I Hope You Like Looking At My Feet

The first pair of shoes I ordered came in, so I took some pictures. There are more of them on my flickr, but here's one of each of the newest designs to enter the TotusMel catalog. The first I've just decided to call 'The Queen's Feet' which would be a play on the Viva La Reine upon which they are based. I've made this motif so many times that it is really second nature to me. They turned out exactly as I had hoped, much more dramatic than the many crocheted versions I happened upon.
Next up, we have the first of the Ankle Corset designs. This one is based on my Portrait Of An Elegant Lady collar and will be called 'Portrait of an Ankle Corset'. They took quite a bit more time to tat up than the barefoot sandals and I think they look amazing with the shoes. I am still waiting for the stiletto sandals to arrive so that I can show them off with a different look.The last one to show off is the only piece not based on something I've already made. These ones started with the edging of a 40's era centerpiece, but evolved far past that. I added quite a few elements including the motif I call, In Bloom. As you might have guessed I used that as their name, the 'In Bloom Ankle Corset'. These too will get additional photos when the sandals arrive.

I'll be listing them on etsy soon and we'll see if they were worth all the effort. Though honestly, the challenge of creating them was quite a rush and I am so glad of all the advice and suggestions I've gotten throughout the process. I think I have a special surprise for you next week as well, I'm just working out the details, so stay tuned.

Who Needs Shoes

Oh twitter, will I ever stop finding reasons to adore you? Seriously, yesterday I decided to work on my barefoot sandal idea. When I was having a creative block I asked my twitter friends for inspiration, they responded. Then after I had chosen a design to start with and shared a picture of the beginnings, they responded. When I needed advice on finishing the piece, they responded. When I was finished, I posted a picture taken with my laptop, complete with sleeping baby legs and just needed someone to pat me on the back, and you know what, they responded.

It was almost as if I was working in one room and there was a party next door. All I needed to do for help and feedback was poke my head in the other room and ask. Since my only companions while I work are two small kids and four not so small cats, this adult feedback is so wonderful and I'm officially addicted to it.

Back to the design though, I searched all around for a style that I liked in crochet or other medium and I found nothing. All the barefoot sandals foot thongs were very simplistic. The main designs were a couple of chains connected with some beads and well, they were just very meh. I like my designs much more dramatic as I'm certain you've noticed. So I searched through my pile of lace for something to start with and I settled on my Viva La Reine necklace design. It was originally a motif for a chair covering. I added some rings and a toe lop on one corner. Then Instead of making a spiral chain to go around the ankle I crocheted a long chain and added a tatted ring at the end, you know for decorative purposes.

I still need to finish up the second one and get proper photos, but I have a dental appointment to finish my root canal so the day might be shot. I also got my first pair of ridiculous shoes suggested by you all in yesterday and the sandal stilettos should be here next week and I can get pictures of all the footwear to list. Who would have thought that I would be making tatted pieces to wear on your feet. It is still crazy to me that I've taken this craft in so many different directions. I wonder where I will fly off to next?

Tattooed Needle Tatter

Here we are again at personal reveal time. As it has become a custom, I shall now do a quick recap of what you have learned thus far. First I told you how TotusMel, the name was born. Then I shared my first dead dream, followed by the origin of my hair color and finally, how I met my husband. Today I shall tell you the story that gives me a reason to call myself a tattooed needle tatted by answering another question that nobody ever asked.

How did you get your first tattoo?

I think that is worth noting that by the time I was 16, I had adopted, let's say, an alternative appearance. Multi-colored hair wraps, hair of unnatural shades, and gobs of junk jewelry worn all at the same time. Underneath all of this I was just a little geek. Sure I had my fair share of drunken night, but I avoided the drugs and really had no "unsavory" friends, I just looked like I might. When the blond, rich girl that sat next to me in French class started going on about where to find someone who would tattoo a 16 year old because she assumed I knew someone, I just thought to myself that I wasn't going to allow her to get one first.

This was just the beginning of the 90's tribal tattoo, tramp stamp era, but since I didn't actually know anyone that could help me and the Internet was still sometime away from existing at my house, I set about helping myself. Using all the knowledge that television could provide, I opted for a sterilized needle and since I didn't want a "prison" ink tattoo that would fade to blue, I decided to use, and this confirms my crafting cred, fabric paint. My reasoning being that it was non-toxic. To further my geek stature I decided to place said tattoo on the top of my big toe in the shape of the Star Trek symbol. Days later the whole thing peeled off as a scab. Turns out that I did not stab deep enough and I'm left with some faint and unrecognizable splotches.

