#and line the last piece with wire and then run them through my sewing machine; I'll need to cut the dart for the coat as well

[autistic-shaiapouf]

Also with so little time before the con and so much Outfit left for me to make, I'm starting to enter hyperfocus when I'm working on it 👁👁

[crankyfacedknitter]

I think I can make masks now?

I may be late on the bandwagon for making masks, but it’s been...a process. Three months ago I didn’t sew at all. I took two sewing classes (How To Use A Sewing Machine and Make An Apron, which was all straight lines, materials pre-cut, etc.) and picked up a few fat quarters of quilting cotton along with some remnants on a whim. A few days later, the lockdown was upon us. 

Two weeks later I ordered a sewing machine, the same one I’d used in the classes, so at least I knew how to work it. It arrived two weeks after that.

I watched videos about what made an effective mask, what shape to use, what were ideal materials, how to fit them, what wasn’t working. It became clear pretty quickly that I wasn’t going to be able to help our front-line workers. I couldn’t get elastic, cotton, interfacing, the plastic stuff to put in the middle that turned out to be unbreathable. I didn’t have fabric scissors or a ruler, only a retractable tape measure. My iron made noises like a disgruntled koala, and spat white stuff out with the steam. Bias tape, twill tape, shoelaces all sold out. I made some prototypes, held them together with hoodie strings. 

A friend posted a mask pattern she was using, being an experienced sewer, along with material guidelines (thanks to her degree in the subject). It took me two weeks to decipher that it wasn’t any different from what I’d heard before, there were just charts and maths reinforcing the decision to use two layers of higher-density (quilting) cotton, plus at least one layer of cotton flannel for moisture absorption between them, for civilian usage, not medical. There were four sizes, which seemed reasonable. They didn’t really fit. I didn’t know what alterations to make.

I learned how to make bias tape, using larger pieces of fabric. I pulled out top sheets from the linen closet that no longer had a fitted sheet to go with them, and used it for bias tape and more mask attempts. They were lumpy, and even with wire for the nose let too much breath out to fog the glasses. I got frustrated. 

A week later, I decided to try to work on my basic sewing skills. Surely that was the problem, right? I made a project bag with a zipper and box corners. I learned that a zipper foot would have made that easier. I made a Japanese-style knot bag and learned that sewing patterns can have basic construction mistakes the same as knitting patterns. My printer made the pattern pages different sizes, but only slightly. (Still haven’t found a solution for that.) I helped my youngest make the same pincushion pillow and fabric boxes that I had made. I sewed an altar cloth, and a pincushion-and-thread-catcher to hang off the side of the table for all the loose threads that just accumulate when you sew. They weren’t perfect, but they were better.

I bought a new iron, and a folding mat to put on the table so I didn’t have to set up a whole ironing board in another room. I got a pair of good scissors, and a magnetic pin dish (HIGHLY REC). I bought new thread, not relying on the stuff in my repair kit that had been there for years. Good thread, still plain white and black (they were running out of that too, online). I made bias tape, burnt the shit out of my fingers, and ordered a bias tape making kit so that process wouldn’t have so much swearing or sweating involved. (It’s been two months. It will be here soon.)

I found a different mask pattern. Someone took the Olsen pattern and made the nose cuts deeper, the chin longer but curved, the sides more swooped. They made it in 7 sizes. Surely one of these would be big enough for my fat face! I made the largest size. It was like going to the store as a kid, with your mom, and sticking your little face into the biggest bra cup you could find. Okay, scaling down. Make the next size down.

 It was still taking forever. I was still making stupid mistakes, like sewing it wrong-sides together, or putting the nose wire pocket on the chin, or cutting out two pieces and one was backwards, so to fit its mate, one of them was wrong-side out. Cut two inner linings. Cut two flannels. Cut two outer pieces. Cut a bias strip for the nose piece, fold in half and sew the short sides shut. Cut four lengths of homemade bias tape, and sew them down on one short side and one long side. Ironing between every assembly step. I could get through about one mask, maybe the cutting-out of a second, before my brain and body shut down, overloaded. I had to take a week or more off of sewing in between sessions, because it took too much energy. I was also helping two kids work remotely, and figuring out how to cook every meal like I was living in the country again, only without the extra chest freezer for resources. It was...a lot. It continues to be a lot.

I labeled the sizes so I could keep them straight, other than the basic measurements they were labeled as. It worked out as XXXS, XXS, S, M, L, XL, XXL. By the time I got down to working on the M, I realized that what I should do is cut out all the pieces at once, not include the flannel or interfacing, and just make some basic fit prototypes. By now I’d gotten a single roll of poly-cotton twill, so I didn’t have to use the bulky homemade bias tape for ties, and that helped, too. Just cut out the paper patterns all at once. Iron all the fabrics. Mark out the patterns on the fabric, all at once. Cut them piece by piece, all at once. Measure out the ties and melt the edges shut, all at once, and so on.

I got through the last four masks in two days doing that. They fit better, and it seems on this pattern, I’m a S/M, my kids are S/M and XS/S, and my husband still thinks he needs the biggest size. I think he’s a L. 

