Check out the felt cake I made at Etsy Labs Faux Felt Cakes With My Candy Castle craft night. It’s a bit vampire-esque mixed with Americana!
Download the instructions and pattern from Etsy’s page. :)
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Tags: america, beads, blue, bon-bon, cake, etsy, fake, faux, felt, food, frosting, heart, kitiya, labs, my candy castle, pom pom, red, ribbon, vampire, white
Yesterday I went to an Etsy Craft Party at their headquarters located in Brooklyn, NY. The event celebrated creativity and community not in the great city of Brooklyn, but also in many other cities all around the globe. It was a blast and I met a lot of great crafty people! There was food, music, drinks and lots of craft activities to choose from.
I spent most of my time glass painting (see octopus arms glass) which I missed at a previous Etsy Labs craft night. I also got around to screen printing my own Etsy totebag! There was also a station for making bunting and crazy party hats, which was very interesting to see. The event also happened to be Etsy’s 5th birthday so Happy Birthday Etsy!
For more photos of the event go here.
Tags: birthday, Brooklyn, bunting, community, craft, crativity, etsy, event, glass painting, global, hat, labs, making, party, people, printing, screen, totebag
If you’re like some of the people asking whether I make custom sock monkeys the answer is yes! In fact most of my sock monkeys are custom made. To shed some light on these personalized sock toys, I’ve written this blog post in Q&A using some popular questions with answers to everything you’ll need to know to get your own custom Mars Sock Monkey.
What’s a Mars Sock Monkey and what makes it custom?
A Mars Sock Monkey is a fashion sock monkey handmade by Maribel Made (that’s me). Each custom sock monkey comes with a knit hoodie, non-hooded sweater, playsuit or a dress. Accessories like a hat or a scarf can also be included. Clothing comes with an optional custom knitted design inspired from a graphic, logo, initial or text of your choice. As long as the design is recognizable in knit form anything is possible! Basic shapes like a heart or star are also quite popular. :)
As a client you can have total creative freedom over the design and look of your custom sock monkey from choosing the type of clothes, style of socks (stripes, argyle, checks, etc), colors and even the naming of your own sock monkey. If all this sounds intimidating though, I can fill in any gaps or take care of all the design for you. I’m happy if in the end you’re happy.
Is it child-safe?
Most of my sock monkeys are child-safe. If your custom sock monkey is for a child, I can make sure it doesn’t have any small parts that may potentially be harmful to children. Plastic safety eyes are used in the construction of my sock monkeys so they don’t come off. If you’re curious about the safety of a particular sock monkey in my shop just take a look at the description. Some of my toys are not meant for children.
Samantha and Frizbee Custom Mars Sock Monkeys
How much does it cost and why does it cost that much?
Custom Mars Sock Monkeys range between $100-$150 dollars. This is based on sock size (crew or knee-high), time spent on the project, cost of materials and complexity of design and clothing. A finished crew size sock monkey measures about 15 to 19 inches tall while a knee-high size sock monkey can measures from 23 to 30 inches tall. Baby and kid size sock monkeys can also be made upon request. Pricing excludes shipping. Shipping within the US is $5 via Priority Mail and $8 for International orders sent via First Class Mail. Maribel Made ships Worldwide.
All my sock monkeys are 100% hand-made using high quality yarns, socks and filling. Each custom sock monkey takes about 14-18 hours to complete (about 1 week). This time includes gathering of materials, design, color work, production and photography. I put a lot of care and effort into each sock monkey so that it retains its appeal and lasts for many years to come!
How and when do I pay?
Custom orders require half payment up-front 1 week prior to start of sock monkey. Once item is finished, final payment should be made before sock monkey is shipped. Maribel Made accepts payments through Paypal and can be remitted to maribelmade at gmail dot com.
Abbie and William Custom Mars Sock Monkeys
What’s the wait list time?
Wait list can vary depending on time of year, but usually it’s about one month. This means that I can start work on your custom sock monkey one month (more or less) after placing your order. Order is placed by simply adding your name to my Custom Mars Sock Monkey Order List! There’s no need to make payment until I contact you one week prior to start of sock monkey. Please note that after Halloween my wait list can increase up to three months so book your custom sock monkey early to receive it on time. ;)
When will I receive my custom sock monkey?
