Crafty Thread - what are you working on at the moment?

[moose]

beautiful, ruby.

 

[wayward bob]

i have a new obsession

 

[wtfftw]

Chemistry makes me origami flowers.

 

[wayward bob]

finished piece. the blobs are supposed to be stars but my folding is more just squishing at times

i'm rather taken with the back though

 

[fractionMan]

What is it made out of?

I'm thinking of getting a kiln so I can fire tiles, if I can find one cheap enough.

 

[Looby]

Had a quick go at knitting the cat this morning. I Furminated him, and there was so much fluff on the floor, it seemed a shame to waste it.

Didn't have enough to spin properly on my drop spindle, so just twisted it a bit by hand. It's a very long, soft fibre, and worked quite well. Nice to knit with. I might collect a load over time, and have a proper go.

View attachment 36323View attachment 36324

Could you sell fur? I have an old English sheepdog and you wouldn't believe the fluff we get from her even without a furminator. I know my husband said people do knit with OES fur.

 

[moose]

Could you sell fur?

I'm not sure, tbh. It would take a dedicated person to wash, card, spin and knit it, and I don't know how it would behave. I would think with a dog it would have to be undercoat/midcoat, if OES have that kind of coat. Sheep fleeces in the UK go for nowt these days as we don't have a great wool industry here, so I don't think it would be a great money-making opportunity for you, unfortunately. I will ask in crafty circles.

http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/wearing-hair-of-dog-portraits-of-people.html

 

[wayward bob]

What is it made out of?

I'm thinking of getting a kiln so I can fire tiles, if I can find one cheap enough.

heh a kiln is one thing i don't have

that one's made of glassine, tracing paper, basically. today i had a go at wallpaper, can't do anything as intricate, but it still works

 

[fractionMan]

Even small kilns are a grand new

Hopefully I'll find something closer to a hundred quid

 

[wayward bob]

you could buy a shitload of fimo for a hundred quid i've never come across a diy kiln hack, but there has to be one

 

[fractionMan]

you could buy a shitload of fimo for a hundred quid i've never come across a diy kiln hack, but there has to be one

Oh, you can make them out of firebricks and a big ass blow torch attached to a gas bottle. Or even dig them out and wood fire them. Even if I built it myself it'd cost a few hundred to build a gas kiln.

But I'd like an electric one because (1) they're far less labour intensive and (2) far more consistent, which is what I want for what I'm doing.

 

[wayward bob]

any local studios where you could hire kiln time?

 

[fractionMan]

any local studios where you could hire kiln time?

I emailed one yesterday I'll see which works out best. I'm looking to make colourful tessellated tiles. Probably buy in some biscuit ones at first to get the glazes right.

 

[moon]

 

[8115]

I made a cushion.

And then yesterday I was monoprinting (it didn't work very well).

Sorry about the massive pictures.

 

[red rose]

The other week in a very hot pub a friend who was fanning himself with a bit of paper said "there is no manly way to fan yourself." Which lead to about 15 minutes of brainstorming something called a man-fan that would be butch and masculine and would have spikes and make noises like a motorbike engine revving when you used it.

Next time I see him he shall be getting this



The little speaker plays motorbike sounds


(I should point out tongues were firmly in cheeks for both the discussion and making of the ManFan. Fuck gender stereotypes )

 

[RubyToogood]

Does anyone have recommendations for a sewing forum? Particularly for retro style sewing. There seem to be quite a few sewing forums, but I've never really settled in to one, although I use the sewing.patternreview one occasionally, and the sewing forum on Ravelry.

 

[wayward bob]

it's been years since i was on there but my compulsive crafting started with glitter, i found it small enough to navigate easily and get to know people, but large/active enough to get useful advice on most things. i was a total beginner back then mind, so it may not be so good for more advanced help/advice.

the other things that spring to mind are the sew retro group blog - obvs different to a forum, but i found reading/commenting on blogs as useful if not more so. gertie's blog was the main one i used to read compulsively and there was always lots of discussion in the comments.

and then there's the fedora lounge although i've no idea how welcoming they are, think i've only ever read not posted.

 

[RubyToogood]

Cheers. The Fedora Lounge when I've looked at it seems to be just 30s and 40s. Sew Retro I literally found a few days ago and is good stuff.

One I've not really explored is http://www.thesewingforum.co.uk/ on which I think Ann who won the Great British Sewing Bee is a moderator. It does look like the sort of place I might be able to ask uber nerdy questions like how to alter a bodice to include pintucks (which is what I'm grappling with at the moment).

I have become slightly addicted to sewing now, and in particular buying vintage patterns off Etsy This is your fault wayward bob as without you I would never have known how many vintage patterns came in plus sizes ( )

I've just bought this, which probably won't suit me, but I am weak (not related to the pintuck issue):

 

[wayward bob]

I have become slightly addicted to sewing now, and in particular buying vintage patterns off Etsy This is your fault wayward bob

so not sorry

there's loads of 50s stuff on fl, but a lot of it's buried in epic threads. think the main ones are the sewing thread and the show-off thread.

eta: re pintucks could you just slash and spread the pattern? i have (somewhere ) vintage vogue 1044 - can lend you the pattern if it would help to see how it's constructed.

 

[wayward bob]

here you go rubes

i think the only issue would be if you have darts or other shaping to work around.

 

[RubyToogood]

i think the only issue would be if you have darts or other shaping to work around.

Yes, that's the exact issue I'm having. I'm trying to adapt my standard shirt dress pattern, which has a waist dart and open-necked collar (ie part of the bodice folds down). This is the strangely shaped thing I have created so far. The tucks have to run into the neckline, hence the weird angles, and also I seem to have got one of them into the corner of the shoulder seam. Not convinced really.


I was contemplating 1044 last night, with a different skirt as no-one who has made it likes the skirt and you can see why.

As usual, I have several lovely patterns, but somehow none of them are quite right Or I could do my standard shirtdress pattern but that would be too easy I'm trying to take a photo of the fabric but having camera issues...

 

[wayward bob]

1044 gets around the neckline issue with a flat yoke at the top - might that be an option?

 

[RubyToogood]

1044 gets around the neckline issue with a flat yoke at the top - might that be an option?

Good idea, but I think there comes a point when you may as well just make a different pattern (eg 1044).

I also have Butterick 6175 and 5708 but not sure a large unbroken expanse of small floral is good on a fat person. Managed to take a pic of the fabric finally (sale bargain):

 

[wayward bob]

oooh love those, though i have to say they're yelling forties at me, can i tempt you at all?

 

[RubyToogood]

Oh go on.

 

[geminisnake]

I am making a skirt for the September Time Tunnel(60s ish). But I need to go visit my mum so she can pin the darts into it while it is on me. I hate sewing but have done the back seam, split and zip all by hand The bottom seam is copydex, and the waist band is also likely to be copydex! I also made two dresses into a skirt yesterday. I heart copydex

 

[RubyToogood]

I was quite tempted by this one actually, which is more that way... I don't know why I have tucks in my head. It's just all the arsing around with making a new pattern fit, and in that case shoulder pads...

 

[wayward bob]

Oh go on.

didn't have anything particular in mind but always happy to windowshop on other people's behalf what bust size?

 

[RubyToogood]

didn't have anything particular in mind but always happy to windowshop on other people's behalf what bust size?

45 is usually a good bet but 44 or 46 will do.