Friday 28 August 2009

Where's Me Shirt......

For those who don't know, the B side of the track I used in the video a couple of posts back is called..... "You expect me to wear this cr@p"

So, my dear friends, here is the jacket....pretty bad huh ! Dire is a word that comes to mind.




But, hey ho, I learned a lot with this little jacket.

I knew it was bad pretty much from the get go, but I decided to continue with it to see what other pitfalls awaited me

Figuring there'd be many problems I had yet to encounter I thought I'd have a go at dealing with them on this jacket rather than the next one.....forewarned is forearmed right ?

Probably the biggest thing I learned was not to use fabritac glue on clothing....it dries really stiff and horrible.

I also learned that I should wash the fabric first to soften it up somewhat.

Also, every sculpt I go on to make will be jointed. Kendo is jointed and it was hard enough getting the clothing on and off him...I can't imagine dressing a non jointed sculpt.

The main problems on this jacket are....

The seams on the shoulders and the hems are too stiff....fabritac !

The sleeves are too wide....I wanted them wide but not this much.

The back piece is too wide....now if I hadn't put the collar on already I could have narrowed this but the collar is too stiff from the fabritac which stops me doing it.

The collar....well that is supposed to be a Nehru collar.....dismal failure there.



I am sure it needs darts...but where and how to do them...I have no idea. I do remember from the sewing classes I did take that darts were difficult.

Ah, sewing class...how I wish I'd paid attention. Sewing class was obligatory, along with cooking classes, when I was at school. How I hated them both.

I campaigned to be allowed to do metalwork and woodwork with the boys.....and failed. I did manage to get them to allow us to play rugby (similar to American football but without protection) instead of netball (similar to basketball) but they wouldn't budge on anything else.

Nowadays, thankfully, it is different. Boys and girls have to learn to sew and cook. Aydn can do both much better than I can.

So I did my 2 years of sewing and cooking and dropped them like a hot brick once I was deemed old enough to know what classes I wanted to take...well, as much as anyone knows at 13.

And now, not only can I not sew but I can't cook either :-)

So, what's next. I really want to get onto my next sculpt, the flute player. But, I also really could do with putting some things in my etsy shop though....it has been so long since I made flowers for general sale so I am thinking of maybe taking a week or so to do that.

However, the pull of the clay is so strong.....so we'll see :-)







18 comments:

  1. Jayne he is fab and its all about the learning curve. You will just get better and better. You have done a good job with his hands too.

    Debie xxxxx

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  2. He look wonderful and you did an outstanding job on his jacket! You can do "fake" darts by pinching the fabric where a dart would be and gluing it.

    I use Grrrip and Fabri-Tac. I've never had a problem with hems etc being stiff with Fabri-Tac but if your Fabri-Tac is old you can add some fingernail polish remover to it to soften it up. I have to admit though that it is my last glue of choice as it's my my favorite to work with but sometimes it's the only glue that works.

    Oh, yes, always wash your fabric before :)

    Truly though he looks GREAT!!!

    Hugs,
    Marsha

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  3. I like him!! And his outfit!! I am so glad he found his shirt - haha!! Maybe you could do a rock star with a rose in his mouth to incorporate your skill in plants! -ara

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  4. Oh Jayne- I could only wish to do this well if I tried to make a doll. I struggle with sewing also- I often will take apart an old jacket or shirt to see how it is constructed. I am so much better if something is visual in front of me. I would say make your flute player- but I can understand where you might like to make a living too. I have to tell you that I think his hands look fabulous- I would think they would be harder to make than the shirt! Have a great weekend!!!

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  5. Thank you :-)

    Thanks Debie...learning curve...yeah...sometimes a rather steep one...still the climb will get easier the more I tackle it ! His hands were hard lol. I don't think they are too bad though considering they were the first I did.

    Thanks Marsha...yeah wash first...duh what was I thinking. My fabritac is brand new...maybe it had been on the shelf a while or something ? Maybe I used too much. Maybe I should play with it a bit and figure what I am doing wrong then.

    Thanks Ara...a rose in his mouth..now there a thought..that could be pretty cool huh.

    Kim...you could do this well...honestly I was just pig headed and kept going. It is hard don't get me wrong but I want to do it so won't give up.

    I did consider taking a apart a jacket...but the only ones in our house are leather / biker jackets lol. We got rid of our warm clothes in MN and I don't have any 'work' jackets any more to look at.

    His hands were hard...but not as hard as the shirt.

