this is more a message to say I'm still alive - apologetic for not updating this page recently. Kind of run ragged with work, community involvement, sorting out various issues (people, PCs, and other "interesting times")
I did get to use the Santa costume the other day, so already it's been used, and got good feedback.
Expecting updates/ progress over the next few months on the following projects:
MOT Spot welders
DTI stand repairs/ rebuild
Picaxe work
portable PC/electronics bench
I daresay there will be more (I've a "things to do" list of over 3 pages single spaced)...Updating this build log is part of it all.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Santa costume - hat and final - part 6
The last of the postings regarding making the Santa costume...
The Hat.. Unfortunately the shots I took during the sewing of the hats themselves did not come out (still figuring out why) I made two hats, one standard traditional hat which is basically a cone with a circumference of 650mm (26"), and a height of 600mm (24"). The second hat was a experimental model which will be described soon.
Each hat comprised of a velour outer, a red poly-cotton liner, and fur trim at the brim, and a fur trim pompom at the top.
Figure 1 - hats - Experimental, and Traditional
The liner was simply a truncated cone of similar dimensions to the traditional hat (circumference of 650mm, and a height cut down to 300mm. If worn by itself, it would resemble an oversized cap.
The outer was sewn along the edge (right sides facing, then turn inside out to conceal the stitching), and then the fur trim stitched to the outer so the stitching was facing inwards. The liner was then placed inside, pinned and stitched into place to cover the seams for the attachment of the fur trim at the brim.
The pompom at the apex of the cone was handstitched on.
The experimental hat (combination hat and scarf) was patterned on the traditional conical pattern, but then at the 350mm height, the cone was changed to it had a total height of 1800mm (72"). This meant that the hat resembled a long tube of approximately 100mm (4") diameter for most of it's length, with a flare at the end which took the diameter out to 200mm (8") for the last 350mm (14"). All other aspects of the hat (including the liner) were unaltered from the traditional pattern.
Figure 2 - Pompom making - material, and octagon
So the pompom would match the fur trim used elsewhere in the costume, I made the pompoms from the fur trim. A square of fabric was cut - approximately 150 x 150mm (6" x 6") and the corners folded inwards to form an octagon. A heavy thread was loosely stitched in at each corner, and then around again bisecting each side making 16 points evenly spaced around the octagon. the thread was gently pulled up so the corners and sides pulled in, and the resulting hollow space was filled with assorted offcuts from the fur trim.
Figure 3 - Hollow created in pompom by pulling threads up
It was then pulled up tight and tied off resulting in a pompom which was about 65mm (2.5") in diameter. The heavy thread used to make the pompom and tie it off was left threaded to the hand needle during the previous steps, and then used to stitch the pompom to the hat's apex.
Figure 4- Pompom hand stitched to hat
Other accessories and costume tips.
A couple of shots of the bag which attaches to the belt for holding keys, mobile phone, lollies (candy), etc. Simply a bag made of velour offcuts, and lined in poly cotton - simple belt loops on the back for attachment
Figure 5 shows the interior view of the pouch with a mobile phone, and some car keys in it for the test.
Figure 5- Pouch on belt - interior view
Figure 6 - Pouch on belt, exterior view
The wig/ beard I purchased off Ebay for the costume - 100% polyester, and quite good fit, and shape. It cost about $30 to buy including shipping.
Figure 7 - polyester wig and beard set.
And lastly, some white zinc sunscreen paint... I've played Santa before for various groups (Church, charities, clubs) and seen many others play the part.. I have fairly thick dark eyebrows which show through on most wigs. If I apply a smear of the white zinc to my eyebrows, they whiten out as if I've aged 50+ years, and they don't look out of place. - It beats my old trick of gluing threads from cotton balls to my eyebrows with PVA (White) glue.
Figure 8 - White zinc sunscreen paint (with other unused colours)
Unfortunately we were unable to find a local source of the white zinc paint without buying it in a triple pack with the other bright colours... they'll get fobbed off at some future date, since we're not big fans of running around with fluro blue, or pink faces.