Once I contact you to begin your order, your custom sock monkey will take about 1 week to make. When final payment is received, I’ll ship your new custom sock monkey within 2-3 days. Delivery to US, Canada and Mexico shipped via Priority and First Class Mail can take 3 to 5 days. Delivery to all other countries shipped via First Class Mail can take 7 to 12 days. Please note that delivery times may double during holiday season.
Sign me up! How do I place an order?
To place a custom order or if you have questions, concerns or comments email me at maribelmade at gmail dot com.
Mochi and Isis Custom Mars Sock Monkeys
Why do you do this?
In 2007 I became curious to make a sock monkey. I knew sock monkeys were made from socks, which seemed simple yet I had no idea how they were actually made. When I got around to completing my first sock monkey, I wasn’t entirely happy with it. My sock monkey looked kinda sad and lonely. Something was missing.
Soon after another curiosity of mine crept up on me, knitting! So I decided to knit my sock monkey a sweater. I didn’t even know how to begin, but I thought (once I figured it out) the project would help improve my basic knitting and maybe it could turn out to be the missing piece my sock monkey needed. It sure was. My sock monkey seemed happier and warmer too! As my knitting skills improved, I added a hood to the sweater, I learned to make pretty seams, I learned new techniques, made some hats, made some socks, made some gloves, I made lots of knitted sock monkey clothes!
These days I continue to improve on the things my Mom taught me. That’s probably why now I have the urge to sew. Basically my curiosity is my motivation to these crazy sock monkey things and pretty much everything I can get my hands on.
My first sock monkey Juan…He’s not looking so lonely anymore. :)
Tags: about, animal, baby, child-safe, children, clothes, color, complexity, construciton, cost, creative, curiosity, custom, cutomized, delivery, design, diy, dress, eyes, graphic, handmade, hat, holiday, hoodie, knee-high, knit, knitting, list, logo, look, mars, materials, mom, monkeys, name, order, payment, paypal, personalized, photography, plastic, playsuit, pricing, project, quality, safety, scarf, sew, sewing, shipping, size, sock, style, sweater, technique, time, toy, wait list, yarn
On one of my recent trips to Etsy Labs last month I learned how to make a reversible tote bag as instructed by Kim from Tinyhearts Designs. The bag was so easy to make and after I finished it it very quickly became my main purse. It’s lightweight, versatile and perfect for summer! This tutorial is based on the pattern Kim showed us. I hope you enjoy making one of your own. :)
The above pattern is not to size, but I’d recommend printing it and using it for reference as you follow along.
First you’ll need to recreate the pattern pieces to scale on paper. I used a brown paper similar to a paper grocery bag. This image will help you draft the dimensions and show you how to add the darts (the cuts on the tote piece). A compass or flower pot can also help you make the curves at the bottom of each piece. Once you’ve drawn your lines, cut your squares, fold them in half vertically and cut along the green line so that each piece is symmetrical. The strap is pretty straight forward; cut it according to the dimensions above (4″ x 28″).
This is what your pattern pieces should look like. Now it’s time to focus on fabric.
Since the bag is reversible choose a patterned and a solid fabric to contrast the inside and outside of the bag. I picked a floral fabric with a bird as a focal point and for my solid a blue fabric with some diamond shapes. This is as close as I got to a solid fabric, but it’ll still work. ;)
Begin cutting your fabric by folding the fabric with the right sides facing each other. Folding it this way will let you mark the wrong side of the fabric and give you two finished pieces. Pin your “tote” pattern piece to the layered fabric and trace with a pen or pencil. Do this for your pattern and solid fabric. For the “pocket” and “strap” there is no need to fold the fabric over since you’ll only need one of each. Cut 1 pattern and 1 solid pocket, then cut 1 solid strap.
You should end up with7 pieces altogether. If you’re like me and you got your fabric from your stash the pieces will need some ironing. Iron all 7 pieces with wrong side up.