I got a rotary cutter (we already had a self-healing cutting mat, although small) and some more quilting cotton once our state opened up on Monday (don’t get me started). I’m still using the sheets, as they’re actually soft and dense and a neutral color, and good for linings. I ditched the fiddly tailor’s chalk and got out a sharpie. I folded the sheet so I only had to cut once for both sides. I actually pre-washed all my fabrics, which I hadn’t done before, and was startled by how much they shrank. Makes sense with what happened to the fit prototypes after washing. 

I’m learning how to make this easier on myself. I think I’m getting better at it.

Time to iron, and mark out XS, S, M and L patterns. I’m just going to do a bunch, and keep them in piles according to sizes. I don’t know what I’m going to do with them all yet, but it looks like we’re in this thing for the long haul. I think I’m finally ready to help.

[creative-poptart]

Long Rant Incoming

If you don’t want to read this, that’s fine, just keep on scrolling and your life will remain as it is in the moment. What I have to say caters to very few people, but if you’d also like some insight on a personal topic of mine, keep reading. I can’t promise it’ll be fantastic, great, or even exciting, but it is informative.

That being said, if you’re still interested, let me tell you a little something about theater.

This is inspired by a neighbor of mine, one I’ve known since my childhood. He’s pretty nice, used to babysit me for my parents, and overall a great dude. He’s a lot older now, and his wife is no longer with us, may she rest in peace, but that’s just a little backstory. The real reason I write this is not only because of him but because of so many people doing the exact same thing he did.

I happened to come across him walking through the neighborhood, and he stopped to talk to my dad, so I thought I’d say hi. We chatted for a bit about the usual stuff, how’s life, what are you doing for work right now, do you have a boyfriend, etc. etc. Then he asked me if I’m still in school (I am), and then asked where I’m going to school. I tell him the name, and he asks what I’m studying, so I tell him: theater. 

He gives me the look.

You all know exactly what I’m talking about when I say that, the one face that someone makes when they don’t want to say anything, but they do. The look that practically screams, “I’m too polite to outright diss you, but I’m very clearly questioning your choices in life.”

I don’t like to be questioned a lot, because it makes me challenge myself, and I am trying to stay out of a mindset where I don’t know things about myself. This face got me thinking, and I am pissed.

On to the actual meat of the topic, then, the theater. When most people hear the word theater, they automatically think “actor” as the next word. That’s about the extent of their thought process, and I don’t blame them for that, I used to be the exact same way. All theater is, is just a bunch of people on stage, singing or talking their way through a show while wearing fancy clothes and prancing around under hot lights with a set-piece or two behind them, right?

Wrong.

I mentioned in that last sentence three jobs that have nothing to do with the actors themselves. Clothes, lights, and set-pieces. Those three things are all jobs that have nothing and everything to do with the people on the stage. Let’s take a closer look.

First off, clothes, more specifically costumes. That seems simple enough, right? The purpose of the costume is to clothe the actor/actress in a way that they aren’t just naked on the stage. Another use of costumes that people often forget is that it’s supposed to put you in the world on the stage. A shoddy, two-dollar outfit from the party store down the street is going to look terrible under the lights of the stage, and people will automatically be able to tell that it’s cheap. So when you don’t want that to happen, what do you do?

You make them. Sewing’s super easy right? Not for the theater.

Like any average amount of sewing, you have to know how to piece together fabrics and work a sewing machine or needle and thread. There’s more to that though when it comes to theater. The colors have to give the intended effects to the audience that the director wants to portray. Is the character supposed to pop when they make it on the stage, standing out? Are they more of the invisible type, blending in better with the crowd? Are they clean and rich or broke and dirty? All of those and more have to be factored into the costume design.

When the costume is put together, you also have to make sure that actors can move in it as needed. A stiff suit in a physical fight scene may need to be modified so that the actor can actually move around accordingly. The costumes also have to be sensitive to what era/time the show is taking place. Are we in the 1930′s or the modern-day? What sort of thematics are we going for, sci-fi or hyper-realism? There are several other categories of course, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to theater. 

What about the lighting on the stage? Is it soft, harsh, blinding even? Are we going for a pattern on the floor? What color is it? How many colors are there? Is it dim and low for dramatic effect, or are we going full brights to illuminate the stage? Is there a spotlight highlighting a certain actor? That has to be designed and crafted for the stage to look its very best and set the mood for a scene. When the lighting is off, it can throw the entire thing into utter chaos and make the stage and the actors terrible. No matter how good your acting is, if your audience thinks you’re looking awfully yellow and sick when you’re not supposed to, they won’t focus on what you’re doing.

Lighting technicians are a huge part of the theater, and wouldn’t you know it, but there’s actually other jobs that require lighting. The best example to go for: concerts. Think about it, if you can’t see your favorite band on the stage, what’s the point of listening to all the music? Part of the experience at a concert is getting to see the musicians working live, in action. If the lights suck, then you have an issue right from the get-go. 

Another thing, while I’m on the topic of concerts, is sound designing. Sure, your musicians are playing the music, but they have to set up microphones, speakers, wires, the whole shebang. Theater also requires a lot of sound design. Do you have a door slamming sound effect for an off-stage door? What about a musical interlude between scenes? Is a television playing cartoon sounds? What about a radio with a cue to cut off at a particular time? All of that has to be carefully cued up and ready to go before a show starts. Who else uses sound design? Music studios. This is not a singular skill just made for the theater.