Next project things to document... MOT spotwelder progress, reviewing books, and progress on other projects.
The Hat.. Unfortunately the shots I took during the sewing of the hats themselves did not come out (still figuring out why) I made two hats, one standard traditional hat which is basically a cone with a circumference of 650mm (26"), and a height of 600mm (24"). The second hat was a experimental model which will be described soon.
Each hat comprised of a velour outer, a red poly-cotton liner, and fur trim at the brim, and a fur trim pompom at the top.
Figure 1 - hats - Experimental, and Traditional
The liner was simply a truncated cone of similar dimensions to the traditional hat (circumference of 650mm, and a height cut down to 300mm. If worn by itself, it would resemble an oversized cap.
The outer was sewn along the edge (right sides facing, then turn inside out to conceal the stitching), and then the fur trim stitched to the outer so the stitching was facing inwards. The liner was then placed inside, pinned and stitched into place to cover the seams for the attachment of the fur trim at the brim.
The pompom at the apex of the cone was handstitched on.
The experimental hat (combination hat and scarf) was patterned on the traditional conical pattern, but then at the 350mm height, the cone was changed to it had a total height of 1800mm (72"). This meant that the hat resembled a long tube of approximately 100mm (4") diameter for most of it's length, with a flare at the end which took the diameter out to 200mm (8") for the last 350mm (14"). All other aspects of the hat (including the liner) were unaltered from the traditional pattern.
Figure 2 - Pompom making - material, and octagon
So the pompom would match the fur trim used elsewhere in the costume, I made the pompoms from the fur trim. A square of fabric was cut - approximately 150 x 150mm (6" x 6") and the corners folded inwards to form an octagon. A heavy thread was loosely stitched in at each corner, and then around again bisecting each side making 16 points evenly spaced around the octagon. the thread was gently pulled up so the corners and sides pulled in, and the resulting hollow space was filled with assorted offcuts from the fur trim.
Figure 3 - Hollow created in pompom by pulling threads up
It was then pulled up tight and tied off resulting in a pompom which was about 65mm (2.5") in diameter. The heavy thread used to make the pompom and tie it off was left threaded to the hand needle during the previous steps, and then used to stitch the pompom to the hat's apex.
Figure 4- Pompom hand stitched to hat
Other accessories and costume tips.
A couple of shots of the bag which attaches to the belt for holding keys, mobile phone, lollies (candy), etc. Simply a bag made of velour offcuts, and lined in poly cotton - simple belt loops on the back for attachment
Figure 5 shows the interior view of the pouch with a mobile phone, and some car keys in it for the test.
Figure 5- Pouch on belt - interior view
Figure 6 - Pouch on belt, exterior view
The wig/ beard I purchased off Ebay for the costume - 100% polyester, and quite good fit, and shape. It cost about $30 to buy including shipping.
Figure 7 - polyester wig and beard set.
And lastly, some white zinc sunscreen paint... I've played Santa before for various groups (Church, charities, clubs) and seen many others play the part.. I have fairly thick dark eyebrows which show through on most wigs. If I apply a smear of the white zinc to my eyebrows, they whiten out as if I've aged 50+ years, and they don't look out of place. - It beats my old trick of gluing threads from cotton balls to my eyebrows with PVA (White) glue.
Figure 8 - White zinc sunscreen paint (with other unused colours)
Unfortunately we were unable to find a local source of the white zinc paint without buying it in a triple pack with the other bright colours... they'll get fobbed off at some future date, since we're not big fans of running around with fluro blue, or pink faces.
Next project things to document... MOT spotwelder progress, reviewing books, and progress on other projects.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Santa costume - belt - part 5
Santa's belt
The idea was to use some near new automotive seatbelt material taken from one of the cars we'd cut up in training. Based on the that material, I designed a large brass buckle to suit.
Since I didn't have any suitable material to make the whole buckle from one piece, I decided to use some thin brass shim stock for the face of the buckle, and build the bulk of the buckle from thicker, but smaller brass material. Why couldn't I cast a buckle??? That's a story for another day....grumble and mutter.