Once you’ve ironed all your pieces, focus on the pockets. With wrong side up, fold the right side about 3/8″ and press as you move down towards the bottom of the pocket, curving the bottom with the help of the small darts at the bottom, and around to the left side of the pocket. If you need to plead the fabric a little this is fine too as long as you get a somewhat smooth curved edge. Once you’ve pressed both sides and bottom, fold the top about 5/8″ and press.
Now focus on the strap. With wrong side up, fold about 3/8″ from the top and press. Do the same for the bottom. Then fold the piece in half horizontally (top to bottom), placing the top fold against the bottom fold. Press all along the strap with right side facing up.
We’re now ready to sew! Let’s begin with the easiest part: the strap. Sew all along each side at about 1/8″ from the edge. Strap is done.
Now let’s work on the 4 tote pieces. Sew each dart about 1/4″ from edge with wrong side facing each other. To sturdy your bag add some zigzag as well.
Now focus on the pocket. I’ve use pins to help guide me during sewing. With right side up, sew the top edge of the pocket about 1/2″ from the edge. DO NOT SEW SIDES or BOTTOM YET! Grab a contrasting tote piece and align pocket in the middle with pins (both pieces right side up).
You’re now ready to sew the sides and bottom of the pocket. To firmly secure the pocket to the tote, place the presser foot and needle about 1/4″ below the top edge and bring the needle into the fabric using the handwheel. Begin sewing using the reverse sewing lever until the needle is just above the top edge of the pocket. From there sew normally at about 1/8″ from the edge and all around the pocket. When you’re at the top left edge sew a few stitches downward to fasten this side. Follow the same steps for the second pocket. Note on my 3rd photo here that I made a boo boo and actually sewed my tote pieces first before attaching the pocket (that’s why there’s no raw edging, but there should be).
We’re almost there! Sew your tote pieces (pattern pieces together and solid pieces together) with right sides facing each other at about 3/8″ from the edge. Add zigzag to both pieces.
Turn your patterned (floral) piece right side out and insert the wrong side out solid into your tote. Align the tops of the inside and outside of the tote with your hand by pressing and pulling them together. Once you have them close by fold them in towards each other about 5/8″ from the top. You may have to fold the inside in more than the outside to get them to align. Secure your folds using pins. When you get to each side seam insert each end of the strap at about 1″ between the two folds and pin.
This is the final step! Sew all around the tote at 1/8″ and at 1/2″ from the edge. This double seam will help secure your strap and give your tote a finished look.
Voila, you’ve got yourself a handmade reversible tote bag! I hope you found this tutorial useful and easy to follow. If there is something I can clarify or elaborate on please let me know. Btw, I only used one pocket for this bag since I didn’t want to cover the pretty print on the outside.
Now I’m wondering…is this something you’d like to see in the shop? It’s very different from sock monkeys, but it still involves sewing, which I love. Next week I’ll introduce you to a new custom Mars Sock Monkey. :)
Tags: bag, dimensions, diy, Etsy Labs, fabric, free, instructions, Kim, lightweight, pattern, pocket, purse, reversible, sewing, solid, strap, summer, Tinyhearts Designs, tote, totebag, tutorial, versatile
Did you know Maribel Made is now based in Brooklyn, NY? It’s only been a little over one week since I left Seattle, but I can tell I’m really going to enjoy living here for the next three months. There are so many things I already love about New York and one of them is the fact that I’m really close to Etsy, which hosts a weekly craft night every Monday at their Etsy Labs headquarters in Brooklyn.
Earlier this week I attended my very first session: Stenciled Cards. There was a demonstration by Ed Roth using stencils from his new Stencil 101 Stationery Kit, which I used to make a couple of greeting cards. I made a Thank You card and a Birthday Card for my soon-to-be birthday boy. I can’t wait to go to next week’s Reversible Totebag class.
I’m really happy I’ll have more crafty projects to share with you. I’ve already received my new sewing machine so it won’t be too long before you’ll see some Brooklyn raised Mars Sock Monkeys. They’re on the horizon!