Now the third job that I mentioned way back in the wall of text above set pieces. Someone has to make those, and sure, while there are people who just buy certain things in, most of the theater stuff is made nearby in a scene shop. Any stairs, platforms, windows, seats, walls, etc. that are made for a show can be made in the scene shop. The funny thing about the building of stuff in a scene shop, though is that all the tools, equipment, and materials that are used in there are things that you can find at any hardware store. The same techniques that you use to build a platform in a scene shop, or a wall, are the same kinds that are used in construction work for building houses. The dimensions, purposes, and durability of these things are far different, but they are all made the same way. Wouldn’t you know it, but there’s also a whole lot of options in construction, and that’s a “real job” in the world.

But sure, I get it. Some of these things aren’t that great to think about, and they don’t make a whole lot of difference. Let’s take a step back from the actual theater though, and take a breather. What about using the acting side of it somewhere else? Is there anywhere else?

I’m glad you asked.

The courtroom.

What? There’s no way that acting can be done in a courtroom, right?

Think about this: what’s the job of a lawyer in the courtroom? They have to present their cases to the jury and the judge, give the evidence, and hopefully, they’ll win the jury over to thinking that they’re right and give the verdict in their favor. That’s the bare basics of it, but also consider this.

Is a lawyer genuinely effective in their job if they don’t convince the jury that they’re telling the right side of the story? 

A lawyer has to learn how to capture the attention of the room to make sure that everything they give is compelling evidence. They have to make use of their bodies, their facial expressions, their tonality when they speak, all to get the answer that they want to see in the courtroom come to pass. Do you think law school teaches them how to do that? Not really, they’re focused more on giving them the appropriate laws and regulations they have to follow.

Theater does that. 

When they act on a stage, a good actor/actress will captivate you. Every single word that comes from their mouth will compel you to want to know a little more. That’s how it should be. A lawyer’s job is much the same, but instead of having an audience of a few hundred, they have an audience of twelve to convince. One of my friends is gearing up to be a lawyer, and he told me that a theater degree in law school is more desirable than a criminal justice degree. Theater also teaches improvisation, which is handy to have when your opponent brings up a point in their case that you didn’t prepare for.

If none of that has convinced you that theater degrees are not totally worthless, then I just have one last piece for you to chew on mentally. Actors and actresses have one of the hardest entertainment jobs that we know of. They have to be able to remember what to say, where and when to say it, where they stand, how they move, where they’re moving to, what’s coming up next, and they do it for hours on a single night, not including all the prep work in rehearsal. On top of that, there’s no do-overs if something goes awry. 

If one actor forgets their line and they can’t get back on track, the other actors have to improvise, or basically make something up on the spot, to try and get themselves and the other actor back on track. If something physically goes wrong, like an actor getting hurt or a set-piece breaking mid-show, they can’t stop everything and start again. The show must go on, and they all have to do it with a smile on their face and keep everything running as smoothly as possible. 

Additionally, actors have to believably portray emotions and feelings to an audience all night long. This is done, mind you, before a live audience who watches their every move, analyzing whether that actor feels the emotion. It can be exhausting to do, and many actors train for so long just to be emotionally open enough to get one or two feelings on the stage.

To summarize: theater contains so much more than just people standing on a stage and acting. My school makes me experience all the backstage stuff, working in the scene shop, helping to build costumes, learning about the lighting, and set designs. All of that says nothing about props, actual furniture pieces, who’s actually running the freaking show mid-performance. Theater is more extensive and more diverse than people really think.

To all of you who say that theater isn’t a real job, or that I’ll never get anywhere with this degree, read this first. Read this, do some digging, talk to people who work in the backstage areas of actual productions.

Then come talk to me. My degree is not useless, but until you at least take a look at some of the other facets of theater, I really don’t care what you have to say about my degree.

[parsleybabe]

Home Made Simple S01E03 - Chicken Party

We’re starting off with the exact same team as on episode 2: Host Lady, Chef Guy, Deco Guy and Wood guy. The episode centers around Caprisha, who just bought a house and is turning forty and wants to invite her friends to the party at her new place. Her bff is also there to help. Basically, they’re going to focus on the woman’s garden and turn it into a party location. I’m really bad with names, but I’ll keep referring to Caprisha by her name, because they say that name soooooo often in this episode and make songs and puns about it that I actually managed to remember.

My personal highlights:

We’re starting out with Deco Guy introducing a yellow color theme and Chef Guy deciding to make the party lemon themed, as there is a lemon tree in the backyard. I’m genuinely worried that Host Lady is going to lose her shit over the yellowness again, based on what we’ve seen from her previously, but she remains surprisingly calm.

Wood Guy suggests they could build a pergola and explains to the audience what that is with pictures and descriptions. I don’t know, maybe they just aren’t as common in the US? But for a brief moment I’m worried they might start explaining other basic building structures like garages or front doors or whatnot as well. Fortunately they don’t. But they do explain the pergola twice in the episode, because Caprisha and her bff also don’t know what it is, and the renovators have to fill them in as well. Anyway. Everybody is totally into the idea of building such a thing, except for Host Lady. Because, “A pergola is an enormous project.” No, no no no. No! “That’s too much!” So they say they’re scratching the idea, although it looks super fake.

I don’t really get what the big deal is, in the first place, because pergolas are very easy to build and it won’t take up a lot of time either, you just need to screw some wood pieces together and anchor them in the ground, for example by using iron bars. Definitely not more of a hassle than the storage benches from episode 2, but what do I know?

