Stupid Sock Creatures Book Review
Bringing Something a Little Different to Sewing
If you have ever wondered what to do with the odd socks collecting at the bottom of your laundry basket then this is the book for you! Turn socks into 'Stupid Creatures'.
This book combines lots of humor together with instructions about how to create sock creatures. If you are not sure what a sock creature is take a look at the gallery at the Stupid Sock Creature website. Sock creatures are soft toys made from socks - the heel of the sock making a natural 'mouth'.
The author of this book is not your run-of-the-mill sewing writer – John Murphy is a ceramic sculpture who turned to creating sock creatures as a change from working with clay. John Murphy is also a designer and illustrator. This background is perhaps a little different from a traditional sewer, and this is evident throughout the book. The book explores the construction of a sock, the anatomy of a sock creature and the basic techniques required to make your own suitable horrible sock creature (in this context remember horrible is good!). Readers are encouraged to follow their own creativity and not slavishly follow rigidly defined patterns.
For the novice sewer then this is definitely a great book to start with – and making sock creatures a great way to start sewing. Not only do they require little in the way of special materials or equipment (who hasn’t a few odd socks at the bottom of the drawer which are crying out to be made into a sock creature) but also they require few specific sewing skills. Being small projects it is possible to sew these little creatures by hand, making them an excellent portable project. There are no hard and fast rules given. Indeed, this is part of the fun of the book – experiment, try different things and see what comes out at the end!
The book is split into two sections. The first ‘Zen and the Art of Creature Making’ and ‘The Creatures’. The first section explains what you require in the way of materials, basic techniques, how to care for your finished creature etc. The second part includes instructions for making 8 different creatures – plus masses of inspiration. There is even a short cartoon at the back of a book featuring the sock creatures in the book and a gallery with many different finished creatures.
The book is heavily illustrated with color photographs, and the diagrams and images are clear and easy to follow. The book doesn’t assume a high level of previous knowledge and line drawings or diagrams support the text where appropriate. Usefully, the book is written giving both imperial and metric measurements giving it a true international appeal. Hints are given for the best type of stuffing for your sock creature.
If you are looking for something a little different, and are looking for a creative rather than a technical challenge then this is definitely the book for you!
Take a look at Flickr for more examples of finished sock creatures.
Book Details
Title: Stupid Sock Creatures
Author: John Murphy
ISBN 978-1-57990-610-8
Further reading: Don't forget to take a look around the other articles in the Suite101 Sewing and Needlework section for more interesting reading.