I cut up the shim stock sheet to give me the shape I wanted, plus folding pieces to cover the joints.
Figure 1 - brass shim stock, and other material
I then cut up some 3/16 x 2" strip to give me the shapes I needed to fill in the back of the buckle. I then folded the shim stock up over the inserted pieces, and sweated it all together with soft solder. My torch is a Primus (Seivert) propane torch with a pencil tip.
Figure 2 - cutting the shim stock with a jeweller's saw
Figure 3- folding in the pieces prior to soldering
Once finished I tested the buckle only to find it didn't "grip" the material well enough to give me confidence. I considered adding a small barb in the buckle so it would grip, but figured it might pose a hazard. Determining the issue resulted from the excess clearance in the buckle openings, I drilled the buckle in four places and inserted some 1/16" stainless steel wire to close up the gaps. In fact it allowed me to double the material through the buckle, adding security and improving the appearance. The wire was cut from an antistatic dissipator from an old CO2 fire extinguisher
Figure 4- Buckle - Mk 1 - not suitable
Figure 5. Buckle Mk2 - with wires inserted
Figure 6. The good buckle threaded onto the belt material
I also made a smaller version of the buckle - reminiscent of a military buckle for capturing the excess belt length (tail as it were) - together they both hold the belt up nicely, and I need not fear the jacket coming open. (I started the smaller buckle while trying to think of a way to salvage the first buckle - thankfully I was blessed with some inspiration there... it would have been a shame to waste it.)
Figure 7. Both buckles on the raw material
Once it was all together, I noticed the seatbelt material would shine in certain light, and it looked distracting. To make the belt more consistent, I over-sewed it with 3 layers of black poly-cotton, and sewed rows of stitching the full length on 6mm (1/4") centres. This added a nice touch to the fabric, and allowed me to taper the open end of the belt making it easier to thread and prevent fraying.
Once the brass was polished up, the belt came out wonderful... the buckle adds a bit of weight, in fact the entire belt weighs in at around 1kg (~ 2 lbs)
Next installment - the hats.
The idea was to use some near new automotive seatbelt material taken from one of the cars we'd cut up in training. Based on the that material, I designed a large brass buckle to suit.
Since I didn't have any suitable material to make the whole buckle from one piece, I decided to use some thin brass shim stock for the face of the buckle, and build the bulk of the buckle from thicker, but smaller brass material. Why couldn't I cast a buckle??? That's a story for another day....grumble and mutter.
I cut up the shim stock sheet to give me the shape I wanted, plus folding pieces to cover the joints.
Figure 1 - brass shim stock, and other material
I then cut up some 3/16 x 2" strip to give me the shapes I needed to fill in the back of the buckle. I then folded the shim stock up over the inserted pieces, and sweated it all together with soft solder. My torch is a Primus (Seivert) propane torch with a pencil tip.
Figure 2 - cutting the shim stock with a jeweller's saw
Figure 3- folding in the pieces prior to soldering
Once finished I tested the buckle only to find it didn't "grip" the material well enough to give me confidence. I considered adding a small barb in the buckle so it would grip, but figured it might pose a hazard. Determining the issue resulted from the excess clearance in the buckle openings, I drilled the buckle in four places and inserted some 1/16" stainless steel wire to close up the gaps. In fact it allowed me to double the material through the buckle, adding security and improving the appearance. The wire was cut from an antistatic dissipator from an old CO2 fire extinguisher
Figure 4- Buckle - Mk 1 - not suitable
Figure 5. Buckle Mk2 - with wires inserted
Figure 6. The good buckle threaded onto the belt material
I also made a smaller version of the buckle - reminiscent of a military buckle for capturing the excess belt length (tail as it were) - together they both hold the belt up nicely, and I need not fear the jacket coming open. (I started the smaller buckle while trying to think of a way to salvage the first buckle - thankfully I was blessed with some inspiration there... it would have been a shame to waste it.)
