If you want to destroy my sweater

midge

My dear crafting and mystery friends, it seems unfair that I get to have all the fun making subversive goods.  I know I can't be the only one up late at night embellishing away the hours in my den of thieves.  I'd like to see what you are up to, in fact this is a personal challenge, time to get creative and bust out your inner craft vixen.

I'm hosting a contest, in fact a series of contests inspired by the mystery master himself, Alfred Hitchcock.  Each month I'll select one of his films and you've got 30 days to refashion an old sweater to match the theme.

Send me photos of the goods and I'll share your devious designs and links back to you.  Monthly winners will get a couple racy vintage pulp fiction novels and a special Criminal Crafts gift.

Why sweaters?  Die hard Hitchcock fans are familiar with the ubiquitous cardigan.  It seems all the gals had a snug cover-up plastered to her bullet bra.  I'm sure some poor film student somewhere has written her  master's thesis on the psychological meaning behind the sweaters the girls who wore them the hussies who shed them off, and seriously, they are almost in every film.

So, use this as your creative springboard, grab the glue gun, bedazzler, extra large pinking shears... and go big.  Our first film is Vertigo, I figured we'd start out with a toughie and work our way to the no brainers like Psycho and The Birds.  Vertigo really is a film about what you wear and how you wear it.  Poor Midge, pictured above is having a creative meltdown, is it because her favorite beau Scottie is hot for a dead girl or is it because she's stuck in a wardrobe which does little to reveal her assets?   Time to bring on the bling.

judyblog

If you need extra inspiration, check out some of the art Saul Bass designed for the film and other Hitchcock projects.  And if you really want to set the mood, check out the DVD again, pop some popcorn, grab a bottle of Two Buck Chuck and a bowl of cookie dough, perfect evening!

Since this is our very first contest I'm extending the deadline a bit, you've got until July 31st to send in photos.  Send a note too if you've got questions, I'd love to hear from you.

Clean Get Away

soapgun

Up for debate: Did John Dillinger break out of prison using a mock gun he carved from a bar of soap? Far as I can tell no one really knows. In Public Enemies, uber hunk Johnny Depp  makes his big escape from the Crown Point Indiana jail using a wooden mock up. The FBI does back up this version of the Dillinger story in their "Famous Cases" crime log, though they are quoting his version of events, and lets face it, the guy had a story for every day of the week. I'm up for believing the soap theory.  It sounds like it would be something infinitely easier to acquire while doing time, and simple to fabricate using a spoon or stick.  Carving a gun out of wood, well that would require using a knife and if he had the knife why make a fake gun, leaves my brain spinning...

While we speculate, real dollars are at stake, as I write, the Heritage Auction Galleries have up for auction the wooden gun he purportedly used in his escape.   Current bid is $13,000, with Christmas coming soon, and ya'll not knowing my dress size, you'd best put your offers in now as I'd love to own a piece of that action.  There is also a two part plaid hunting suit which I covet, though it is a bit matchy matchy and the stirrup pants look a twee uncomfortable...

The real gun may be somewhere else all together.  The official John Dillinger Museum in Hammond Indiana, claims to have the pistol on display according to the "Northwest Tourism Czar Speros Batistatos" and with a name and title like that, I'm inclined to believe him.

If you want to own your own piece of history, can't drive out to Indiana or fork over $15G for a probable fake, visit my Etsy shop where soap guns can be had for a very reasonable four dollars, while supplies last.