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

[wayward bob]

... part of a Desperately Seeking Susan fancy dress costume

double like

 

[RubyToogood]

double like

Yes, I want to see the rest of the costume too!

What was the earring made from?

 

[spanglechick]

Yes, I want to see the rest of the costume too!

What was the earring made from?

Fimo. And beads, too, obv. The rest is to be completed. need to pyramid-up the jacket i've bought, and mayyyyybe, have a go at the skulls case/bag. I don't *need* the bag at all, but people keep asking me if i'm doing it.

 

[wayward bob]

you must do the bag

 

[moon]

Is anyone following the CHA (craft and hobby) show thats on in the US right now?
Am loving all the new stuff from Tim Holtz and Dyan Reaveley

 

[Treacle Toes]

Too cold to do some gardening outside today so I did some inside...

 

[red rose]

That's fantastic!

 

[Treacle Toes]

I am very happy with it and the pics really don't do it justice tbh cos I am using a phone.

I got the idea from something much more elaborate/artistic but I wanted to keep it simple as it's the stairs leading down to the basement and has limited light.

The one I orignally saw was a beach scene but it was pretty busy like this:

http://allendesigns.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c75d353ef0154379710a4970c-pi

 

[Manter]

I prefer yours

 

[red rose]

Today I made a new lamp based on the instructions from here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Alien-Abduction-Lamp/

 

[spanglechick]

More despeartely seeking susaning:

Bought the jacket, which is clearly the wrong length, and too gold, and has the wrong kind of collar fabric... but i made the pyramid and i'm dead happy with it.

I also gold-leafed the earring:

 

[BoatieBird]

That's awesome spanglechick
I loved that film so much as a teenager, haven't watched it for years though.
I might try to track it down to watch this weekend

 

[Looby]

That's awesome spanglechick
I loved that film so much as a teenager, haven't watched it for years though.
I might try to track it down to watch this weekend

Me too, I need to buy it.

I so wanted to be Madonna, she was so fucking cool.

Amazing spangles, well done!

 

[Looby]

Bit of advice needed.

If someone wanted to put rude words on bunting like this-

Would it be best to cut out letters and sew them on or glue them?

I'm guessing gluing would be easier but stitching would look better. Problem is, I'm a sewing machine novice and my hand stitching is shite!

Apologies for all the swearing in suburban ; )

 

[Boudicca]

Only the most dedicated would sew them on. Glue is good.

If you are making the letters out of fabric, I would iron on some interfacing before you cut them out as it will make them neater and flatter.

 

[wayward bob]

you need bondaweb sparkles - it's a glue sheet with a paper backing - iron fabric onto bondaweb, draw and cut out the shapes on the paper side (mirror image-style cos it's text), peel off the paper and iron onto your main fabric. you can decorative stitch around the edges but it's not essential, they should be stuck pretty fast

 

[spanglechick]

i would stencil them. dab fabric paint through stencil.

 

[moose]

Edit: Bob got in first with Bondaweb. Marvellous stuff.

 

[Boudicca]

you need bondaweb sparkles - it's a glue sheet with a paper backing - iron fabric onto bondaweb, draw and cut out the shapes on the paper side (mirror image-style cos it's text), peel off the paper and iron onto your main fabric. you can decorative stitch around the edges but it's not essential, they should be stuck pretty fast

Ye, of course, Bondaweb. I have a roll of this . You are not in Brixton, are you sparklefish?

 

[red rose]

What about bondaweb?

I used it recently to attach some of the trickier details to a doll. I marked out the shape I wanted, sprayed the back of the fabric with a tiny bit of aerosol glue, lay bondaweb on the glue so that it covered all of the shape, cut the shape and the bondaweb together and then ironed them onto the other fabric.

That way the shape is stuck all the way to the edge, so no fraying, and there's no need for stitches. There was no way to see the bondaweb after it was finished.

Edit: Damn I'm slow

 

[Looby]

Right, bondaweb sounds promising, if I can find it tomorrow morning.

Spangles-stencilling sounds good but I've got loads of fabric bits to use.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Looby]

Ye, of course, Bondaweb. I have a roll of this . You are not in Brixton, are you sparklefish?

No, Dorset! Sure I can find some, there's a few fabric/crafty shops around.

 

[wayward bob]

there's prolly other makes available that do the same thing, but if you ask for bondaweb they'll know what you need. we're using it in our stitch workshops for fabric paint transfers atm. i only have a tiny piece from college though. envious eyes at Boudicca

 

[red rose]

I've been using the bondaweb that's meant for hemming

You know the stuff? It's about 15mm wide and sold like a roll of sellotape. I had no idea you could get sheets of the stuff, I've just been laying strip after strip down on any fabric I need to stick

 

[Looby]

Fab, thank you. Just googled it and should be fine at fabric land or hobby craft. I want to get some buttons too to put in a nice tin so hobby craft probably best.

So I have up to 12 letters to play with.

Suggestions so far are fucksticks and arsebiscuits.

Other options are sober as an ox and fucking onion which are fairly specific to the misspent youth of me and the person the gift is for. : D

I'm quite excited but slightly panicking that I decided to do this with 24 hours notice.

 

[Boudicca]

there's prolly other makes available that do the same thing, but if you ask for bondaweb they'll know what you need. we're using it in our stitch workshops for fabric paint transfers atm. i only have a tiny piece from college though. envious eyes at Boudicca

I bought it and then decided no-one could use it as it was expensive and CHEATING . So people are forced to practice tacking and machine satin stitch instead. Which means I still have a whole roll...

 

[wayward bob]

if you have any spare at the end you might like to have a go at the transfer technique - you paint onto the glue side, allow to dry, cut shapes and iron onto a base fabric. we're using fabric paints cos they have them at college but apparently acrylics and watercolours both work, just don't use gouache (reason escapes me). my next samples are going to be attempting a marble look. the only thing to remember is everything transfers upside-down - so whatever you paint on the bottom layer will transfer to the top isywim. also this finish isn't washable or ironable, but it'll do for textiles students

 

[wayward bob]

I bought it and then decided no-one could use it as it was expensive and CHEATING . So people are forced to practice tacking and machine satin stitch instead. Which means I still have a whole roll...

experimental techniques is where it's at, as above

 

[Boudicca]

experimental techniques is where it's at, as above

While you are here, bob!

My next experiment is going to be covering stuff in fabric soaked in glue that sets hard and clear. Whole pieces and/or maybe cut strips. The interweb suggests glue made with cornflour or starch. I had a go with pva but it didn't seem to stick very well. Was also thinking of thick wallpaper paste. What do you reckon would be best?

 

[wayward bob]

hard and clear? marvin medium i'd say, it's a kind of pva, but stickiness depends on what you're trying to stick it to... i've never had good results re clarity from starch, but i do have something that's sold as roller-blind stiffener that works on both counts but it's pricey...