Figure 7. Both buckles on the raw material
Once it was all together, I noticed the seatbelt material would shine in certain light, and it looked distracting. To make the belt more consistent, I over-sewed it with 3 layers of black poly-cotton, and sewed rows of stitching the full length on 6mm (1/4") centres. This added a nice touch to the fabric, and allowed me to taper the open end of the belt making it easier to thread and prevent fraying.
Once the brass was polished up, the belt came out wonderful... the buckle adds a bit of weight, in fact the entire belt weighs in at around 1kg (~ 2 lbs)
Next installment - the hats.
Santa costume - pants - part 4
let's wrap up the Santa Claus costume...
Pants - nothing spectacularly different there compared to the jacket - although there is one sewing tip worth pointing out...
Want inexpensive broad loom calico for projects? Look at Ikea. Ikea sells a quilt cover made of full width calico for about $8. That gives you 2 pieces of calico the full width and length of a QB quilt... in dollars per metre it's by far the cheapest calico I've ever found, even at the 900m width. Whenever I venture near an Ikea, a few of those quilt covers are always on the list, just for the cheap fabric. The SB cover is called "Bomull", I'd have to look up the QB sized one, but they're usually next to each other in the shop (says Des who hasn't been in Ikea for over 12 months...) IF it saves someone else money, it was worth putting here...
Figure 1. Cheap calico courtesy of Ikea
Basically the pants (I made two pairs) were made using the velour material and the patterns generated. I then lined the inside with the calico, and made a waistband of red polycotton.
The waistband has a drawstring channel in it, and suspender points.
Figure 2. Velour outer being pinned to calico liner
Originally the suspender points were simple tabs which the jaws of the suspenders could affix to, but during test wears I found the jaws would occasionally let go - to beat this issue, I added a small tab at the front with a button, and a larger tab at the back with a corresponding buttonhole. The suspender jaw grips the original tab, and then the buttonholed tab is fed through the loop on the jaw, and buttoned down so it cannot let go.
Figure 3 - original suspender tab
Figure 4 - buttonhole tab threaded through loop
Figure 5. Button tab visible
Figure 6. tab buttoned down for securing suspender
The fur trim added at the bottom has a band of seatbelt material added inside for weighting the cuff downwards, and accentuating the flare of the cuff so the boot is covered better. In the original test fit, the trim would ride up the boot and looked "dorky".. almost like Santa was wearing clamdigger pants. With the weighted trim, the pants naturally fall to the top of the ankle, and ride up only slightly when seated.
No trim is at the waist since it's under the jacket, and would make adjustment with the drawstring harder.
Still to cover... belt, and hats. I'll most likely wrap them both together just to get this documentation finished.
Pants - nothing spectacularly different there compared to the jacket - although there is one sewing tip worth pointing out...
Want inexpensive broad loom calico for projects? Look at Ikea. Ikea sells a quilt cover made of full width calico for about $8. That gives you 2 pieces of calico the full width and length of a QB quilt... in dollars per metre it's by far the cheapest calico I've ever found, even at the 900m width. Whenever I venture near an Ikea, a few of those quilt covers are always on the list, just for the cheap fabric. The SB cover is called "Bomull", I'd have to look up the QB sized one, but they're usually next to each other in the shop (says Des who hasn't been in Ikea for over 12 months...) IF it saves someone else money, it was worth putting here...
Figure 1. Cheap calico courtesy of Ikea
Basically the pants (I made two pairs) were made using the velour material and the patterns generated. I then lined the inside with the calico, and made a waistband of red polycotton.
The waistband has a drawstring channel in it, and suspender points.
Figure 2. Velour outer being pinned to calico liner
Originally the suspender points were simple tabs which the jaws of the suspenders could affix to, but during test wears I found the jaws would occasionally let go - to beat this issue, I added a small tab at the front with a button, and a larger tab at the back with a corresponding buttonhole. The suspender jaw grips the original tab, and then the buttonholed tab is fed through the loop on the jaw, and buttoned down so it cannot let go.
