaaaaaaaaays so I am working overnight shift which starts at midnight and goes till 8am.  worst schedule ever for a human being but that is when the most work gets done. our store is and effing catastrophe but we are working hard to get it to where it needs to be in order to be efficient.  So onto the project.

 Recently my children are being more open to watching the movies created by Studio Ghibli.  Movies other than "Chihiro, and Howl and KiKi"  so when we finally took a Sunday afternoon and sat down with a monster bowl of popcorn we watched Totoro.  They all fell in love instantly so I knew that i must draw from that love and create a functional sewing project that would be used very regularly.  Enter the Totoro Hooded Towel 

Now I am just letting y'all know that this was just a very simple project.  I didn't have a pattern per say but more of an image in my head as to how it should look.  I started off by serging up a smaller towel for the head and attaching it to the main body towel.  from there i proceeded to skillfully cut felt circles for eyes and and triangle for nose and strips of ribbon for whiskers.  

After I pinned those awesome felt bits, i wanted to make a big smiley mouth.  I drew it free hand and sewed some black ribbon straight onto the white felt.  BAM!  A nice big Totoro mouth full of teeth.

 It started to take shape once i placed the mouth on the top towel.  I was feeling very proud.  At this point i took a long break from sewing and decided to work on other projects and then went and job a jobby job.  That started to take up a lot of time. 

 Here is a random pic of me sewing the mouth on.  I don't do tutorials so I am a total goof when it comes to taking pictures of the process.  I also have a hard time getting the pics off my phone which took a bloody manual for me to figure it out. 

 YAY!

So for the tummy I wanted Totoro's tummy to over lap so when the towel was closed it wouldn't look at stupid but still look like his tummy.  the velcro  served as a guide.

 After I eyeballed the white fleece for the tummy I quickly sewed his tummy front on and then couldn't skip out on his upside down gray hearts so I fabric glued those babies on since i seriously ran out of time.  I skipped making the little ear/antenna things.  I thought about it then said "NAH, ain't nobody got time for dat" and just quickly took a pic of it all done.  Since I work graveyard I didn't have any little angels home to model the towel in time.  SORRY! It velcros nicely and i think i should cut out some armholes or something so it doesn't feel like a straight jacket.  

So i feel like anybody can make this.  It is fun and functional and will be used all the friggin' time.  can't wait for the arguing.  maybe my kids will bathe more and not cry about bath time.....hm......we'll see.  

Thanks for letting me join in the group and I hope to get my act together sooner for the next time. 

Click each picture below to check out the stars of this episode of Sew Geeky!