Recent content by Laughing Magpie

I second the recommendation for Dharma Trading! Even if you don't buy fabric from them, there is a lot of great information on their website about working with textiles and all the techniques I mentioned above.

Custom printing can be a big hassle and expense. I haven't used Spoonflower, but it is the site I thought of first too. I think Spoonflower comes closest to making custom printed fabric accessible. If you're serious about the project, you can start looking for promotional companies, printers...

Nylon actually takes dye really well - especially if you use 'acid dyes' (dyes that are designed to be used with vinegar and are also good for dyeing wool and silk - which is the opposite of dyes that do well on cotton). I bet the threads that didn't take on your undies, Puzzicato, were...

The best sort of dye for nylon is an "acid dye" - it's not a scary sort of acid, it's just a sort of dye that likes to have a slightly acidic pH in the dye bath (which you do by putting some vinegar in). Grocery store dyes may well do the trick for you, but just in case they don't, keep the...

That was a great idea, Lusti Weather, so I tried - they don't have them available in Canada at all (and he complained a little about how the internet has exposed us Canadians to the US Payless selections!). Crumb - this is why I can't have nice things! It's a shoe desert up here! :) I...

Inky: Indeed - throughout this thread I've heard good things about Muffy's shoes, and a sturdy, well-made shoe is always very tempting to me! But I think for this purchase I'd better stick to what I need - I've got a couple solid quality pairs already, and I should look for something lighter...

It's time for me to give up my old pair of saddle shoes and buy another (I've worn the heels down to slivers, and then one of them fell off and I lost it... and they've cracked across the toes...) What I loved about my old pair was that they were incredibly light. They felt so nice to put on...

Hooded top inspiration from the Vintage Pattern Wiki: http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Simplicity_3322_A http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/New_York_1337 http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Simplicity_3199 http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Hollywood_1922 "New Rocks"...

Agreed - and it does matter to Canada's Customs. Early in my eBay buying life I called and talked to a Customs Agent about it. Out of over 200 packages of vintage items sent to me from the States the one time I was charged duty I was able to challenge it based on the fact it was Used. Of course...

I ask US sellers to clearly mark the package as "Used" or "Second-hand" Clothing and not as a gift. The one time I've been charged duty on a package marked this way I successfully challenged Canadian Customs and got the money back from them. So - I actually agree with Cobden, I don't think...

I've only just begun exploring - thanks so much for the heads-up!! I've gone through a couple Advance and Hollywood patterns and early 1930s patterns so far. But I'm noticing that the "pattern pieces" for drafting look to me just like the illustrations for pattern layout that are on the...

Thank you! Costuming is a big hobby of mine - I learned to sew so I could make geeky things like Jedi and Harry Potter costumes. But it also led me to historical and vintage clothing too. If you want all the little details on how that dress was made, I did a SewingPatternReview.com entry on...

I pretty much love everything Ginger Rogers wears, but my favorite costume - like December's - is "Feathers" from the Cheek to Cheek number. I love so much that I made it and wore it to DragonCon last year. (My Fred and I are in makeup to make it look like we're in Black and White, by the...

Thanks so much, Senator Jack! I managed to squeak a vote for you too, in between site crashes!

Threw my hat into the ring! http://madmencastingcall.amctv.com/photos/view/3964 All the best, Jen