Figure 3 - original suspender tab
Figure 4 - buttonhole tab threaded through loop
Figure 5. Button tab visible
Figure 6. tab buttoned down for securing suspender
The fur trim added at the bottom has a band of seatbelt material added inside for weighting the cuff downwards, and accentuating the flare of the cuff so the boot is covered better. In the original test fit, the trim would ride up the boot and looked "dorky".. almost like Santa was wearing clamdigger pants. With the weighted trim, the pants naturally fall to the top of the ankle, and ride up only slightly when seated.
No trim is at the waist since it's under the jacket, and would make adjustment with the drawstring harder.
Still to cover... belt, and hats. I'll most likely wrap them both together just to get this documentation finished.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Santa costume - jacket - part 3
The jacket was made by cutting out the panels for the back, front panels, and sleeves as per the pattern developed in part 1.
The lay of the fabric was maintained based on the arrows in the patterns. Once sewn together, the lining was made from standard polycotton (as used in making applique quilts) using the same patterns, and then placing it inside the jacket with all seams facing inside the jacket.
Photo 1 - cutting fabric from pattern
The collar of the jacket needed to stand up so any clothes worn under the jacket will not show, I decided the jacket collar needed some stiffening. I designed a flat collar which resembles a mandarin collar from the back, but lays flat as it comes down the front panels.
The stiffener material I used is some seatbelt webbing I salvaged from some of the road-crash training cars.
Photo 2 - Seatbelt and fur trim for collar and it's stiffening
I cut the seatbelt fabric to make the collar higher at the back, and tapering down as the collar crosses over at the front.
The liner was inserted inside the jacket outer, and pinned in place. This allowed for minor adjustments in fit, and the positioning of the internal pocket for the gloves which was sewn in place prior to joining the outer and inner together.
Photo 3 - Jacket outer and liner pinned together
I then stitched this into the fur trim and then stitched this into the layers between the jacket outer, and the liner. This was accomplished by turning the jacket (with it's liner) inside out, and stitching it all together, but leaving a turning area of about 300mm (12") unstitched at the back of the jacket.
Photo 4 - Fur trim pinned in place for sewing into jacket layers
Once the sewing was done, the jacket was turned "right side out" and the turning opening was closed by careful pinning and sewing. To reduce the appearance of the closed seam, I used a derivative of the bias tape method, where I sewed the fur trim to the outer, then reversed the lay so it sat properly and then over-sewed the seam with the liner held in place with pins, this concealed the stitching for the outer/trim seam, and allowed the seam for the liner/trim to be hidden in the seam of the first set of stitching - sorry no photos to simplify the description.
Photo 5 - the finished jacket showing the liner in place
The photo above (photo 5) is where I was trying to determine if a single width belt looked OK, compared to a double width belt.
The pants were made in a similar manner, but will be covered in another posting.
The lay of the fabric was maintained based on the arrows in the patterns. Once sewn together, the lining was made from standard polycotton (as used in making applique quilts) using the same patterns, and then placing it inside the jacket with all seams facing inside the jacket.
Photo 1 - cutting fabric from pattern
The collar of the jacket needed to stand up so any clothes worn under the jacket will not show, I decided the jacket collar needed some stiffening. I designed a flat collar which resembles a mandarin collar from the back, but lays flat as it comes down the front panels.
The stiffener material I used is some seatbelt webbing I salvaged from some of the road-crash training cars.
Photo 2 - Seatbelt and fur trim for collar and it's stiffening
I cut the seatbelt fabric to make the collar higher at the back, and tapering down as the collar crosses over at the front.
The liner was inserted inside the jacket outer, and pinned in place. This allowed for minor adjustments in fit, and the positioning of the internal pocket for the gloves which was sewn in place prior to joining the outer and inner together.
Photo 3 - Jacket outer and liner pinned together
I then stitched this into the fur trim and then stitched this into the layers between the jacket outer, and the liner. This was accomplished by turning the jacket (with it's liner) inside out, and stitching it all together, but leaving a turning area of about 300mm (12") unstitched at the back of the jacket.