Tags: 101, birthday, Brooklyn, card, craft, demo, Ed Roth, etsy, greeting, headquarters, kit, labs, night, ny, project, stationary, stencil, thank you, weekly
Last Saturday I packed all my new sock monkey and took them on a bus ride to Freshy’s Coffee in West Seattle for a cute craft event called “Homemade Brigade”. This seemed like the perfect spot to reveal the new batch of Spring inspired sock monkeys, which I’ll talk about more in the next post.
It was also great meeting talented folks like Julia from Pixel & Post, London from Such Sweet Tierney and Catherine from Modern Little Ones. They all had such cute items (want)! I had a really good time and it was nice to get feedback from the coffee shop regulars and even their little ones. Oh the breakfast sandwich and the white chocolate mocha were tasty!
Stay tuned to meet the new Spring Mars Sock Monkeys: Jenny, Tyler, Esther, Terry, Davina and Tim. They’re pretty cute. :)
New Moo cards.
And new Mars Sock Monkey Postcards from Zazzle.
Freshy’s Coffee Homemade Brigade
Julia from Pixel & Post makes very nice stationary and lovely posters.
Such Sweet Tierney makes cute handmade buttons and accessories!
Tags: brigade, cafe, chocolate, coffee, event, food, Freshy''s, homemade, mars, mocha, Modern Little Ones, monkey, Pixel & Post, sandwich, seattle, sock, spring, Such Sweet Tierney, west
Vivi and Lily Mars were the final sock monkeys I completed before the end of 2009. This is a fun couple because in actuality they’re two living sisters! When I first met Vivi and Lily they were the coolest rocker chicks I’d ever met. I’m happy we’ve stayed good friends all these years. In the photos I tried to pose them like siblings. That’s Lily on left with a star hoodie and Vivi on the right with a kitty sweater and pom-pom hat. I’d say the resemblance is right on! ;)
Tags: 2009, chicks, couple, custom, final, friends, hat, hoodie, kitty, last, lily, mars, monkey, photo, pom pom, pose, resemblance, rocker, siblings, sisters, sock, star, sweater, vivi, year
My newest Mars Sock Monkeys come with a bit of a Holiday flair and animal cuteness! There’s a sock monkey with a bear, bunny, piggy and a panda. I’ve done some of these cute animal designs on hoodies for my custom sock monkeys so I wanted to bring this nice detail to the sweatshirt hoodie. Included are some new colors: red and a Japanese piggy print fabric.
I used a technique called needle felting to add the small detail like the eyes and nose to the animal faces. I then embroidered their little mouths and attached the final pieces to the hoodies. I also tried something different by switching the heel part of the sock on some of the sock monkeys, which gave them different colored mouths.
This group of sock monkeys was fun to make. There were so many ideas that didn’t make it, but I’m sure I can incorporate them into next year’s sock monkeys! This Winter 09 batch of Mars Sock Monkeys are for sale on Etsy. As always, each of my Mars Sock Monkeys are one of a kind and handmade. Have a look. :)
Tags: 2009, animal, bear, bunny, colors, cute, embroidery, etsy, fabric, felt, felting, handmade, holiday, hoodie, inspired, japanese, kawaii, mars, monkey, mouth, needle, panda, piggy, print, release, sale, seasonal, shop, shopping, sock, sweatshirt, unique, winter
Lately I’ve been taking my knitting from my desk to the couch where it’s warmer. Doing this made me think of all the different tools I take with me so I thought it’d be fun to do a post on them. When I knit a Mar Sock Monkey Hoodie these are the five essential tools I need (left to right): Knitting needles, crochet hook, tapestry needle, stitch holder and thread cutters.
Knitting needles: One of my favorite tools are my Addi Turbo circular needles. I love them. I use size US 3 needles, which allow me to do some of the color work on the front of the sweaters. I also like that they’re circular because they don’t fall and there’s no hassle switching between them. My needles were bent, but they still get the job done! :)
Crochet hook: I saw a lot of these while growing up since my Mom is an avid crocheter. She uses some pretty small sizes for her work! As for me, I use a Clover aluminum crochet hook size C. It’s perfect for picking up stitches, adding finishing to the edge of knitted fabric and tidying those loose yarn ends. Also nice for making winter hats. The crochet hook has become such a useful tool for me.