Chef Guy is extraordinarily camp in this episode, which, don’t get me wrong, is totally fine. It just takes me by surprise because I had to actually check if he’s the same Chef Guy as in the previous episodes, that’s how differently his personality comes across. Maybe it’s just the girl party theme of the episode that he’s feeling, though.

Anyway, they’re emptying lemons to use them as party food containers for granita later. Ooooh, I spot a Dawn Power Clean cameo while Caprisha is rinsing out the lemons. It’s like spotting the Stan Lee of home renovation. It’s a bit funny tbh, because Caprisha’s at the sink but her hands and the lemons are out of frame, instead you get the soap dead center and placed strategically right under her arm, so you can read the brand name without obstructions. I don’t even care anymore, I’m just glad they didn’t use the soap to rinse out the lemons.

Next, they’re standing in the dog run of Caprisha’s garden and it’s surrounded by high, smooth grey walls with barbwire on top. To be honest, it looks like a mix of a prison and a chicken coop. If I were doing anything to that backyard, I’d take the barbed wire down and paint the walls a different color. Instead, they’re talking about building a lounge inside it. Alright, you could do that too, I guess.

Deco Guy and the bff are now working on party invitations. The plan is to put the invitation inside a music CD, then put that in a fancy orange gift box, wrap it as a present and hand it out as an invitation. It’s actually a neat little gimmick, but quite expensive and time consuming just for an invitation, if you ask me, depending on how many friends you have. You could say, it’d be easier to build a pergola, but maybe that’s just me.

So, Deco Guy shows a simple invitation that he printed out from the show’s homepage, and… yeah, simple indeed. It’s literally a square with the most basic party info written inside. Like, in the most basic font, Arial or something, just black print on yellow paper. You could type that up in word quicker than searching for it on their website, but okay… Then he shows her how to cut out the paper, how to put it into the CD case and that into the box and how to wrap a ribbon around the box and make “a nice little bow”. All very important steps that you don’t wanna miss, or you’re not gonna be able to do this on your own. Hmm, he states that the invitation costs “literally pennies” and I am left to wonder how they managed to get the ten to twenty gift boxes and CDs for free.

Okay, now Wood Guy and the bff stand inside the “prison” part of the garden and are gonna build the lounge seating area. Cool, cool, cool. They got a lot of same sized wooden bars and are screwing them together to form squares. They stand the squares up and place them side by side in a row to later put a large sheet of wood on top to form a bench. Easy, simple concept. I actually do like it, but I can already tell that that base is going to be too high to sit on the lounge comfortably. Your feet won’t be able to reach the floor. Should have made rectangles to keep the benches lower, but maybe that was too complicated? They’re using an electric screw driver to put in the screws and you can totally see the wood break all the way through to the end of the bar, both when the bff and Wood Guy are doing it. It’s neither addressed nor fixed though. I guess the whole thing isn’t meant to last anyway, because they also don’t put any varnish on the construction, even though it’s meant for outside, so.

Meanwhile, Chef Guy shows Caprisha how to make some mousse for the party, and it’s an alright recipe too. It just cracks me up a little how Caprisha tries some and expresses, “It’s nice and light!” And Chef Guy totally jumps on the “light” aspect, even though the mousse is made of basically sugar, cornstarch and whipped cream.

We’re back in the garden and the benches are coming together.  The seats are now at the hight of Wood Guy’s upper thigh without any cushions or padding yet. But I assume you could work around that. As I mentioned, it looks like a chicken scoop, so why not add some chicken ladders going up to the roost, right? They briefly show that they’re going to use more wood to make a backrest at an angle, and then we see the finished result, but we don’t get to see how they work around sharp edges or cracks. They also don’t mention that you should probably sand the wood so you won’t get any splinters. But I’m not an expert, so don’t listen to my layman’s opinion.

As a filling for the empty lemon cups, Chef Guy and Caprisha are preparing some the granita, which is basically frozen lemonade with sugar. I’m sensing a theme and it’s not the lemons. I wonder if there’s gonna be any non-sweet food at the party at all. Doesn’t look like it though. But it doesn’t matter, Chef Guy and Caprishado a little sexy victory dance in the kitchen, because freezing lemonade is hard and they deserve that. And then he gives her “the gift of cleaning”, which translates to filling up the dishwasher in front of a smartly placed bag of Cascade dishwater tabs, then gently taking a tab out and placing it into the slot before turning the machine on. Cameo #2. The gift that keeps on giving.

Back in the garden, Wood Guy and Deco guy are having a talk while sitting on the half-finished lounge and letting their feet dangle. I don’t wanna say that they look small on the too high bench, let’s say… youthful. But the truth is, they’re having a really deep conversation and heart to heart, because Wood Guy opens up about his love for pergolas and confesses that he can’t let go of the idea. Deco Guy is super supportive and they decide to tackle the obstacles. Have some respect for these men, for real though. Wood Guy admits, “I’ve never seen it done before.” And Deco Guy understands the pressure, “We’re going where no man has ever gone before.” And then they talk briefly about having to draw up the steps to build it because “it’s really simple.”