Photo 4 - Fur trim pinned in place for sewing into jacket layers
Once the sewing was done, the jacket was turned "right side out" and the turning opening was closed by careful pinning and sewing. To reduce the appearance of the closed seam, I used a derivative of the bias tape method, where I sewed the fur trim to the outer, then reversed the lay so it sat properly and then over-sewed the seam with the liner held in place with pins, this concealed the stitching for the outer/trim seam, and allowed the seam for the liner/trim to be hidden in the seam of the first set of stitching - sorry no photos to simplify the description.
Photo 5 - the finished jacket showing the liner in place
The photo above (photo 5) is where I was trying to determine if a single width belt looked OK, compared to a double width belt.
The pants were made in a similar manner, but will be covered in another posting.
Santa Costume Finished - Part 2
Well the santa costume is done...
There will be more parts put up to show how the costume was made - stay tuned..
The costume comprises:
1 - Jacket with cross-over front panels, internal lining, internal pocket (for gloves), shaped collar, fur trim
2 - Pants - lined, with drawstring and suspender tabs, weighted shaped cuffs, fur trim (2 pair made)
3 - modesty panel under jacket
4 - belt with brass buckles, and attachable "pouch" for lollies, keys, phone, etc
5 - Hat - 2 made, one traditional, one "special"
6 - Boots
7 - Gloves
8 - Beard and wig
There will be pages made for the pants, jacket, and belt so I won't discuss them here.
Photo 1 - showing the traditional hat
The boots are an old pair of structural fire boots (tread worn away to nothing) which I polished up and they're now in the costume set.
The wig and beard were a set I bought on E-Bay
The modesty panel is basically a large calico bib which I put on under the jacket - it's sole purpose is to prevent my shirt showing through the beard between the front panels of the jacket. Last year I went straight to a "santa run" from work and my bright "safety orange" work shirt was showing through the beard - not a good look for Santa. I deliberately wore the same shirt in these photos just to make sure the costume completely covered my clothes without ruining the look.
The belt pouch is simply a lined bag with belt loops which can be threaded onto the belt so Santa has an external pocket for stowing lollies (candy), keys, mobile phone, etc
Photo 2 - the costume
The hats were fun.
I'll probably do a page on the hats, but some of the photos didn't work out so there will be some gaps in the documentation.
Basically one hat is the typical design - about 600mm (24") tall, whereas the other is 1800mm (72") tall. The second one was a fun piece I made to try a theory about a hat also being able to be a scarf. Both hats were made from the same crushed velour fabric that the jacket and pants were made from, and used the same fur trim for the brim, and the pom-pom. Both hats are lined as well.
Photo 3 - Santa with the longer hat
Since Bender kept me company outside whilst I was sewing, it's only fair he gets to try on the hat...
Photo 4 - Bender modelling the scarf-hat
Since I don't have a large model of the Santa Robot, this will have to do...
Photo 5 - Santa and Bender - not menacing at all
I'll document the jacket, pants and belt over the next week (time permitting) and then get back to documenting (and working on) the MOT spotwelder, and a few other projects I'm trying to clear off the "to do" list.
Project costs (AUD):
about $80 for fabric
$30 for the beard and wig
approx 50 hours of sewing, metalwork, etc
maybe $10-20 for incidentals (power, threads, gas, etc)
The day after I completed this project my wife pointed out a costume for sale in one of the online clearance sites... the costume cost about $80 shipped, but it was a thin felt set - the type which only last 3-4 wearings before falling apart... I'd like to think this costume will last many many years so I hardly begrudge the costs in time or money.
There will be more parts put up to show how the costume was made - stay tuned..
The costume comprises:
1 - Jacket with cross-over front panels, internal lining, internal pocket (for gloves), shaped collar, fur trim
2 - Pants - lined, with drawstring and suspender tabs, weighted shaped cuffs, fur trim (2 pair made)
3 - modesty panel under jacket
4 - belt with brass buckles, and attachable "pouch" for lollies, keys, phone, etc
5 - Hat - 2 made, one traditional, one "special"
6 - Boots
7 - Gloves
8 - Beard and wig
There will be pages made for the pants, jacket, and belt so I won't discuss them here.