Tapestry needle: Once all my pieces are complete I use a tapestry needle to sew the seams together. It has a curved tip which is nice for sewing knit fabric; the tip peaks out from the puffy stitches. The large eyelet works great on double knit (DK) worsted yarns. I own a set of Clover Chibi jumbo darning needles. They’re nice and big and come in a little capsule so I don’t loose them easily. ;)
Stitch holder: I used to use stitch holders to put my projects on hold, but these days I get some proper use out of them. They work like extra needles which secure knit stitches in place. I use one to hold stitches at the top the hood. While one half of the stitches are on hold I knit the other half of the hood using my circular needles. After both ends are done I connect them at the top using the kitchener stitch. I have a set of 6″ and 7″ extra large Clover aluminum stitch holders.
Thread cutters: I fell in love with these cutters as soon as I got them. They’re cute and they’re the tool I use the most besides my knitting needles. They work great on thread and even thick yarns. I use them when I sew on the sewing machine because they’re not bulky like big scissors and they’re quick to grab. I bought these from an old Edmund Scientifics catalog but I recently ordered one and they’re nowhere to be found. :( I’d like another cute pair like these…I also have a pair of these. :)
Yarn: I wasn’t going to forget about yarn itself. It keeps my sock monkeys nice and warm. I’m still learning about weights and types because there’s lots to know about yarn. I use double knits. They’re somewhere in between baby yarns and yarns for adult clothing. I also like to use cotton mixes and I prefer strong bright colors! I keep my yarns in a large clear plastic bag so I can see them when choosing color.
I hope you enjoyed my knitting tools write up! If you’re a beginner or advanced knitter, I’d highly recommend the tools above. Knitting is like many trades when it comes to using the right high quality tools. I’ve bought some cheap stuff and it doesn’t work as well as the higher-end stuff. :)
Thanks to Toby for taking some of these photos!
Tags: brand, clover, craft, crochet, cutters, darning, diy, essential, holder, hood, hoodie, hook, jumper, knitted, knitting, maribel made, mars, monkey, needles, product, shopping, sock, stitch, supplies, sweater, sweatshirt, tapestry, thread, Tools, trade, yarn
Here’s one last post for the last day of the month. Lately it’s been hard taking photos because it gets dark at about 4pm. By the time I’m ready to take photos there’s no light outside so this time I decided to use flash. I think it worked out well for this occasion. Gracie looks so cute on top of our “bear” blanket, which is so soft!
Gracie’s hoodie comes with a ladybug or ladybird as it’s known in Europe. This is Gracie hanging out in bed. See how the blankie is making her sleepy, very sleepy…
Tags: bear, bed, blanket, dark, flash, gracie, hoodie, ladybird, ladybug, Lauren, mars, monkey, photos, rainbow, sleepy, sock, time, winter, yellow
Recent Articles
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Fabian and Brett in new “Power Paisley” Hoodies
Here’s some totally new rainbow and plaid Mars Sock Monkeys wearing hoodies made from the Power Paisley fabric I got at Spoonflower! I have more picked out. :)
Fabian and Brett Mars Sock Monkeys are available for adoption on Etsy.Fabian Mars Sock Monkey
Brett Mars Sock Monkey
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Sock Monkey Sundresses
These are the fun cotton sundresses I made for Nadia, Celeste and Courtney. I think the next batch will come with zippers!
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Scottie Mars Sock Monkey with Knit Romper
The long awaited romper is back and Scottie rocks it out! This new romper is removable since you can undo the straps from the buttons. :)
Scottie Mars Sock Monkey
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Jessica and Lori Mars Sock Monkeys
I just listed two new rainbow sock monkeys wearing pink sweatshirt hoodies. Jessica’s comes with a butterfly and Lori’s with a heart. Cute! ♥
Jessica Mars Sock Monkey
Lori Mars Sock Monkey
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Faux Red Velvet Cake
Check out the felt cake I made at Etsy Labs Faux Felt Cakes With My Candy Castle craft night. It’s a bit vampire-esque mixed with Americana!
Download the instructions and pattern from Etsy’s page. :)
