ldhenson: (dutchy2)
ldhenson ([personal profile] ldhenson) wrote2008-10-17 11:20 pm
Entry tags:

East side, west side...

As many of you on my flist have probably gathered, I love New York.

More specifically, I love turn of the century New York.

So...uh...this was pretty much inevitable, right?





I suppose these count as nos. 9a-9e in my series of stuffed toys.

They're based on turn of the century maps (dated sometime between 1903-1908 is my guess). The changes between these contours and modern-day NYC aren't huge; the most obvious differences would be the absence of the land on which the airports are situated. And of course, there's a lot of license taken here with the coastline, because there's only so much detail you can get when it comes to felt. Happy medium, dear, happy medium...



The reverse sides of the Bronx and Manhattan. Holy smokes, I'd never realized just how fiddly the southeast side of the Bronx is.



"I've a cozy little flat in
What is known as old Manhattan..."



I originally meant to do closeups of each of the other four boroughs, but my camera batteries died on me.

All the boroughs are to scale. Here they are laid out on sheets of pale blue felt.



Cartographic geekery!



ETA: Individual pics of the other boroughs.




The Bronx.



Brooklyn.



Queens narrowly escaped lasting effects from an accidental glue spill (from another project) during construction. Luckily, yours truly noticed it in the nick of time and made a heroic dash for the sink.



Staten Island, a.k.a. Borough of Richmond back in the day.



X-posted to [livejournal.com profile] craftgrrl (here), [livejournal.com profile] newyorkers (here), [livejournal.com profile] cute_plush (here)

[identity profile] tainry.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
Whoah!!! 8D
ext_52676: (NYC)

[identity profile] swankyfunk.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
You...are just insane. And I love it. XD

[identity profile] imoendraco.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
Holy crap I LOVE THIS.

[identity profile] ethora.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 05:27 am (UTC)(link)
You are now, officially, my favorite stranger.

[identity profile] widowspeak.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
Brilliant! That's some serious dedication to the craft right there. :)

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/___vibrate/ 2008-10-18 07:14 am (UTC)(link)
U'SA COOLSA!!!!

[identity profile] parisstar.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 10:28 am (UTC)(link)
I was in love with this before it even happened!!

I love maps, I have a thing for maps and globes and traveling. (The initials of my name even spell MAP, it's a serious problem) I also love this in the way that makes me wish I thought of it, but instead I bow to your craftiness.

I have love for Africa, this craft is one of those things that I'd love to make an African version. In about 40 years when I retire and have free time, I may do that and I will think of your crafty brilliance.

(Pretend this entire post was in caps lock to further express my admiration.)

[identity profile] buboniclou.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 12:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Awesome!!!!

Clever Mapster

[identity profile] koleena.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 01:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow, that is a fantastic idea. Have you ever seen the movie "Age of Innocence" or read the book by Edith Wharton? I've seen the movie, yet to read the book, but she studied the manners of rich New Yorkers during the "gilded age" in New York at the turn of the 19th to 20th century. You're right-Manhattan is a wonderful place, I get the obsession.

[identity profile] chaossix6.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 01:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Fuckin A, bro!

I actually need something exactly like this for a halloween idea I'd be tinkering with for a long time. How big do those cushions come?

[identity profile] pinkpluspink.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 01:36 pm (UTC)(link)
these are great!

[identity profile] ye4rsfr0mn0w.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 01:40 pm (UTC)(link)
LOL IAWTC
ext_248695: Cartoon version of Dee from Battlestar Galactica (Default)

[identity profile] sometimesdee.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 03:14 pm (UTC)(link)
That's awesome!

[identity profile] guede-mazaka.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
These are awesome. Felt cartography clearly needs to be a new art form.

[identity profile] lupa.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 04:41 pm (UTC)(link)
This is KILLER. I love them!! How long did it take you?

[identity profile] bwvalentine.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 05:02 pm (UTC)(link)
i'm lucky if i can get felt to do ANYTHING... this is very impressive. wow.

[identity profile] ballyhooo.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
i love that they fit together, haha. so cool!

[identity profile] meganleewelch.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
that is one of the most creative ideas i've seen in a long time. i love it :)

[identity profile] ldhenson.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Remember when I said I dropped my latest project in a puddle of fabric glue? That was Queens! Good thing it rinsed out completely, because I sure as hell wasn't cutting that one out again!

[identity profile] pejo.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 06:17 pm (UTC)(link)
YES.

Love it.

[identity profile] ldhenson.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 06:18 pm (UTC)(link)
it's the craft glue fumes

I've actually been wanting to do these for a couple months, but had no time...I'm glad I had to wait though; I've gotten a little better with felt since then.

[identity profile] ldhenson.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Heh, thanks!

[identity profile] ldhenson.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks! They were tricky to do, but fun.

[identity profile] ldhenson.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Hee. If only I could put that in my resume.

[identity profile] ldhenson.livejournal.com 2008-10-18 07:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Aw, thanks! It was fun to really get into the details.

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