Now they gotta convince Host Lady. Instead of anchoring the wooden build in the ground they want to use deck pair footing inside plastic flower pots as floor weights. My idea would have been simpler, safer, cheaper and longer lasting, but I guess you could do that too. I still don’t know why they need the flower pots at all, but, on the plus side, Wood Guy drew little stick figures on his sketches so that Host Lady can understand what he’s talking about, and who cares about the flower pots anyway. She has to let them do it now, right? She does and Wood Guy gets “a gold star today.”

He actually deserves one, btw, because – for the first time ever on this show – we do actually see footage of him and the girls building the whole thing including all the steps he talked about before.

We’re back with Deco Guy, Caprisha and her bff inside the house. He’s teaching them how to sew straight lines to make a pillow. And that’s as complicated as it gets. He also shows them how to fix the fabric with pins and does it wrong (puts them in line with the sewing direction, which will get them stuck in either the sewing machine or your fingers, instead of pinning them sideways to the direction, so you can easily pull them out as you’re sewing). Fortunately, the two ladies don’t know how to sew and won’t even notice. And since they’re now “master sewers”, they get to sew a whole bunch of pillow cases overnight. Right before the party. Because why would the birthday girl need any sleep, am I right?

So, it’s the next day, and the pillows are done. Deco Guy is excited but criticizes the “fresh, out-of-the-fabric-store smell.“ Now, I don’t know where he bought the fabric, but all the fabric stores that I’ve ever been to smelled lovely. And new fabric usually doesn’t have any smell at all. Maybe that’s different where they are though, I assume. But, fear not, Deco Guy is a true hero because he brought some Febreze Fabric Refresher which will both freshen up the pillows and add to the ever growing family of product placements on this show. And, man, does it smell good. They all agree on that and we’re getting lots of footage of them spraying the pillows very elegantly with their new super weapon.

We’re now back in the kitchen with Chef Guy and Caprisha and he’s gonna show her how to make whipped cream out of cream and syrup, because clearly the other food they got doesn’t have enough sugar. They put it onto the previously made mousse and it looks like… chicken poop. Which started out as a joke on my end, but genuinely must be the unspoken theme of their party. I didn’t even plan this when I began writing this review. I genuinely edited the title just now.

Back out in the yard, Host Lady and Wood Guy are talking about building a fire pit in the center, and that sounds like a really cool idea, I have to admit. This is something that’s gonna last and will come in handy later whenever you wanna have a garden party. It’s great. However, instead of building a fire pit, they just drop sand and big pieces of gravel onto the floor and put an empty grill bowl on it, like a random makeshift beach bonfire. This is the most disappointed I have been so far on this show.

Host Lady then steps inside and suggests that she and Caprisha will decorate the inside of the house with lemons in case any guests come in and need to use the bathroom. The instructions are, “Make sure to have enough toilet paper, light some candles and hang out fresh hand towels.” I have no idea where the lemons actually come into play and they don’t show it either, we just see them step into another room and that’s it.

The final results of the “renovation” are now prepared and shown. Suddenly there are several big pink, yellow and orange tables and étageres standing around which serve as displays for the food. They are the biggest eye catcher in the whole garden. But all we got to see about how those came into play was in a brief overall work process montage (where amongst many other things Deco Guy was shown for about half a second, painting them). No idea if they built them themselves or bought them. It’s never addressed and they’re just there.

Host Lady goes to get the girls and loses her shit “bright yellow” style when she sees them. The pitch of her voice is higher than ever and she throws her hands up and screams, “You look gooooood , guuuurrrrlll!!!” and then puts her hands to her hips and screeches, “Woooooooooooooow!!!” , except it sounds more like a police siren. I mean, it’s a nice compliment. A bit super over the top and super loud, but… nice, I guess. Maybe they couldn’t take the barbed wire down because it belongs to the neighbors who put it up in fear of the weird Host Lady.

Anyway, back to the final look of the garden. The lounge benches are now painted, no idea when that happened, and they now have padding and cushions and pillows and are even higher than before. Sadly, no chicken ladders though. But Caprisha and her bff won’t have to use the bench anyway, because they get a couple of swinging chairs as a gift for under the pergola (which they need to remove for the party, but can keep afterwards). Yaaaaay!

[purkinje-effect]

The Purkinje Effect, 12

Table of Contents

After he’d retrieved his duffel from the sleeping bag downstairs, Geek milled about Goodneighbor to assess his options as to stocking up to hit the road. He’d hoped he could have stayed longer before having to head out again so soon, but he thus far had no complaints. They weren’t kicking him out--yet. He was simply earning his keep by running this errand for their Mayor.

The small town was fortified the entire way ‘round, with just the one entrance. He’d stepped out of the Statehouse to the other end opposite the one he’d entered, resulting in his coming across a number of different establishments he’d not yet seen due to being pigeonholed behind the landmark building. To his right, a theater that now boasted the title of “Memory Den,” and to his left, the Hotel Rexford, which still seemed to be operating as such at first glance. At either end of the short span of street were corrugated metal shanties with a good handful of squatters. His dark, angled undercut had entirely fallen to the left side of his head by this point, as it was wont to do. When the Neighborhood Watch noticed his thoughtful, confused glances, one of them--pale hair, wiry sideburns, another of the ghouls--chuckled and walked up to him.

