The next costume I'm working on is a "Summer Goddess". It's a pink version of the green "Spring Goddess". The costume has one of the most challenging elements - those embellished dagged strips on the skirt and hanging sleeves. In the past I used to trace the pattern onto the back of the fabric, go over the traced lines with Fray Check, cut them all out, then in a very tedious drawn out process carefully hand-paint all the cut edges back and front of every strip with gold paint.
Well, I'm always trying to figure out ways to do the job better and faster - and neater. The dagged strips are already designed so that the scallops are exactly the same either way, so each new strip can be placed right against the previous one with the direction reversed, thereby reducing cutting time in half. This time I decided to paint the outer edges BEFORE cutting them out. I noticed that when the paint had dried on the back side of the fabric, that I could see the painted lines right through the fabric to the front, so I thought a light table would help me see the lines even better, so I could paint them as well - before cutting.
Well, I'm always trying to figure out ways to do the job better and faster - and neater. The dagged strips are already designed so that the scallops are exactly the same either way, so each new strip can be placed right against the previous one with the direction reversed, thereby reducing cutting time in half. This time I decided to paint the outer edges BEFORE cutting them out. I noticed that when the paint had dried on the back side of the fabric, that I could see the painted lines right through the fabric to the front, so I thought a light table would help me see the lines even better, so I could paint them as well - before cutting.
Once the paint is dry, I will cut all the strips out carefully along the middle of the painted lines. This new technique will more than cut the work and time in half. Instead of individually hand-painting each edge of each strip, both front and back, now I'm doing two edges at a time. Plus the edges will be a lot neater. Then I can get to the embellishing.
Today I also need to start Miki's bow. I have the Bow & Arrows Tutorial all ready, except for the bow itself, and the arrow tips. Once that's done and photographed, I can put the tutorial up live.
Today I also need to start Miki's bow. I have the Bow & Arrows Tutorial all ready, except for the bow itself, and the arrow tips. Once that's done and photographed, I can put the tutorial up live.
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