I was not going to let this setback derail my plan to have the tattoo first, so I went straight back to work. This time I placed the design on my ankle just behind the anklebone. It was a small flower that looked like a five year old had drawn it complete with red petals and a green leave, but I was proud none the less. I then proceeded to do an ankh on the other ankle.

Of course now I had another problem, my mother. I began using a ball point pen to trace over the tattoos to convince her that I was simply drawing them on everyday. After a few months I stopped and when she finally acknowledged them I flippantly retorted that I had had them for months. I do not think that she was amused, but it was too late to do anything about them.

Since then they have faded horrible and are barely recognizable and I've gotten quite a few more tattoos done right, but that's a reveal for another day. I have said for years that I will eventually get something done over them, but the truth is they have become part of my history. They are a reminder that some decisions stay with you and you can either regret them or own them. Perhaps I'll get frames tattooed around them instead to give them a place of honor rather that disgrace.

The Ankle Corsets

I managed to finish the first ankle corset using the design I showed off yesterday. Then I got a custom order so I had to stop work on the second one. Of course, I still have to wait for my shoes for them to have a proper photo shoot and I need to work out a better way to take pictures of my own feet as well. I think I am going to stick with ankle corset as the name for these pieces, but I still haven't settles on a price point.

When I do finally finish up this pair I am going to try to work out a barefoot sandal design that will have a toe loop as many of you have suggested. I do have fairly small feet, so it might be a challenge to devise a pattern that will fit more sizes than just mine. I probably won't add beads, at least not at first mostly because I don't like working with them all that much.

Good news on my instructable, I received an email this morning telling me that that it is now 'popular' and has been returned to the front page. This just means a little more exposure for the tatting. In a month or so, I plan on doing one that will teach split rings and spiral or Josephine chains. I'm also aware that I did not do a personal reveal post last week. I figured all my talk of tooth pain and jury duty was verging on too much information as it was so I skipped it. Tomorrow, I will have one for you, though I don't really think anyone is waiting on pins and needles to find out more mundane details of my life.

More For Your Feet

It was a fairly downbeat weekend so I managed to work out another pattern for my impending line of anklet footwear. This one started with a 40's era pattern for a centerpiece edging. Then I added matching motifs across the top and used my In Bloom motif in the center. The last time I went ahead and made the prototype in black thread because it's based on an existing piece and I knew that it would work out. This time I made it in ecru thread since I had no idea if it would work. After a few final tweaks, adding some floating and split rings around the bottom edge of the design. I have started on one in black, but it is not ready for a closeup just yet.

I always seem to forget that there are differences in the ecru and black threads I use. My vintage size 10 ecru thread is a bit thicker than the same sized modern black. This means that the final piece in black will be noticeably smaller. I think that I will have to add an edging on the sides of the final black one to make the size work as well as give me a better edge to lace the piece. I'm having an internal debate about the price of these corseted anklets too. I am personally very cheap when it comes to shoes and to price these for the time would be more than I think I would pay for a pair of shoes. Of course they should make quite a statement and it's always hard to remember that I am not my customers.

I should have a pair of the new design done in a few days and then I'm just waiting for my ridiculous stiletto shoes to arrive so I can get proper pictures. Hopefully I will have also worked out a proper name for them as well. Suggested terms have been 'spatlet', which brings to mind a tiny spat, and 'spanklet', that frankly sounds a little dirtier than I'd like. I'd prefer something a little more corset related, I think. Ideas from you are of course very welcome. Then I still want to work out a design for a barefoot sandal design as well. Things have been fairly slow etsy wise, so I've had some much needed time to create new things as well as get most of the pieces I had listed as custom orders made up so they're ready to ship.

In other news, this Sunday, I got a google alert to an interesting feature of my Order of Ecclesia Victorian Lace Collar. It was based on a video game character and suggested for creation my husband. Apparently, the gamers have finally stumbled upon it. My husband was so proud that it was his idea, he kept reminding me that I should be thanking him for the idea. The feature was picked up by two other gamer sites, nothing huge, but still pretty cool to have some unsolicited attention.