Costume & Crafting Help

[theCryptofishist]

Remember--there are two kinds of glue gun glue. One melts hotter than the other. If they get hot enough they will become all melty again. So it's different than chemical glues, like epoxy, and I bet there are glues that interact with air somehow--I would not be surprised if super glue was like this. And then there are glues that dry--elmer's, the classic white glue, for instance. Getting the glues that dry wet again interferes with the bond, and getting the glues that go solid at lower temp hotter again will interfere with the bond...

[Drawingablank]

I just googled to see if there are spray sealants for your cut edges (I am more accustomed to fray check liquids, on small areas) and it turns out there are sprays! Fray Stop, Sprayway, etc.

You can also do your cutting with pinking shears (sawtooth scissors) to help limit fraying.

Spray check sprays work worse than liquids.

Even liquids I wouldn't trust on a flag though.

[PhoenixFemmeFatale]

Also, some high temp hot glues will melt certain fabrics. If you decide to go that route test a small portion for heat tolerance before you put in a lot of time and effort!

[FIGJAM]

[MyDearFriend]

There is a product called (I think) Shoe Goo, that you can smooth with a wet finger right when you apply it and get a nice thin flexible plastic coating on whatever. I would use that along the edges of the flag fabric and then cut through the rubbery stuff; should leave you a nice clean non-fraying edge.

Then yes indeed use the screws like Figjam showed you. Maybe a wider ribbon of goo along that edge, to give your screws something to hold on to.

What kind of fabric is it?

[slvrnmph]

I have some new stuff I've made to share and get people inspired, but I need to take pictures of it first. For the moment. I want to share these Clover Wonder clips. I got a set of 10 to try and I have to say if your project involves bulky material or gluing stuff they are awesome. I supposed binder clips could work too. It's nice to have an alternative to pins. http://www.amazon.com/Clover-3155-Wonde ... nder+clips

Anyone else have some new tips on making crafting easier?

[Ratty]

When you're sewing fur, break out that pair of forceps that you used in your hippie faze. It helps to keep the fur together right up till you sew over it. (I don't pin).

[Drawingablank]

Well I actually pin fur, but I use large quilting pins (almost 2 inches long). I pin from the edge in, and sew right across the pins.

[slvrnmph]

For sewing I use the super long pins too. This time I was gluing fur to a headband so pins wouldn't work and I needed to conform to the curve of the headband too.

[lucky420]

[quote="Ratty"]When you're sewing fur, break out that pair of forceps that you used in your hippie faze. It helps to keep the fur together right up till you sew over it. (I don't pin).[/quot

you mean roach clips?

[Ratty]

NO. Forceps. Like scissors only they lock down on your...fur. Although roach clips would work if I could keep from sewing over the feathers.

[lucky420]

Yep we use forceps for roach clips as well they make the best kind of roach clips because they lock down and the scissor handles pass well

[mulch]

Remember--there are two kinds of glue gun glue. One melts hotter than the other

The best of the "hotter" glues for most crafts purposes that I have found would be the Latex based glue sticks. They are most commonly used as carpet glues in larger glue guns made for carpet work, but they fit in the standard gun. This is the type I like. I also like to get more than one glue gun if you are doing a lot of glueing. You can pump and pump and once the flow slows you switch guns and give the other gun time to warm up again.

https://www.bondproducts.com/shop/272-1 ... lb-carton/

[slvrnmph]

Latest finished project - red panda tail.

[Ratty]

That is Awesome!! PLEASE tell me how you made it.

[theCryptofishist]

*jaw drops--Ratty never needs anyone to tell her how to do it...*

[slvrnmph]

Fishy, I know! Very honored over here.

I started off by deciding on how long I wanted the tail and how wide around I wanted it to be at the widest point and the narrowest point. Then I pulled out my pattern paper and marked these measures down and proceeded to draw what basically looks like a giant beaver tail.

I then divided this up into strips and cut it all out. This ended up being my final pattern.


You'll notice the bottom most piece is not beaver tail like. When I made tail version one I didn't get the shape I wanted keeping the beaver tail layout, it looked more foxish so I redrafted that piece. It's half the width of the bottom section. Also, this shape gave a slight downward curve to the underside of the tail, but I liked that look, so I kept it.

From there I cut out strips of fur in the colors I wanted and then began sewing them together. The bottom piece I cut out twice and sewed on side by side placed as the bottom pattern piece is in the picture. Starting with the bottom most piece I sewed up the long seam on the side and stuffed with batting, which is nice and light and gives the tail a nice swish when you walk. I barely had the hole at the top big enough to get my hand in to shove the batting down, so that's something to consider.

Once it was stuffed, I gathered the top hole and attached a swivel based clip with a small piece of leather. Here's a close of shot of the attach clip.


And that's it. Since Ratty's request got me taking more pictures, I'm also including a shot of the ears I made to wear with the tail.

Front


Back


Sorry the pics are a little blurry.

[Savannah]

I love it!

[Ratty]

I love it too. The ears are beautiful. Thanks for all the praise but you guys don't see all the failures I have to toss. I usually know before I start that a piece is doomed but so what. I have several fur tails on my Pinterest board but NOW I'm gonna make one.
slvrnmph, You are talented!! I can't get over those ears. Thanks for sharing.

[MissSmee]

That is one awesome looking tail!!!

[Savannah]

I love it too. The ears are beautiful. Thanks for all the praise but you guys don't see all the failures I have to toss.

All artists have "failures".

(I prefer to think of them as Experiments.)

[slvrnmph]

Didn't anyone notice my explanation/instructions included a "tail version one"? Two of tail version 2 will be on the playa, one on me and one on a friend of mine. Tail version one goes to another friend of mine, not sure if he will be on playa this year or not yet.

[slvrnmph]

Just finished my blue galaxy bustle skirt to match the blue galaxy kilt I made a friend.

[Ratty]

BE U Ti Full. Gorgeous color too.

[slvrnmph]

It was a learning experience. First bustle skirt from instructions online. I also taught myself how to ruffle fabric on my serger (OMG so much easier than basting and pulling threads that always break on me) and I taught myself how to do a rolled hem on the serger for finishing. Very excited to be really learning my serger.

[knowmad]

must have! [make] how hard would this be to sew?

[Savannah]

Ooo. Now I want it, too.

Dammit, Knowmad!

[slvrnmph]

I think a good swim suit patter would make it not to bad. The biggest concern I see is preventing stretch from misshaping the bite in the middle, and a non-stretch bias trim might be enough for that. otherwise, I would go full suit swimsuit pattern, make that, remove bite mark, add bias trim and then teeth.

[Ratty]

I would start with a swimsuit. cut, sew done............LOVE IT!

[slvrnmph]

Lol, when I went to check what the update was, I was thinking of, "starting with a swimsuit would be even easier. . . " Not surprised Ratty beat me to it.