The Garage: A craft-y type thread for handypeople

I would've thought Horrible Histories wouldn't stick with one setting or character long enough to have costumes.

I keep thinking about getting into making clothes (nobody makes the kind of vests I'd like to wear) and costume replicas (the command-level bomber jacket uniform variant from the original Star Trek movies would be an awesome thing to wear), but my experience with sewing stuff has all ended horribly.

What kind of vest is it that you want that no one makes? said the woman who runs a custom sewing business...

I'm not in a very good financial position to buy clothes from anywhere right now (between jobs, moving cross-country into a one-bedroom apartment), but I'm always daydreaming about increasing the fashion quotient of my wardrobe. When I reach a point where I can keep all my expenses managed and still have plenty of discretionary income, there will be a lot more colors and collars in my closet (also more things that need to hang instead of going in a drawer)

The stores that make stuff in my size make sweater vests, sportsman's utility vests, and suit vests that from the price seem to be made of a silk/gold blend material. They don't make lightweight casual-wear vests that could be worn in warm weather without a shirt that needs cufflinks.

Basically, something I could throw over a t-shirt for a quick fashion boost. I'd like to be able to button it closed or leave it open, and not hide too much of what might be printed on my shirt.

It seems like everything out there either closes very high on the chest, very low on the chest, or is a boring tube like number three on this picture◊. I mean, it's about as open and loose as I'd like it to be, but the lines aren't doing anything for me.

edited 19th Sep '14 11:19:35 PM by tparadox

Not to derail Doxy's question, because he does still need an answer, but I have a question for the more construction-minded COBbies. I have a shower in my duplex that has apparently never been updated or remodeled since the duplex was built back in the 80's. In addition to the caulking now being a lovely shade of mottled black-and-white, whoever installed the thing decided that the best option for decorative siding was thick wood molding. Not treated wood molding, mind, just regular wood molding, which is of course now rotting. In addition to that, the shower liner wasn't glued on anywhere except, it seems, the edges, meaning that it bubbles out prodigiously and looks like shit.

Remodeling the thing isn't the issue; I know how to do that. What I need is advice on how to do it cheaply. I can do it right six ways from Sunday; unfortunately, doing it right involves ripping the liner off, probably replacing the drywall behind it, replacing the caulking and the molding entirely, fixing or possibly replacing the faucet, and scouring the tub itself with a pumice stone. I can do the latter stuff relatively cheaply (except the faucet work), but I am not looking forward to potentially replacing the liner and drywall. This is, after all, a rent house, and I don't feel like dropping more than a hundred dollars on this repair (for the record, my landlord refuses to fix it up because it isn't broken...apparently, preventive maintenance is a concept which eludes him). That said, it does need to be done now before it does break and I'm out a shower until my landlord deigns to get someone to fix it. Any advice?

edited 29th Oct '14 11:48:12 AM by Frishman

So, I got the coolest inheritance today. It's a hundred year old wooden needlework hoop, skeins of real silk embroidery floss circa 1906, and an enormous sheet of embroidery fabric from Germany right after WWII. Seriously, it's larger than a king sized blanket.

I'm in crafting heaven.

Frish: Double check your rent laws and rental agreement. There is a chance you can make your land lord fix it or eat the costs after the fact if you have to pay for it out of pocket. If your contract states he has to address maintenance issues and fix damage but won't see if those are options open to you. Two common options in my state are withholding rent, check local laws on that, and deduction of repair costs for you having to fork over money to repair the stuff or have it professionally repaired.

Also, wood in the shower is probably a building code violation so you can probably get him on that. Sometimes it's good to get inspectors involved.

Ok Tuefel and missus project this weekend. Build wood board knife and blade strops. To sharpen and maintain blades in the house. Finding wood will be easy. It is the leather and abrasive compound that might be a bit odd to find in Omaha. Soft Suede or overly soft leather is discouraged for use in strops. Flexible and somewhat soft is ok though. I need to also get some various grits of sand paper to use as well.

If you can find a slaughterhouse, there's bound to be a leather place close by (+/- 50 miles).

There is a Tandy Leather store in town. You would think for a town with an active slaughter yard there would be one or two more leather stores.

Once I start getting money coming in, I might look into doing some light decorating. I can't put nails in my walls and I think even if I could get Command strips to stick to these textured walls, adhesives are forbidden in the lease.

My plan is to go to a hardware store and buy some long square dowels, nail them together into a grid to lean against the wall, and hang things on that. Advice? Alternatives?

That is an awesome idea.

I use a shower curtain rod. One of those twisty ones in more narrow places. Then I can hang anything from it also between bookshelves is good.

Make sure you have something to serve as traction or skids to keep it from sliding.

So we went to the leather store and found the tool blade polish. Aka Rouge. We got the one we needed to make a simple belt strop for our kitchen knives.

I am going to make a series of paddle strops to cover at least three grades of abrasive and one of fine grit sandpaper.

And I've actually got an Etsy shop, as promised. https://www.etsy.com/shop/NorthCountryTrinkets in case anybody is curious.

It does seem that one has to choose between spending time running the blasted thing or spending time actually making things. Still, seems fun, if only for the forums.

YEAH!

And you have worldwide shipping...you are awesomesauce!

Would you be willing to do a custom piece or a different color scheme based on what you've already made?

Of course I would. I do it quite often at home.

Joy! You're the best!

I will have to hit you up when I get home and can send you a PM. I would much rather buy something from a fellow troper than a big box store.

Those are gorgeous, Beholderess. You have a really good eye for color and texture!

Beautiful!

Been trying my hand at wire work, as I think it would complimant the beaded things nicely.

I am not particularly impressed with my first result, but I might actually wear it with some jeans and linen in summer

I think you're too hard on yourself... :D

And the copper complements the blue of the beads beautifully...

Thank you.

I wish I could get a redhead to wear it :)

If you can't find a person... try finding a dim-but-cute ginger tom to act as a model/cushion.

edited 20th Jan '15 2:50:28 AM by Euodiachloris

I'm a redhead

I'm excited. My Beholderess shiny just left New Hampshire, so that's just about 5 states away depending what route they take!

I'm in complete giddy ferret mode. That's the one way I am very stereotypical female. I love unique jewelry and flowers.

I so hope I won't disappoint you.

As for wirework, the class I've taken was interesting, but it is a bit frustating that a lot of questions of "how do you do it" were answered by "umm, well, just keep trying, you'll get it eventually".