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Painting on a Light Table

11/12/2013

4 Comments

 
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.
Picture
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.
4 Comments
Inma
11/12/2013 12:27:59 am

WOW ! What a work ! I'm glad you find a better way to do that !
Can't wait to see your tutorial.

Reply
Laura J. Underwood link
11/12/2013 01:50:42 am

So pretty. I love it.

Reply
Jane
11/12/2013 04:26:46 am

I can only applaud you loudly! You are not only just SO creative but you get so much done too!
Gosh!

Shame on me for not getting on with my projects but dreaming to much first about them! LOL!

Reply
Jay
11/12/2013 10:05:03 am

Oh that's a lot a work no matter how you do it. But that's really brilliant how you've streamlined the task.

I look forward to your bow and arrow tutorial. I've always wanted to have one for my elves.

Reply



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    Author

    Martha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes.
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