    And yes, make a living...I have spent all my supplies money so need some more :-)

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  6. Jayne he is actually pretty fab !
    Why dont you try my foolproof method of making his clothes look right, costs nothing and if you have used natural fabrics it nearly always works.............. cover his head and hair ( I just hold the head in my closed fist)
    stick his body under the tap and give him a good soak. Now pull and push and fold your fabric so it looks like its hanging right and then leave him to dry. it softens the fabric, puts everything in the right place and providing you have colourfast fabrics is very effective.
    I love him anyway, he looks like he has a tale to tell and I always love that in a doll
    julie xxxx

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  7. Hi Jayne,
    Oh, you are such a perfectionist! His clothes look great!
    I use 'heat'n'bond' or fusible hemming tape to make all my hems, works really well and there's no stitching that shows. And I used tacky glue to glue the ribbon around the neck of that pink dress, it was the only glue I could find that night.
    Mr Nylon is very envious of that beautiful jacket..and those flowing locks!
    Mercedes

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  8. Thank you for following my blog!
    I love your mini rock star!!!it is a masterpiece!

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  9. I think your doll looks great! Jacket and all!
    I mean, just look at him - he's ready to P-A-R-T-Y! For an old guy he's lookin' good girl, lookin' good! He can come jam at my beach shack anyday!

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  10. You sound surprised Julie :-)

    Now what a wonderful idea about the clothes...see I'd never have thought of that. Shan't try it on Kendo though as I have no idea if the fabric is colorfast or not !!!

    Thanks Mercedes...me...a perfectionist :-) Heat and bond...another name for it. Wunderweb in the UK, Stitch Witchery here and Heat and Bond in Australia.... it is a wonder we all communicate so well lol.

    You could add some hair on to Mr Nylon :-)

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  11. Did someone say P-A-R-T-Y....I'll get me coat !

    Kathi you crack me up...did you notice I used the blue fabric you liked :-)

    Papillon Bleu - you are welcome...I am glad you like him....I am a flower maker really not a sculptor but I am trying to learn :-)

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  12. I think he looks very cool! And I love his outfit.

    Heat and Bond is available in the US...it's slightly different than Stitch Witchery. I also once found a fusible thread in the notions dept that worked well for hems and seams. Just lay it between and press. Voila! I keep my "working" FabriTac in a tiny bottle with a really fine tip so I use just the tiniest amt...it does get stiff and gooey if you use too much.

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  13. Jayne, Kendo rocks! LOL No way does he look like a first sculpt. While he may not measure up to your own expectations, he is indeed a completely handsome representative of a rakish aging rock star.
    You really nailed the hands. Well done!

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  14. Well Jayne... I think you did a smashing job...and I personally like he color choice for each of the clothing pieces...
    I will say it again...for your first doll...you did a WONDERFUL Job!!

    Possibly your Fabritac glue is older and starting to dry out as it really is a great glue for fabrics. When you buy a bottle...test it first by tipping the bottle upside down and see how fast the bubble flows to the top...if it goes really slow...don't buy it...try another until you see the bubble zip to the top. Also if there is any 'yellowing' in the glue...don't buy. Fabritac has turned into an expensive glue and now it tends to sit longer on the shelf...

    Also you may want to try the magic of Stitch Witchery ...and iron on bonder of fabric...you can get in all sorts of strengths...really stiff for heavier fabrics and really loose for mini things...so it keeps the fabric really pliable...that way you can avoid some sewing and maintain thinner seams...

    Keep it up...by Joe...I think you've got it!!!

    Hugs,
    Jodi

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  15. Ok as if this is your first dry at a doll scuplt and then clothing!!! Far to harsh on yourself (you knew this already).

    I think he's spectacular and I can't wait to see how the next one turns out, especially with all you've learned on this one. :)

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  16. Hi Jayne.
    I have just done a posting about Debbie on my blog. You can find the details there.
    Could i ask you a favour? Could you copy and paste my posting and do your own posting linking my blog to yours. Hopefully if i can get lots of people doing this it will help spread the word quicker.
    With thanks, Nikki x

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  17. Don't feel too bad about your sewing skills Jayne! I have a degree as an art teacher, specializing in textiles and fashion design, and I found sewing those tiny garments difficult. I think you did a great job! (And I like the wide sleeves!)

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  18. Thanks Tabitha.....I did cut the tip of my fabritac bottle right at the very top to make only the tiniest hole.

    I need to go explore some fabric shops....there is likely a whole bunch of things I could use but don't know about.

    Thank you Patti...you know I am pleased with him.....and how hard the hands were for me lol.

    He couldn't have a better compliment than he rocks :-)


    Thank you Jodi :-) My bubble is really slow :-( I bet although it was new to me it was sitting on the shelves like you said. plus in the Joanns I bought it from it seemed I was the first customer they'd had in years..very outdated.

    No wonder it was hard to use for wigging lol.

    April, thanks...I can't wait to get started on my next one either :-)

    Nikki...I'll email you.

    Josje...makes me feel so much better that people who can sew have problems with mini clothes as well...thanks.

    the wide sleeves are growing on me :-)

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Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment :-)