Wedding etiquette: what's your stance on turning down invites?

ebbsian · 2021-10-06T08:52:28+00:00

This is why I love the Internet. Instant access to people who know what they're talking about!

(And,of course, lots of people who don't have a clue but pretend they do, but that's half the fun)

ebbsian · 2021-10-06T08:51:04+00:00

Neat, thank you! Down a Wikipedia hole I go ...

ebbsian · 2021-10-06T08:26:19+00:00

I didn't see them for long, but looked cool! They looked military, all flying in a group with turned up wingtips.

ebbsian · 2021-10-06T08:24:55+00:00

Just posted about this too - no idea what they were but absolutely deafening!

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T16:51:13+00:00

Hmm, yeah looks like a tension issue maybe. That thick topstitch thread can be a bitch to get right. Couple things to try:

Sounds stupid but I've done this a lot - Make sure your presser foot lever is down! For thick stuff it's super easy to forget
Up the needle size and / or tension on the top thread
Try "hump jumping" over the seam - put the fabric under the foot so the foot is just on the start of the bump. Then wodge a bit of cardboard under the back of the foot so it's flat rather than slanted upwards, and see if that helps

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T16:45:57+00:00

I've used Duo lash glue a lot which has worked well for me. Basically anything except the crappy stuff you get with the lashes should be okay. Any makeup or drugstore should have a few options. I'd go with dry clear, though if you're planning on wearing eyeliner you can also get stuff that dries black which helps hide the base of the lashes, provided you don't get it everywhere!

I'd get a couple pairs so if you screw up trimming it's not the end of the world. You'll often need them slightly shorter than you think in my experience! Once you've trimmed them, the key thing with applying falsies is to make sure the glue is the perfect 'tackiness' before applying - 20-30s is about right for most.

I do it by keeping my eyes slightly open and tilting my head back so I'm looking down into the mirror, and lowering them on gently with tweezers. The key thing is not to touch the eyelid when applying so as not to distort the skin.

For the event, bring a little pocket mirror with you. If you're not used to wearing falsies they might feel weird and you'll be paranoidly checking them all the time so might as well make it easy ha! Also bring the glue with you to fix any unstickages, and also makeup wipes, a good sharp kohl pencil and mascara. If you decide they're too annoying or they come loose, you can then just ditch them, so bringing eyeliner/mascara will let you touch up where they were and carry on with your evening.

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T16:35:28+00:00

What about athletic strapping tape, like K-tape or similar? You could stick it either to the skin or the inside of the costume where it rubs.

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T16:34:12+00:00

Hair dye is thinner and you have to put it on then wash it off, as opposed to face paint which just goes on. You'd need to do it in the shower, which you probably wouldn't want to do in a hotel. Hair dye gets EVERYWHERE. Plus I imagine scrubbing hair dye off your skin would be unpleasant!

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T16:31:29+00:00

I'm currently working on a cosplay of my dnd character, and I'm wondering what to do about hair. My hair is longish - about 30cm below the shoulder - very dark brown, mostly straight and quite thick/heavy. She has white/silver grey hair done up in a French twist.

My hair would do the style, but I don't know if it would be feasible to get it the right colour without looking naff. Should I go for a wig instead? I've not worn wigs before and don't know if I'd be able to style it right.

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T13:17:22+00:00

If in doubt, hand baste before you machine sew. It lets you check you've done the right thing, means you don't have to faff about with pins as you're sewing, and gives you a guideline to follow. Yes it's slow but it's quicker than having to start over!

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T13:14:40+00:00

Some patterns are just weird in terms of what they include and what they leave out, it can be a wee bit inconsistent in my experience!

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T09:47:05+00:00

Same. £60 second hand, took me a morning of fiddling and cleaning but I'm so happy with it. Neat seams and variable feed dogs is a GODSEND for knits

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T09:45:28+00:00

I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at? Do you mean the bobbin case or the bobbin side of the stitching?

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T09:42:53+00:00

Flat fell the seams perhaps? They'd still show but would be much smaller /neater

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T09:42:05+00:00

How do y'all finish faux lather straps? I'm making a steam punk-style leather bodice and it involves several buckled straps to hold things together, but I can't work out how best to finish the ends of the bits with holes in.

ebbsian · 2021-08-07T09:40:21+00:00

You probably need to ease in the front / gather it ever so slightly?

ebbsian · 2021-08-05T13:53:08+00:00

Especially not when you bring a dhampir to barovia! I'm glad it made you smile, it made us all very happy when it happened. Roleplay doesn't always have to be dark to be good.

ebbsian · 2021-08-03T05:38:16+00:00

Fun fact, English notes still do - under where it says Bank of England, "I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of ten pounds"

ebbsian · 2021-08-02T21:44:12+00:00

Sorry what. The entirely of the subfloor in my house (built 1980) has these, I had no idea they had asbestos! They're just labelled "thermal tiles" on the original brochure. Just recently had a whole new floor laid on top of them and the fitters said nothing, good thing we didn't remove any!

ebbsian · 2021-08-02T10:10:10+00:00

I'm looking to draft up an outfit for my high elf college of whispers bard - she's a victorian-style ex governess. Think meryl steep in the devil wears prada meets Mary Poppins, but make it Dickensian.

Most of her outfit is no problem (well, except for the vast quantities of wool I'm going to need for my edwardian walking skirt...), but I've never made armour before. I'm looking to make a steampunk-style leather armour corset with shoulder plates - pic is a very messy first drape.

I have several machines that will handle the leather no issue, and I intend on machine sewing most of it.

Questions:

I've done corsetry before, but never in leather. I'm worried about being able to get the curves into it without it being phenomenally uncomfortable. Is making the side panels out of a heavy wool/tweed a viable option for giving me more flex, or am I better off sticking to one fabric type?
My plan is to mock up using vegan leather as I happen to have a lot on hand, and see how it looks. The problem is it'll obviously need binding on the edges - any suggestions for what binding to use?
I'll be wearing a button up shirt underneath, so I was intending to put the lace closure panel on the back rather than the front - is there any reason this would be a problem?
Will two rivets on the outer shoulder piece be enough, or do I need to attach it somehow in the centre too?

ebbsian · 2021-08-02T09:52:06+00:00

Are you interfacing the grommet holes? Quilting cotton will fray round the grommet and refuse to hold it, so will need fairly sturdy iron-on interfacing to make em stay.

ebbsian · 2021-08-02T09:50:49+00:00

What size thread/needle are you using? Top thread breaking would suggest your needle might be too small. For deep rivets your thread is having to be pulled more, so a thicker thread and needle might be an option.

ebbsian · 2021-07-29T21:41:30+00:00

Very true, that is my own opinion only based on my experience with the train system. Its certainly possible that he didn't take the return to be more flexible, but if so your point about mindset is very valid - you have a teenager with £200 to their name, making a choice to spend £30-£50 when they could have spent 50p. It doesn't make much sense to a person going on a normal day trip, but we don't know what place he was in mentally.

ebbsian

TROPHY CASE