Tools of the Trade, What to get and why.
So let me start out by saying that everything posted in the next post is purely my opinion, and should not be taken as pure fact. You simply saying that I'm wrong without any sort of critique will be swiftly ignored by me, the head jerk of this blog.
So anyways.
This is probably going to be my least favorite post. The equipment for this stuff is boring to talk about, but I'll try to spice it up, because that is how I do.
This is where I talk about what tools are used to make my costumes, and my opinions and thoughts on them.
1. Sewing Machine.
As anyone who cannot hand stich (but CAN move a piece of taught fabric in a relatively straight line) will tell you, a sewing machine is a blessing. My hand stiching is so bad I was once arrested for terrorism against the citizens of the United States for even allowing it to be seen in public. As you probably gather from my superb story telling abilities, I cannot hand-sew anything very well; my stiches are loose and uneven, and even worse than the stiching being terrible, everyone else can sew with more skill and twice as quickly. I can however, use a sewing machine to an acceptable degree, making this a requirement for my costumes.
I use a small Janome brand sewing machine. It was $169 on sale at a sewing shop near my apartment in Gresham, Oregon. If you actually care what store it is, private message me and I'll tell you. It is a little smaller than most sewing machines, but I'm pretty skinny, so the smaller proportions for buttons and spaces don't really negatively affect me.
Things that are included with sewing machines are, of course, a foot pedal to control the movement of your needle, a foot (a metal piece that is detachable, and holds the fabric down while the needle stiches it, is required for sewing.), and some include bobbins, which is kind of like a spool of thread that you need. A bobbin is hard to explain, but if you buy a sewing machine you will probably need a small lesson on how stuff works on your machine (there are different threading procedures and such for different machines), and they will teach you what a bobbin does and why it is required. My machines also came with a different foot for sewing button holes.
Although not required, a sewing machine makes things a LOT easier, especially if you don't feel like building up callouses for hand-stiching.
2. Seam-Ripper.
Whenever I see a seam-ripper, it makes me think of a tiny lance that a very small knight would use to slay an equally proportionately small dragon.
A seam-ripper is kind of like white out, but of the fabric variety. It rips out stiches that you have made with your machine, you just stick the longer spiked edge under the stich, and push. The sharp little mouth looking part just slices the stich, and voila, all you have to do is pull out the loose thread. It makes messing up less annoying, you just rip the thread, pull, and continue on your way. Although I have never ruined anything by using scissors to do this, scissors are harder to get under the thread, and take much longer, therefore making the process more frustrating.
3. Pins, bobbins, and other misc. accessories.
I use pins to pin fabric where needed of course, and although pins aren't required, working without them is much harder, and your work will probably look considerably more sloppy than if you had worked with them.
Bobbins are required if you use a machine, but if you don't then it is no biggie. Bobbins aren't needed for hand-stiching of course.
It is more of a material, but foam. Foam can be used as a backing for harder to work with fabrics, making it much easier to work with, following your hand-commands like a true hand-soldier.
Glue. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE GLUE. I will write my next post on Hot Glue and how awesome it is, but keep in mind that it is awesome.
4. Entertainment.
Nothing is more frustrating than plodding away at 2 AM, desperately trying to finish a costume with a Convention the horizon. You sit there and stew in your hard work, getting angry at that damn stich that just won't go right. All you have to accompany you is that damn click click click of your sewing machine, and the angry breathing noises you are making. You know what makes those moments better?
Two goofy friends in the same predicament as you, and probably the worst Zombie Movie blaring. This way the monotony of your anger and sewing machine is broken up by furious tiredgiggles and a scene where a man takes out an entire room of the living dead with a lawn-mower. Plus, if you can't get that stich right, you can always beg and hope that one of your friends will be willing to do that part for you.
Something else to take away the monotony of the work is always great, be it music, TV, or just another person there to talk to you. Always keep in mind that it should be something that you can pay attention to while sewing, so a book is probably out of the question.
5. Other Brains.
If Zahmbee can tell you one thing about me, it is probably that I ask a lot of questions. How do I do this? If I do this on this setting, will something catch on fire? Does this look right? Other non-imaginative question? Blah blah blah?
I like to pick other people's brains, it makes me feel better about what I have made, and what I am going to do next.
Whether or not it is your friends in real life, or a stranger over the internet, having a critique/advice for your costume is always beneficial. Try to have a balance of both though; A real life friend might be too soft, and someone on the internet might be over-critical over things that don't matter.
6. Love for the Game.
If you don't enjoy the costume making, wearing, or some other miscellaneous process of the costuming game, than why do it? If you don't put some love and tears into your costume, some people just know.
