The British Are Coming! To Disney's Epcot UK Shops

According to the Disney Blogs, dreams are coming true! Disney World's EPCOT United Kingdom pavilion has added more Doctor Who merch to the shop and have also added a few shirts for Downton Abbey!!! This is so exciting! The Doctor Who merchandise last I was there in June/July was lacking. They had maybe one or two basic shirts available (men's only btw) of the logo or the "Angels Have the Box". Nothing exciting.

Here's a few sneak peaks at what is coming:

Maggie Smith gets all the best lines. This one isn't the best but it's still good.

Pretty much all of this is new since June/July. The one in the bottom right, was there last visit though.

This is the new 50th Anniversary shirt with all the Doctor's (minus Capaldi)

They've added the Tardis scarf as well.

Yes, the Doctor Who shirts and accessories you can find online nowadays but it's good progress for Disney to aquire the license to sell them. The Downton Abbey items are amazing to find at all these days. Sure it's not a replica dress of Lady Grantham or Lady Mary or jewelery inspired by the show, more of a catchy modern tee instead. But it's definitely good news for Disney!

Copy the Hairdos of the Game of Thrones Ladies

I don't follow Game of Thrones, I watched only a few episodes and then lost track. But for those who do and love the women's hairdos, there is an easy pictorial for you to follow. I would love to try these out! So pretty!

(via tumblr)

Star Wars Celebration Means More HerUniverse Merch!

HerUniverse has more exclusive merch for those attending Star Wars Celebration in Germany this year!

HerUniverse is going to have some of the same things that Disney Star Wars Weekends like the Jedi necklace and Rogue Squadren dress: 

But Celebration will get this awesome dress as well! Totally jealous and want so badly!

Ahsoka fans will enjoy this new design:

And this "May the Force Be With You" shirt in multiple languages is pretty awesome!

I'm not going to Celebration Europe so I'm hoping the Darth dress is available to the general public on her site afterwards. One can hope right?? I am excited I'll be able to get the Rogue dress, necklace and R2 hoodie from Star Wars Weekends on Friday!!! So very excited!!!

**Editing to add: Spoke to Ashley Eckstein herself at Star Wars weekends and she noted that the Darth dress, along with all the other dresses (so many she can't tell us yet) will be available online after Celebration Europe. Hooray!

Captain America Sneakers

So today, I thought it was appropriate to wear my new Stride Rite Captain America sneakers. So they felt similar to the Jedi ones in terms of a deep heel well. But unlike the Jedi ones, the sides weren't digging into my ankles, even with my inward ankle roll.

But they were tight on me in terms of top to bottom (not in width). Under the tongue there is elastic holding the two middle pieces together instead of a common opening for the tongue. The tongue is actually on top as the strap velcros across it.

After wearing it all day, I realize I have to cut that elastic out. It's really restrictive and digs into the top of my foot. I couldn't put insoles in this pair if i tried. They would never fit me if I did.

Velcro-ing it across the tongue didn't look right for me due to how tight they were. So part of the criss-cross design was arched upwards just because I needed to try to loosen it somehow.

But I did like them a lot anyway, just like the Jedi shoes, it's something I know I'll wear to the Captain America movie premiere and maybe even for July 4th. I just need to cut that elastic to make them fit right.

New Star Wars Sneakers

Yesterday I broke in my new Stride Rite kids Jedi sneakers that have a cool lightsaber on the side of the shoe that lights up. 

 

I definitely need to put insoles in it. At first they were ok but eventually I could feel the shock to my knees. Also, the foot bed is deep. Not sure if that's because they are boys shoes or what. So my ankle bone kept getting hit by the side of shoe and digging in a little. Not to mention my ankles roll inward. So I think the insoles will help raise my foot up a bit for that reason too.

The other thing is the tongues were digging into the top of my ankles too because there is some silver leather-like fabric along part of it, so because it's still stiff, it was hitting my ankles. I had to stop a few times to adjust them to the sides so they'd stop digging into me. 

