Friday, February 13, 2015

2nd post about SkirtsAfire design competition

Wish I could say making a plastic tablecloth skirt is an easy-breezy chore, but, I cannot. Its a good thing I didn't procrastinate on this project as there have been a few minor set-backs. First was breaking threads and screwy tension on the sewing machine. I figured the top tension was askew so I went online to investigate how to remove the top cover. Frustration set after a few hours searching. Thank goodness Super-hubbies excellent google skills got it figured out. The cover was removed to reveal an astounding amount of dust and fibre lint staring me down. After a bit of dusting and finagling with tweezers removing thread from deep moving parts I was impressed that I was able to put everything back together; good thing attention was paid to how hubby removed it.

 My initial idea was to use tinsel held together at one end figuring I could just stitch across the top attaching it to the plastic. Well, not to be as the plastic is too fragile, too thin, too old, tears easy. Yes, tears easy, oh my the words emitting from the depth of the studio was… well lets just say its a good thing hubby has a sense of humour and finds my outburst funny. So time for a rethink. I dig through more old recycle stuff destined for the Reuse store and find the mangle of tinsel you see above.

 Since the tinsel cannot be sewn to the plastic I decide to loop it through the strainer parts instead, whoohoo, looks like it going to work. So after three hours looping and tying progress is made.

As the skirt needs a display stand during the SkirtsAfire Festival an old dress form purchased for an art project years ago needed bulked up as its a good six inches smaller than the breadth and depth of my body shape. I cut up an old quilted coat and hand stitched it to the form filling in the waist area, then wrapped and stitched an old blanket to fill out the rest of the form topped off by a t-shirt to hold it all intact. Oh shiiii..t the legs on the stand wobble and tip the form over. Once again Super-hubby to the rescue to tighten bolts. The skirt is placed on the form and ahghhhh... the tinsel has shook loose due its slipperiness and is falling to the floor. NOooooo!
Rethink time!
Tea time.

My Achy Breaky Heart cassette is cut and tied in with silver, red and gold tinsel for varied texture. 

The fix is thick pink cotton thread from a rummage sale. 

The re-thread job after two days of work as it is a finicky slippery process.

As one may now realize I've only given a glimpse of materials, the reason for this tease is that the completed skirt will be shown in a fashion show on february 23, so please be patient as the completed skirt will be after that date.




2 comments:

Carol Blackburn said...

Oh my Tess, what a process. I dare say an artist of lesser caliber would have had more than a cuppa tea and still been cursing the thing hours later.
Bravo! You are dedicated to completing your goal. Hey, are skirts afire related to hot pants? Something to think about. :)

tess stieben said...

SkirtsAfire is a multi-disciplinary Arts Festival that features the work of women. they showcase women playwrights, poets, storytellers and also invite artists to create along a pre-determined theme. I was overjoyed at being invited via a juried competition to design a skirt. I also have art work accepted in the juried art show.