Sock monkeys!

lesleyp1978

Wow Shelly!! You sure have come a long way from your first monkey! I really love the sock tiger hanging at the top of the tree!! I am trying to learn as much as I can going through all the posts from the beginning, You have definately perfected your faces now as in the beginning you didn't like them. Any tips?? I love the way you stitch the smiles on too.

I am finding that most of my time on the internet now I am looking at socks!! ha ha!

I am currently on maternity leave and dreading going back full time in August!

x

Shelley3774

Thanks Lesley the only valuable tip I have is to practice lots. It took me a long time to get the faces like I wanted. I was never happy with the mouth part but now I have found my way and I am really happy with them now. Some socks give better mouths than other - the stretchier the sock sometimes gives a better mouth. I always double stitch the mouth so its secure. You may find it easier to stitch a large V shape on the top of the mouth part (it will look like nostrils). - The only thing I would advise is to find a way of making them unique to you! Think of a way to make them different to the rest x
I am completely sock obsessed also - I find myself having to explain myself to shop assistants when i am walking around with piles of socks in my trolley lol!!

GILL635

I am totally in awe of you ladies!

I tried to make my first sock monkey by hand, and my colleagues said it looked like a big blue p**is!!!!!

I just can't get it right, and I'm gutted. I'm going to try with a machine and see if its any better.

Love the owls and bunnies too! Are there instructions for those on here ? (sorry, but Ive only managed to scan the last couple of pages)


xxx

Shelley3774

Hi Gill the owls and cats I designed myself but there are lots of patterns on google for lying down cats etc x

GILL635

Shelley3774 wrote: »

Hi Gill the owls and cats I designed myself but there are lots of patterns on google for lying down cats etc x

They're fabulous Shelley! I'm getting a bit of a fondness for Owls and Penguins at the minute, I'll have to have a google when my sewing improves!


xx

lesleyp1978

Well I have tried my sewing machine and I had already hand stitched 'Munch's' body so I thought I would try to make the rest of him using my new machine. Well, Munch in going to be with us in body only cause the stupid sewing machine chewed his tail and his arms up!!!

I'm gutted. There is no varying speed with the foot pedal so it is really hard to get round corners and stuff!!

I tried to work on something a little bigger and when I was finishing off i.e. going forward and back, it munched that too!!!!

I don't want to spend a fortune on a sewing machine but I want something that will do the job. My dad bought it for me from poundstretchers for £49.99 and I am just hoping that he has kept the receipt. Hopefully if he has the receipt I will get the money back and put some more to it and get a better one......any recommendations????

RIP Munch!!! xx

Bunnygirl

I have this one will be making a sock Monkey at the weekend on it. But I find it very easy to use for other things that need mending around the house.

http://www.johnlewis.com/230958291/Product.aspx

lesleyp1978

I am going to order some safety eyes from ebay as I have just been embroidering them on for now so thought I may try a different approach and see what I prefere. For those of you who order from ebay, have you tried the supplies from Hong Kong or do you tend to stick to UK suppliers?

Also, I was thinking of going for 12mm diametre - will these be about the right size?

Thanks Monkey Makers! x

Shelley3774

I always buy the safety eyes from the uk and I used to use 12mm but now I prefer them around the 10mm size. Just try different ones to start and you can decide what you prefer x

lesleyp1978

I wanted to post some pics of the few monkeys I have made but it won't let me cause I'm a new member.

Any one know how many posts you need to be able to post pics??