“Y’new here, so I suspect you’re a little lost. Rooms available at the Rexford--Claire charges ten caps a week, though. Fred’s got all the chems you could ask for, if you’ve got the funds. And that over there’s the Memory Den, if you’re interested in relivin’ some... curves you miss, heh. I think Irma might get a kick outta ya. Round the corner’s Kill or Be Killed an’ Daisy’s Discounts, if y’need supplies. And if y’hadn’t been there yet, The Third Rail’s under the Statehouse. Best bar in the Commonwealth, if you ask me.”

“Under the Statehouse?” He’d listened quietly up until that point. “Under, Rail. It used to be a subway station, then.”

“Bingo.”

Galen thanked him, and rounded to the right around the long Statehouse, through a small square with park benches, and back down a narrow street. Briefly he wondered about the alley to his left, but he could see the door into Goodneighbor ahead of him and went straight rather than investigate what might have been down there. It might be considered trespassing, for all he knew.

He started at Kill or Be Killed first, wondering if it was the kind of place it sounded like. At its front counter was an Assaultron robot, and the pink outsider froze as tactfully as possible in the open doorway of the shop, hoping she didn’t perceive him as an enemy. He remembered that during the war, the government had issued a decent number of the vaguely anthropomorphic machines to the military, and that they’d been formidable, notably terrifying adversaries. Her mostly featureless, long face was divided in half both directions, by a seam which held a single glowing red ocular lens, and had two short radio antennae where ears might have been on a more human countenance. She still ported military paint, down to her designation as USA issue on her chest.

“Well, hello. Everything here is guaranteed to injure, maim, or kill at your discretion. Except me. I only kill when I want to.” Her coy, holographic voice imparted the impression in Galen’s imagination that had she moving features, that she’d have been making eyes at him.

“An... Assaultron runs this store?”

“That’s what my makers called me. An Assaultron: Designed to provide various security related tasks to the modern man. Runtime conclusion: Why work for the man when you can work for yourself? New designation: K-L-E-O. Kleo. Fully independent store owner. Robot enough for you, smooth talker? Now, what are you buying?”

“I, ah, what have you got?” Galen’s feet were cemented firmly on the dark marble floor, and he tried to force a plaster smile. “...Ms. ‘Tron.”

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m a woman. And I run a store that sells very. Large. Guns. So what’ll it be?”

“Let’s see what you have.” She had him beguiled beyond a faculty to do much better than humor her.

“Take a look around, sweetheart. You’re sure to see something you like. Me, for example.”

He browsed her small store, similar in layout to Daisy’s, owing to its shared building. Most of what KL-E-O had to offer lay behind the counter on gun racks and shelving, but there was also a workbench beside the stairs, laden with various equipment. Albeit impressive, the guns didn’t much catch his fancy, but the prospect of working on his current weapons certainly did. She had an ammo bin, as well as a junk bin. Perusing the various odd things in her junk gave him an idea. All he had left he thought she might like was the pipe rifle from the super mutant, though, but he offered it anyway.

“Would you gimme a box of bullets, a few screws, and the meat mallet there?”

KL-E-O processed a moment.

“What caliber do you require, tiger?”

“Whatever is cheapest. I’m not picky.”

“Sensors indicate an equivalent exchange will be thirteen 10mm bullets, two screws, and a meat mallet. Affirmative?”

He wasn’t sure whether it was a good trade, but what he was receiving in the trade would be more useful to him than if he’d have kept it.

“Before I agree, I realize I should ask if I could. What do you charge to use your workbench?”

“It’s a free town, baby. Do whatever you like. However. Probability is low that your results will satisfy your needs quite like my guns.”

“...Deal.”

The items changed hands, and he walked up to the workbench. The vice, metal saw, and drill press all helped him tool the head of the meat mallet. He took apart his left knuckleduster, removing the wingnuts. With the head of the mallet cut in half with a few connecting lines bored into the raw side, he then licked the raw side out of habit before butting the backside of the line of rings and bumper of the duster up to it. The bolts went in, and he tried it on to admire the sturdiness of the improved design. While he was at it, he made use of the belt sander to freshen the blade of his wrench-shiv as well.

“You run a good business, KL-E-O,” Galen thanked on his way out. “It was good to meet you.”

“Don’t be a stranger,” she replied.

He adjusted his duffel as he strolled into Daisy’s. The friendly, blonde ghoul was sitting on a stool, reading a deteriorating magazine, but she picked up her head when she heard his footsteps.

“Oh! you came back. I heard you next door. Was hopin’ you’d come back.”

“That KL-E-O... sure is a femme fatale type. Hoo.”

“Makes two of us,” she grinned. “Couldn’t get enough of this figure? ...No? Then I suppose you really are the sword swallowing type.”

“Goodneighbor has its deadly vixens right up front and center to greet a fella when he first steps foot in the place,” he played along, matching her playful sneer. “Between you and KL-E-O, I’m doomed.”

“I knew I’d like you. What brings you back in, if it wasn’t me?”

“The mayor asked me to go check up on something for him, so I need some supplies.” A pause. “I know you don’t run a charity. I’ve got about twenty dollars and three tin cans to my name, and I don’t suspect that’ll get me all that far.”

“How long are you suspecting this to take you?”

