Mad Scientist Monday #4: One Wild and Crazy...Book

Day 185  Our mad scientist of the week is Dr. Hfuhruhurr ~inventor of the cranial screwtop brain switching surgery or something along those lines....

Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr (Steve Martin) from The Man With Two Brains Movie Link 

Our project of the week is an altered book.  I am challenging myself by entering into the Feeling Stitchy contest to design my own embroidered book cover.  I wasn't sure how to start quite frankly but I had a light bulb moment when I found this book at a garage sale over the weekend.  At 10 cents and a good size to hold in your hand and less than 50 pages.  I think it will be perfect and not too intimidating to finish.

"Life in the Universe" by Dr. Alvin Silverstein and Virginia B. Silverstein.  Copyrighted in 1967.  I love the dedication to Bobby, Glenn, Carrie and Shannon...no one calls their kids 'Bobby' any more, its cute, it needs to make a comeback!  Not going to use this book for the cover idea, just wanted to use the book as a base.

Back in the day when computers didn't check out our books, people did!

A sample illustration in this book...it is filled with black and white sketches.

Testing fabric scraps mixed into the illustrations.  I have plans to use fabric, paper, found objects, colored pencil , paint and of course more hand embroidery on the inside pages.

 So here is the start of the outside part that will be embroidered.  I just took a piece of cream felt-the cheap stuff I had laying around-might regret that later but I am trying to keep with the 'not buying new things' part of the Mad Scientist Monday goal.  The cover I will have done before the November 7th deadline for the contest.  The inside pages I expect to have completed shortly afterwards.

You can see the green color of the cloth cover on the spine there which was in good condition.

I just glued the edges with some Aleene's Tacky and wrapped the felt square around the cover and into the inside like a jacket.  I will also be putting a back 'cover' on later.

Testing some fabric sewing into the book.

 This will be a fun project to take with me while the kids are at their activities.  I should have this sketched out by tomorrow for the Scenes from my Sketchbook posting.  Then I can start working on the hand stitching!!!   I will keep you updated with the progress...and no I won't tell you what book I am going to use....I love so many books and so many favorites it was hard to narrow it down.

Remember kids don't try to french an x-ray, it can't taste that good and frankly its just disturbing! Movie Link

Off to work I go...having a blast keeping the sewing going, teaching sewing classes and generally just being creative.  I can't show you many pictures of the things I do for clients but hopefully this week I will be able to show a few adorable tulle skirts off!    What will you create today?