Photo 1 - showing the traditional hat
The boots are an old pair of structural fire boots (tread worn away to nothing) which I polished up and they're now in the costume set.
The wig and beard were a set I bought on E-Bay
The modesty panel is basically a large calico bib which I put on under the jacket - it's sole purpose is to prevent my shirt showing through the beard between the front panels of the jacket. Last year I went straight to a "santa run" from work and my bright "safety orange" work shirt was showing through the beard - not a good look for Santa. I deliberately wore the same shirt in these photos just to make sure the costume completely covered my clothes without ruining the look.
The belt pouch is simply a lined bag with belt loops which can be threaded onto the belt so Santa has an external pocket for stowing lollies (candy), keys, mobile phone, etc
Photo 2 - the costume
The hats were fun.
I'll probably do a page on the hats, but some of the photos didn't work out so there will be some gaps in the documentation.
Basically one hat is the typical design - about 600mm (24") tall, whereas the other is 1800mm (72") tall. The second one was a fun piece I made to try a theory about a hat also being able to be a scarf. Both hats were made from the same crushed velour fabric that the jacket and pants were made from, and used the same fur trim for the brim, and the pom-pom. Both hats are lined as well.
Photo 3 - Santa with the longer hat
Since Bender kept me company outside whilst I was sewing, it's only fair he gets to try on the hat...
Photo 4 - Bender modelling the scarf-hat
Since I don't have a large model of the Santa Robot, this will have to do...
Photo 5 - Santa and Bender - not menacing at all
I'll document the jacket, pants and belt over the next week (time permitting) and then get back to documenting (and working on) the MOT spotwelder, and a few other projects I'm trying to clear off the "to do" list.
Project costs (AUD):
about $80 for fabric
$30 for the beard and wig
approx 50 hours of sewing, metalwork, etc
maybe $10-20 for incidentals (power, threads, gas, etc)
The day after I completed this project my wife pointed out a costume for sale in one of the online clearance sites... the costume cost about $80 shipped, but it was a thin felt set - the type which only last 3-4 wearings before falling apart... I'd like to think this costume will last many many years so I hardly begrudge the costs in time or money.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
A new project - a Santa costume - part 1 - pattern development
Yes I'm still alive, and a bit stupid since I've added more projects to my "to do list"
Over the past week, I've attended a few callouts for fire and rescue, worked 5 days, and also attended a course (pump operations)
In the "spare" time I attended training for vollies, salvaged the shafting from 7 gas struts (see my earlier shed tip about that), and commenced this new project.
The Santa suit...
One of the fundraising activties carried out by the volunteer Fire and Rescue involves hiring out a "Santa" for local parties. Santa shows up in a 1950 Bedford fire truck (with original lights and siren) and is escorted into the party by a VFRS member... the kids love it, and it's fun work.
The santa costume worn by the volunteer is one of a few, some privately owned, and a couple owned by the brigade - after using one last year which was getting a little long in the tooth, I decided to make my own.
I bought the fabric through Spotlight, and made the pattern up myself.
This posting will discuss the development of the pattern.
Santa's outfit comprises a jacket, a pair of pants, a hat, and some trimmings (not to mention a jolly old fat guy in the middle)
This project will make the jacket (with internal pocket for gloves), 2 pairs of pants, a couple of hats, a belt, and maybe some spats (overboots)
I started the pattern development by grabbing some cardboard wrappers from whiteboards we bought at work - the large sheets of thin cardboard became my primary working material, and also protected the fabric from picking up stains from the trestle table I set up to work from.
I laid out my turnout coat on the cardboard and traced out the key dimensions of the arms, shoulder, waist, and inner/outer seams of the pants.
Figure 1 - using my turnout coat to start the tracing of dimensions
Figure 2. Adjusted tracing of the arm panel, and leg panel
Since I don't have any of that wide thin paper used for making patterns, and I'm not going to cut up my meagre stash of interfacing for a pattern I'll only use once in a blue moon, I decided to fall back on my old trick of using plastic sheet for the pattern material. (I have a stash of tranlucent builder's plastic used for covering gear during cyclones)
The plastic was laid over the tracing, and drawn through with a permanent marker (sharpie, Nikko, whatever your local term is). During this tracing, I made adjustments to the dimensions for cutting/ seam alowance, and changed the cut of the jacket to a more "universal" fit.
