I finished this a while back, but I’ve always had trouble getting good pictures of embroidery. Nevertheless, it is HIGH TIME I unleashed this on the world, perfect pictures or no. To wit: my embroidery sampler from the 1957 Corman classic, Attack of the Crab Monsters!
I think in the lower-left figure you’ll agree I captured the essence of the film’s villain, a downright devilish decapod:
Now, if you don’t think Attack of the Crab Monsters is awesome, we will probably never be CLOSE friends. For one it has the Professor in it, potraying a character a little rogue, a little lonely – and a wee bit sleazy (but not as sleazy as he was in say, Space Children). For another there is this huge papier-mache crab. They paid for it, so they’re gonna show it. They seemed to have spent a bit more time and detail on a separate claw prop, which they also showcase more than once:
Then there’s the funny-looking old radio, which is plot-central to the point (so of course, said radio is included in my sampler!):
And of course – the creatures from the opening credit design – just beautiful. The film is in black and white, so I tried to imagine these critters in color:
My favorite thing about the film, though, is one of the salient plot points: radiation-enlarged crabs have consumed scientists, absorbed the knowledge of these scientists, and can telepathically communicate at will the voices and personalities of their victims.
And finally – perhaps my favorite thing ever in the film, is just how cavalier “Jim” is before he is despatched by the crafty crustaceans:
That was my ringtone for quite a while and I would LOLOL every time I heard it.
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The second bit of embroidery – finished just yesterday – is Phoenix’s “Two Dragons”. I plan to have this framed in a way complimentary to her previous embroidered piece, “Mutant Horse”.
I haven’t figured what, if anything, to add to the piece; I want to keep the simplicity of her line drawings intact. I hope to embroider and frame her pieces now and then so she has a nice little collection, if she wants it, for posterity.
In somewhat, less-exciting craftivism, I made an ironing board cover from sale fabric purchased at Elma Variety. I am a huge fan of Elma Variety; and while they may not have the fabric for garments I need – favoring a very large selection of quiliting cottons instead – they have so much great stuff in the way of notions, yarn and knitting/crotchet supplies, and general craftiness.
Happy krafting!
Attack of the Crab People scared the bejesus out of me when I was ten years old. Of course, I loved it. I mean talking, giant crabs! I think Roger Corman directed this screen gem. Richard Johnson, btw, wrote a sweet memoir about his career and life that I rather liked. He had moved to one of the San Juans, I think, and wrote it in his retirement. Tammy and I have a copy of it around here somewhere.
@Dan
If you mean Russell Johnson, according to the Wikipedia article he’s on Bainbridge Island. I have never seen an episode of Gilligan’s Island, only seen Johnson playing dickweeds in old movies.
Speaking of scary movies and young ‘uns – my dad used to tell me a story about how much the film Them scared him when he saw it at a drive-in – he would’ve been about eleven. He and his friends walked home in the dark and the wind through the power lines made the same noise that the huge ants made in the film. Maybe up next I’ll have to watch Them!
Yep, I meant Russell. And Bainbridge sounds right. I probably should have googled, but worked from memory.
And Them was very scary to me, too, at about the same age.
The movie I walked home from on a cool, dark night was Don’t Look Now. That one scared me a lot, and I was well into my twenties when I saw it.
@Dan
Your brain works better than mine. If I didn’t have Google, you’d never hear me utter a single fact.
Don’t Look Now seems very freaky & upsetting. But if you liked it, you might like Lake Mungo (which was on Netflix streaming last I checked) BTW on principle I usually avoid Donald Sutherland movies from the 70s. His hair was working against him, not for him.
Your sampler is amazing! Will you frame it, or integrate it into a garment, or something else? Do you want to hear my duffle woes? http://www.ourragsoflight.blogspot.ca/2013/03/duffle-highs-duffle-lows.html
@Medrie
I’d like to sew up a few more b-movie samplers and somehow display them as art. However, I haven’t seen embroidery on display in a way I dig, not yet. I don’t care for presentation in hoops and a frame and mat is okay but… I dunno. I’m stumped.
Thank you for your link! I commented. The coat is fabulous. So beautiful. It will find a happy home some day! I was curious though – what is the word “duffle” referring to? This is a mystery to me.