And I don't know how parents deal with kids wearing these cuz every step I took I was looking down at them light-up! I can't imagine dealing with kids who's not looking where they are going, especially in NYC! But that were fun overall. 

Despite all the problems above, they are coming with me to Disney's Star Wars weekends in a couple days!

Next, trying my Stride Rite Captain America sneakers! This time I'll put insoles in them from the beginning. 

Star Wars Weekends Project: Wampa Purse!!

With prospects of going to Star Wars weekends at Disney World confirmed, I set out to find a bag I could bring. More or less a small purse. I have the AT-AT bag from thinkgeek (which doesn't seem to be on their site any longer? It looks like this but with zippers along it's head and back and a strap of course.) But it's too much to pack and I don't want it to get ruined or dirty while traveling or on the rides at Disney.

I do have the tote from HerUniverse but it's so subtle that not many would notice. Not to mention it's not really a purse in size or that I can use as a crossbody bag.

So I took to Bonnie Burton's Star Wars crafts book a friend got me from New York Comic Con a few years ago, signed for me and everything!

Inside was a crafts idea using old washcloths to make a plushie wampa! Um, perfect! Tho I'd revamp it to make it into a purse, without stuffing it and then creating a shoulder-strap for it.

I used two new plush washcloths I bought for a buck each. Bought the brown, red and white felt from crafts store (I couldn't find my large pack around the house) and the appendages and shoulder-strap were made from a 4-pack of white terrycloth rags I found at Home Depot for under four bucks! (Of which I still have a leftover rag and then some!)

Here's my progress in pictures!

Made the mouth, tho unglued at this point, made the horns from the brown felt and just did a placement test and then  pinned the basic body together to sew. The horns were machine-sewed then flipped inside out which was a pain the butt to turn inside out as it's skinny at the point. oy. Then stuffed them with bits of leftover bits of the rags I had as I cut pieces out.

Here's the same shot but you can see the book underneath and its plushie outcome from Bonnie Burton.

 

Body sewn up. Placing horns to sew in.

Horns still not sewn in but checking mouth placement.

Adding left arm for placement view.

 

Placement test with left arm and one leg and to see if size of leg was acceptable. I hadn't made the other leg yet. Leg was thin and small but it was cut almost perfectly by accident so I decided not to waste it and just use as the leg anyway.

 

Same as above but with mouth placement.

Both legs and left arm sewn on by hand. At this point I was supposed to stuff them a bit but forgot. So the arm and legs are a bit floppy. oops. He looks like he's lounging hehe.

With mouth placement. Legs are a bit floppy as I didn't stuff them and they seem a tiny bit short. They are also attached a bit more sideways than intended. None of the pics show the white felt attached to the bottoms of the arm and legs to cover the washcloth ends.

Everything attached now except the eyes. The googly eyes I bought were too small as you can see from this test shot. So I vamped it with layers of white and brown felt underneath them. This did double duty anyway to secure the googly eyes better. I don't think they would have adhered to the washcloths, directly, very well.

Finished product! I added eyebrows though hard to see as they are white. Bonnie Burton's has them too but also hard to see as white on white in both project versions. Also added, are felt claws to the arm. I left off white "lips" that Bonnie did in the book. It just looked odd for some reason.

Yes, I left off the right arm just like in the movie. Bonnie of course had both arms attached. I was/still am tempted to make the other arm as a detachable product but I don't have time to do that for SWW. Also, not sure if it's too gruesome for Disney parks. Also thought about adding a bit of red felt to that side to indicate it's been lightsabered off by Luke but again, is it too gruesome for Disney? Probably, so I'll maybe adjust this at a later time.

A more closeup shot. Hoping people don't ask where his other arm is....

Closeup shot with the eyebrows. He's "angry Wampa" now!

Oh and I left the top open. I wanted to close it somehow, even if it was just a small clasp but couldn't decide the best way to do that and give myself enough time to do it. So it's an open top for now. Again, might revisit that and revamp later.

Thanks for viewing! Hope you enjoy this as much as I will carrying it around in a few days! ^_^