I can’t believe May is already over! That one felt like another incredibly fast month ^-^ Of course I’ve added to my stash of free patterns and sewing tutorials, which now has over 25 projects ^w^!! And I’m nearly at 100 subscribers! So thank you everyone that’s out there following me! I promise to keep up the momentum, if not significantly improve in the months to come!

I’m still scraping the bottom of my first fabric barrel at this point, trying to make use of some really oddly-shaped and old scraps >w< I’ve had to dye some of the fabric to make it look nice, and definitely keep the fabric paint at hand so the finished products have a little more zing to them ^-^

In addition to cleaning out my stash, however, I’m also getting prepared to attend my major anime convention of the year: Metrocon in Tampa, FL. It’s pretty large despite not being one of the big-name conventions, and this year with be my 10th year attending in a row! There I’ll be selling a lot of what I’m known for, cosplay-style hats and hoodies (which you can see examples of on my DeviantArt) along with some new items here and there. The style certainly isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a big fan of anime or manga, I’m sure you’ll enjoy some of them for dressing up and generally enjoying yourself at the convention!

Since it’s the first of the month, that also means it’s time for the next leg of my Monthly Crafting Challenge!
The freebie for the month of June is this skeptical-looking Unagi (Eel) Nigiri Sushi Plush!

This one is similar to the other nigiri plushies from months back (including Tamago in January & Shrimp in March). It’s made the same way with a lump of plush rice, a strip of plush eel, then a band of nori to tie it all together. While I think the average American would be turned off to trying eel, it’s actually one of the easier sushi to break into if you’re a novice 😀 It has the flavor of mackerel though others have compared it to tuna and even chicken. The defining factor, however, is usually the eel sauce that’s slathered on top, which is often like a mix between barbeque and teriyaki sauce.

If you haven’t signed up for emails yet, you can get this little guy along with the freebie for May today only, and after today the prize is just this guy 🙂 Just sign up with the entry box on the side of the screen and I’ll send you the pattern!

If you’ve already signed up for emails, that’s where the challenge comes in. You can get this pattern if you make one of the projects from this blog or my books then message the finished project to my Facebook where I have a really awesome collection going of your creations! Keep it up every month and you’ll get a new free pattern, so don’t forget to check back during July to see what I’ve cooked up :3

I think that pretty much wraps it up for May, stay tuned for a lot of interesting stuff in June!