Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

MyDearFriend · Post by **MyDearFriend** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 6:13 am

Wonderful sun-cloak Ratty, light and cool and shady...

StevenGoodman · Post by **StevenGoodman** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 6:01 pm

Ratty wrote:I'm working on a gladiators skirt made from neckties. On a belt of course.

Going to be hard to be Planet Steve's; that is made from Oven Mitts...

Martini Steve

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:04 pm

This very old wedding dress wasn't good for much of anything. It makes a fine cape for man or beast. the heavy curtain tie-back could knock you out cold if it hit you just right. cool........

StevenGoodman · Post by **StevenGoodman** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:13 pm

Ratty,

Where do you get all this stuff?

Martini Steve

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:16 pm

Out of the junk pile mainly. This wedding dress had a bad case of 'pit stains'. The 2nd hand stores are happy to oblige me with interesting fabrics and ruined clothing.

StevenGoodman · Post by **StevenGoodman** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:23 pm

My "junk pile" has raccoons living in it! The only "junk" I have around is horrible clothes from the 80s.

I can do great costuming and tailoring, but I have never been creative. I need to find someone with ideas, and I can do the the tailoring part.

Martini Steve

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:34 pm

Well, Ratty has a lot of ideas in this thread. It's a damn good place to start.

StevenGoodman · Post by **StevenGoodman** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:37 pm

[quote="theCryptofishist"]Well, Ratty has a lot of ideas in this thread. It's a damn good place to start.[/quote]

Even I can see that!

I am a technician, not an artist. Although I have been an artist.

Martini Steve

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:39 pm

I suggest that you get busy with your Ratty inspired line before I decide you're going to make me a set of outfits for apok...

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:34 am

This Cape , Skirt, Bustle thing took about one minute to make. I ran a curtain tie-back through the channel in a table runner. You can do the same thing with a curtain valence and ribbon. They are easy to find for a couple of bucks at the 2nd hand store.

wh..sh · Post by **wh..sh** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:38 am

The bustle is so cute! I love it! I would love to wear one of those.

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:46 am

It's really not as ugly as it seems. You have to picture it as part of an outfit. (Another 'one minute' accessory). It's a curtain valence stung on an old cloth belt.

wh..sh · Post by **wh..sh** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:07 pm

Ratty wrote:It's really not as ugly as it seems.

Ugly!!!! Far from it. Looks gorgeous.

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 6:21 pm

It's not easy to take your own picture in a mirror and Damn near impossible to get the back. (It's just a cotton curtain on a silk scarf).

ranger biteme · Post by **ranger biteme** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:47 pm

great stuff Ratty - thanks for all the pix and ideas

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:03 pm

I'm stuck on bustles. This one is a piece of bright red 'bed skirt' sewn onto a sparkly cloth belt. These things are a great source of fabric for me. They're dirt cheap 2nd hand. Already gathered up and come in every design and color.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:18 pm

So, is there anything clever to be done with fitted sheets?

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:15 pm

I'll have to think about that. It is very handy that they already have elastic built in. My sheets are uninspiring. Hmmmmmmmmmmm...I got nothin...

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:35 pm

I converted this old fleece bathrobe into something warm and colorful for playa-wandering. The sewing was easy. It has exposed seams inside and out. The striped fleece was an old throw. All the added stripe material is flared out at the bottom so when I twirl................(No. You can't see London or France either.)

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:14 am

I don't normally mess with store bought costumes but hey, it was free. This kids costume fits an adult now. I opened the sides and sewed some ribbon on the edges. The ribbon makes it strong enough for lacing up the sides. Maybe not worth the bother on this piece but the concept is useful.

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:03 am

I love felt. When I see a piece of heavy felt I only imagine it torn into strips. Just look at it! The consistancy of leather with the fuzzyness of fur. It doesn't moop or tear apart. To rip it into strips you have to make a little snip with the scissors. This adorable tutu is felt and fleece on a belt that already had holes.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:32 am

That first shot makes it look like bacon.

inthecolumbiagorge · Post by **inthecolumbiagorge** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:02 am

Love the felt one! Might have to try something similar in different colors:-)

lucky420 · Post by **lucky420** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:16 am

I thought it looked like bacon too.

mmmmmmmmmm bacon

Post by **Savannah** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:17 am

Ratty, I love the suggestion of using a bedskirt as a bustle; thank you for sharing it. I have an 1860's-style polonaise underskirt that I managed to get for $5 at a costume sale because the overskirt is missing. The front and sides actually look fine, but the back exposes an expanse of muslin the seamstress used so the striped fabric would go further and they could buy less.

I thought at the time "I'll figure something out".

So I kept putting it off, but I might take care of it using a bedskirt bustle.

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:22 am

Savan, That's sounds like a good and easy fix. I would love to see some pictures. (and yes it does kind of look like bacon.). Now I'll have to concentrate on 'Makin Bacon'.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 2:37 pm

If you were in Georgia, you could work on Macon Bacon.

well...you could!

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 7:34 pm

This tutu makes me hungry. Mmmmmm. Felt and shredded t-shirts with a side of marking pen and white nail polish. Yummie....

cereal4cats · Post by **cereal4cats** » Wed May 02, 2012 11:20 pm

So great! love it! especially the virgin patch one!

Ratty · Post by **Ratty** » Sat May 05, 2012 5:33 pm

DSCF7974.JPG

I've been sewing up some 'zombie coats'. They are men's suits converted into tail coats. I cut off the front, cut the legs off the pants and sewed em to the back of the coat as tails. This is all done in the crudest fashion possible. It takes effort to be messy. It took me several trys to NOT line every thing up and make it straight. The edges are all hacked off and finished with a zig-zag stitch so they won't moop. A little bit of bling and they are done.

Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.

Re: Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.