Figure 3. Tracing jacket back panel on to translucent plastic
The adjustments made to the pattern included making places for folding the fabric when cutting, and rearranging the seams for joining the arms so they had a natural fit when reaching.
Figure 4. marking on the arm panel plastic to show cuts, direction of fur lay, and number of panels.
Since I was planning on using a crushed velour for the main suit fabric, I had to mark on the lay of the fur (direction) so it looked proper when assembled.
Figure 5. Pants panel patterns.
The last part of the pattern work at this stage was to capture the notes regarding how the suit was to look and go together. Figure 6 shows the notes made regarding the fit of the jacket, placement of fur trim, and trimmings such as pockets and belt loops.
Figure 6. Pattern notes
The next installments will cover the making of the jacket, and belt - hopefully within the next 7 days I'll get the suit finished, then I'll get the documentation done.
Over the past week, I've attended a few callouts for fire and rescue, worked 5 days, and also attended a course (pump operations)
In the "spare" time I attended training for vollies, salvaged the shafting from 7 gas struts (see my earlier shed tip about that), and commenced this new project.
The Santa suit...
One of the fundraising activties carried out by the volunteer Fire and Rescue involves hiring out a "Santa" for local parties. Santa shows up in a 1950 Bedford fire truck (with original lights and siren) and is escorted into the party by a VFRS member... the kids love it, and it's fun work.
The santa costume worn by the volunteer is one of a few, some privately owned, and a couple owned by the brigade - after using one last year which was getting a little long in the tooth, I decided to make my own.
I bought the fabric through Spotlight, and made the pattern up myself.
This posting will discuss the development of the pattern.
Santa's outfit comprises a jacket, a pair of pants, a hat, and some trimmings (not to mention a jolly old fat guy in the middle)
This project will make the jacket (with internal pocket for gloves), 2 pairs of pants, a couple of hats, a belt, and maybe some spats (overboots)
I started the pattern development by grabbing some cardboard wrappers from whiteboards we bought at work - the large sheets of thin cardboard became my primary working material, and also protected the fabric from picking up stains from the trestle table I set up to work from.
I laid out my turnout coat on the cardboard and traced out the key dimensions of the arms, shoulder, waist, and inner/outer seams of the pants.
Figure 1 - using my turnout coat to start the tracing of dimensions
Figure 2. Adjusted tracing of the arm panel, and leg panel
Since I don't have any of that wide thin paper used for making patterns, and I'm not going to cut up my meagre stash of interfacing for a pattern I'll only use once in a blue moon, I decided to fall back on my old trick of using plastic sheet for the pattern material. (I have a stash of tranlucent builder's plastic used for covering gear during cyclones)
The plastic was laid over the tracing, and drawn through with a permanent marker (sharpie, Nikko, whatever your local term is). During this tracing, I made adjustments to the dimensions for cutting/ seam alowance, and changed the cut of the jacket to a more "universal" fit.
Figure 3. Tracing jacket back panel on to translucent plastic
The adjustments made to the pattern included making places for folding the fabric when cutting, and rearranging the seams for joining the arms so they had a natural fit when reaching.
Figure 4. marking on the arm panel plastic to show cuts, direction of fur lay, and number of panels.
Since I was planning on using a crushed velour for the main suit fabric, I had to mark on the lay of the fur (direction) so it looked proper when assembled.
Figure 5. Pants panel patterns.
The last part of the pattern work at this stage was to capture the notes regarding how the suit was to look and go together. Figure 6 shows the notes made regarding the fit of the jacket, placement of fur trim, and trimmings such as pockets and belt loops.
Figure 6. Pattern notes
The next installments will cover the making of the jacket, and belt - hopefully within the next 7 days I'll get the suit finished, then I'll get the documentation done.
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