And with that terrible cliche, I leave you. I'll probably post in the next couple of days, especially since I am required to make four more posts in the next couple of weeks. Until next time LJ!
So anyways.
This is probably going to be my least favorite post. The equipment for this stuff is boring to talk about, but I'll try to spice it up, because that is how I do.
This is where I talk about what tools are used to make my costumes, and my opinions and thoughts on them.
1. Sewing Machine.
As anyone who cannot hand stich (but CAN move a piece of taught fabric in a relatively straight line) will tell you, a sewing machine is a blessing. My hand stiching is so bad I was once arrested for terrorism against the citizens of the United States for even allowing it to be seen in public. As you probably gather from my superb story telling abilities, I cannot hand-sew anything very well; my stiches are loose and uneven, and even worse than the stiching being terrible, everyone else can sew with more skill and twice as quickly. I can however, use a sewing machine to an acceptable degree, making this a requirement for my costumes.
I use a small Janome brand sewing machine. It was $169 on sale at a sewing shop near my apartment in Gresham, Oregon. If you actually care what store it is, private message me and I'll tell you. It is a little smaller than most sewing machines, but I'm pretty skinny, so the smaller proportions for buttons and spaces don't really negatively affect me.
Things that are included with sewing machines are, of course, a foot pedal to control the movement of your needle, a foot (a metal piece that is detachable, and holds the fabric down while the needle stiches it, is required for sewing.), and some include bobbins, which is kind of like a spool of thread that you need. A bobbin is hard to explain, but if you buy a sewing machine you will probably need a small lesson on how stuff works on your machine (there are different threading procedures and such for different machines), and they will teach you what a bobbin does and why it is required. My machines also came with a different foot for sewing button holes.
Although not required, a sewing machine makes things a LOT easier, especially if you don't feel like building up callouses for hand-stiching.
2. Seam-Ripper.
Whenever I see a seam-ripper, it makes me think of a tiny lance that a very small knight would use to slay an equally proportionately small dragon.
A seam-ripper is kind of like white out, but of the fabric variety. It rips out stiches that you have made with your machine, you just stick the longer spiked edge under the stich, and push. The sharp little mouth looking part just slices the stich, and voila, all you have to do is pull out the loose thread. It makes messing up less annoying, you just rip the thread, pull, and continue on your way. Although I have never ruined anything by using scissors to do this, scissors are harder to get under the thread, and take much longer, therefore making the process more frustrating.
3. Pins, bobbins, and other misc. accessories.
I use pins to pin fabric where needed of course, and although pins aren't required, working without them is much harder, and your work will probably look considerably more sloppy than if you had worked with them.
Bobbins are required if you use a machine, but if you don't then it is no biggie. Bobbins aren't needed for hand-stiching of course.
It is more of a material, but foam. Foam can be used as a backing for harder to work with fabrics, making it much easier to work with, following your hand-commands like a true hand-soldier.
Glue. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE GLUE. I will write my next post on Hot Glue and how awesome it is, but keep in mind that it is awesome.
4. Entertainment.
Nothing is more frustrating than plodding away at 2 AM, desperately trying to finish a costume with a Convention the horizon. You sit there and stew in your hard work, getting angry at that damn stich that just won't go right. All you have to accompany you is that damn click click click of your sewing machine, and the angry breathing noises you are making. You know what makes those moments better?
Two goofy friends in the same predicament as you, and probably the worst Zombie Movie blaring. This way the monotony of your anger and sewing machine is broken up by furious tiredgiggles and a scene where a man takes out an entire room of the living dead with a lawn-mower. Plus, if you can't get that stich right, you can always beg and hope that one of your friends will be willing to do that part for you.
Something else to take away the monotony of the work is always great, be it music, TV, or just another person there to talk to you. Always keep in mind that it should be something that you can pay attention to while sewing, so a book is probably out of the question.
5. Other Brains.
If Zahmbee can tell you one thing about me, it is probably that I ask a lot of questions. How do I do this? If I do this on this setting, will something catch on fire? Does this look right? Other non-imaginative question? Blah blah blah?
I like to pick other people's brains, it makes me feel better about what I have made, and what I am going to do next.
Whether or not it is your friends in real life, or a stranger over the internet, having a critique/advice for your costume is always beneficial. Try to have a balance of both though; A real life friend might be too soft, and someone on the internet might be over-critical over things that don't matter.
6. Love for the Game.
If you don't enjoy the costume making, wearing, or some other miscellaneous process of the costuming game, than why do it? If you don't put some love and tears into your costume, some people just know.
And with that terrible cliche, I leave you. I'll probably post in the next couple of days, especially since I am required to make four more posts in the next couple of weeks. Until next time LJ!