“Not sure. A week, if I’m lucky? I think I’ll do well enough with whatever I find in dumpsters along the way, but what I really need are... better utensils, for lack of a better description. Tin snips, maybe a hammer if you’ve got one. Still gettin’ used to my change in dietary habits. It ain’t recent, but to be fair I only recently went cold turkey off of the normal stuff.”

“A set of tools? I can certainly help with that.” She casually rose from her perch to fish around in her milk crates of miscellany. Without looking up, she suggested, “You’ve... also got that library book. That might sweeten the deal.”

“You can have it,” he agreed, a little too curtly to have meant anything other than he’d meant it. “I only picked it up because it was the first book I’d found above-ground that wasn’t crumblin’ t’dust. We had a copy back at the vault. I’ve read it... too many times.”

“It’s been long enough since I read it that it’ll be like I haven’t before.” She set down a handful of different tools. “A ball peen hammer, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and tin snips. I’ve got a pair of wire cutters, too, but they’re probably too rusty to make immediate use of for their intended function.” Reaching under the counter, she produced a book of her own and slid it toward him. “Twenty bucks and your book, for these four tools and my book? Mmh?”

“Kerouac’s On the Road.” The ex-vaultie raised an eyebrow.

“I thought you might enjoy the irony of it,” she admitted. “So do we have a deal?” When he hesitated, she raised an attentive finger and dog-eared their transaction. A brief rummage yielded a piece of leather armor--a right shoulder piece. “How about now? Keep that arm in one piece a little longer.”

“You’re a real comedian, Miss Dais’. Sure thing.” Again, he walked away feeling slightly more useful for the exchange.

“My pleasure.”

“Oh, uh. I noticed it last night but I know it was late. Is it all right if I use your sewing machine? My hood is coming unraveled. Duct tape only holds so long, I guess.”

“Help yourself. I let everybody here use it. Most people don’t leave it how it was before they used it,” she insinuated with a pleasant aggression and a smile.

“I’ll be sure to clean up afterward,” he assured.

The book went into his bag with his vault suit, the tin snips and pliers into his hip pockets, and the hammer into the tool loop at the side seam of his thigh. He set the armor on the sewing table while he worked on the hood. It didn’t come out perfect, but it didn’t have to. The article of clothing had become a source of comfort for him in the past week, and he didn’t want it coming apart any faster than it would just for sake of unfinished edges. Once it was repaired, he unzipped his jumpsuit to slip it back into the neckline; then, he slipped the slim pauldron armor up onto his bare shoulder and fastened it, and zipped back up.

“I didn’t expect it to be comfortable,” he commented, patting the armor through the thick utility fabric. He fished his gloves out of his duffel, and beat the daylight out of them on the side of the table to get the material flexible again.

“If you survive the errand Hancock has for you, I’ve got one of my own to send you on. In case you needed one more thing to remind yourself to survive out there.” Daisy winked at him when he glanced up.

“Guess I’ll have to wait to find out,” he mumbled when she didn’t elaborate.

“Don’t read that book all in one sitting, if you can help it,” she suggested, watching him use her broom and dustpan to pick up after his mud-and-blood fit and deposit it in front of the store. When he came back inside and returned it readily, she added, “Reads best if you break it up over a week or so. At least, in my experience.”

“I’ll let you know how I liked it when I get back in town,” Galen ribbed, grinning wide at her as he shouldered his duffel again and walked off to exit town again.

Maybe when he returned, he’d have cause to pay a visit to The Third Rail.

[jedimanda]

The Queen is here! She has been completed (at least 98% of it). I really can’t believe that I actually did it. O_O. I’m in awe with myself. My Queen Amidala cosplay is now ready to compete with. I had my first photos taken of her this past weekend with my bestie, Alexandra Lee Studios. I don’t trust anyone else with my photos besides her, truth!

Now having her done, we can now chat about the techniques I used to put her together. Beware, this post might be long, but enjoyable, I promise.

I started working on her in April of 2016, with the headpiece first. I’m glad I started there because if that would have failed, I wouldn’t have gone any further. But luckily I started gaining good ground on her. I started a worbla base for her cap that rest on my head. Not too hard, then I added details by the way of fabric paint. yup truth, I used fabric paint for all the little details you see on the headpiece. Then of course sprayed over with gold spray paint.

The giant M structure was next to build, I used a lot of things in that M. Cardboard was used as a pattern first and inner stabilizer, then I placed guiding batting around it and stuffed with poly fill to give it its round shape. Then covered that in chicken wire and then covered in duct tape. That part was messy and difficult. TRUST ME. At first I made the M too big and just kept trimming it down before I added the hair. I must say the M is attached to the gold crown by the hole I made at the top.

The M is made up of 4 wigs. I ordered cheap wigs from Amazon and ripped the wefts out of them and glued them on layer by layer. This is what gave it the weight I truly did not see till I tried it on at the end. OUCH. BUT WORTH IT!!!

After the M was “haired” I started finishing up all the gold attachments. All are made from worbla sandwiched over 1/8″ craft form. Then formed with a heat gun to the shape I need. Applied fabric paint dots, lines, and squiggles then sprayed it gold! This took a lot of time too. Next I started the hanging columns from her headpiece. It’s basically upholestry foam that I rolled up and wrapped in red brocade. Then applied the gold worbla pieces to the spots needed. It’s attached to the headpiece by two jump rings because they need to be moveable.

OK now, all the pieces are attached, now it’s time for the final additions and touches. I used like 20 yards of gold chain for the strands hanging of the sides of my crown pieces and faux jewels glued over them. Then I hand painted all the little dots through the headpiece red and blue. BOOM, headpiece is done. Now to try it on. Once I tried it on, I realized that I will be a thick wig to basically provide a cushion for my head because having just the worbla crown on my head hurts pretty bad. So the current wig I have that is under it won’t work, I need to rethink this piece and have a new wig and ponytail for Star Wars Celebration. Oh ya! The ponytail, that was interesting to play with. It’s actually my least favorite part of my costume. I hate ponytail wigs, and you really can’t put up a “non ponytail” wig up into a ponytail. Cosplayers, you will understand this. Try it and it reduces the size of the wig cap and it’s like a child size wig. Big fail, you can see the issues in my livestream of my photoshoot over on my Facebook page.

That being said, I will have to purchase a new lace from base wig and two ponytail clips to complete the under wig. Not fun, this will run me up about $85 in Arda Wigs. ugh -_- BUT lets move on.

The headpiece is completed, and I happily put it aside to focus on sewing the tunic, skirt, and robe. FINALLY. It’s sewing time, my confidence shot up like 100%. Let’s start with the tunic and skirt first…oh no wait amanda, you must start the beading…

Oh my god, the beading ok. The amount of beading I had was nuts but it was crucial to the piece. I beaded separately on nude netting for the main piece in the middle of my tunic. Once that was complete (so many hours), I attached it to my tunic over the white organza and orange fabric that was there. Then I proceeded to bead around it, using my own designs and photos I found from the movie and the Disney Parks dress. The sleeve ends will get beads…eventually. Then I hand stung the hanging beads, that was the easiest part. haha. Now let’s get to the tunic and skirt creation.

I want to list the fabrics I used for her here. Both from Fabric.com and Joann’s Tunic and Skirt fabric- 7 yards of Shantung Sateen Orange from Fabric.com

20 yards of gold 1/4″ robe trim from fabric.com

8 yards of Premier Velvet in Red from Joanns’ for the robe

Among other notions I bought were orange and red Coats and Clark thread, 10 spools of Elastic thread (for shirring technique on robe), interfacing, 30 yards of upholstery piping that I dyed to orange. Plus about 4 yards of gold netting for collar band overlay.

The tunic and skirt patterns I used were custom, I used a base bought pattern then adhered to what I needed on the dress form. The Robe pattern is actually an altered Jedi robe pattern form Simplicity.

The pleated of the tunic and skirt are 1/2 overlap pleats (i think that’s the technical term of that). Measured out on the back and ironed flat.

ASSEMBLE all the pieces together and boom, a lovely tunic and skirt. This actually was pretty simple. The fabric I bought was great, pressed nicely and served well. I used a french hem on both tunic and skirt, and left a little bit of a train on the skirt.

Robe time, ok. This was way more of a massive project that I thought. I have no clue the math I need to work to achieve certain elements I wanted. THANKFULLY my boyfriend is great at math and helped me a great bit to determine the amount of fabric I needed to buy. Once I altered the pattern for the robe, I cut out some pretty massive pieces for the textured panels at the bottom of the robe.

Now one of the main questions I get is how I created the super lush texture you see that I have my hand on. I made it buy using a sewing technique called “shirring”. Shirring is basically sewing normally but having your bobbin full with elastic thread. You must hand wind the thread on there then simply place it normally like you would a bobbin within your machine. The trick is to sew normally and the fabric will bunch underneath. It’s works great. A lot of seamstresses use this method for dresses for little kids, easy on, easy off. The only problem is the amount of fabric that you have to DOUBLE to get the desired final size you need. So one of pieces I had to cut for the bottom panels was literally a 60″ by 68″ right curved angle. dear lord… Once the pieces of velvet were cut out I then sewed a line of elastic thread vertically and horizontally with 2″ in-between. Basically looked like a checkerboard pattern on the back of the velvet. Once those pieces were done, I lined them and attached them to the robe. Next added the gold trim by doing a 2 by 2 stranded braid. Hand sewed it on. Now it’s downhill from here, I promise.

I created the collarband and sleeve band from hand dyed upholstery thread then fabric glued onto scraps of the orange fabric, once that was glued, I then overlayed some gold netting from Joanns over and “snug” stitched the overlay on. Looked like I was sewing udon noodles.

After that collar band was done. I then stepped back and wowed myself. Couldn’t believe it, the last thing I needed to do was the circle embroidery on the robe. I created the design on Adobe Illustrator then digitized it into an embroidery file using my embroidery software. 

Nest was literally 12 hours of embroidery because each circle design took 14 minutes. Had a couple of hiccups but it went well. Once that was done, she is now complete enough for a photoshoot.

A snip and a trim there, she is ready for her debut. I’m so happy to have seen this project all the way though. It took me 9 months to totally create it. A literal baby.

If you have any questions on anything, just shoot me a message! You can reach me through my contact tab. Cheers! Photo credits: Alexandra Lee Studios instagram.com/aleestudios

  The Queen has arrived. The Queen is here! She has been completed (at least 98% of it). I really can't believe that I actually did it.

[coats-viy]

West Elm Inspired DIY Leather Tufted Headboard

As a person of a certain age (cough, cough, late 20s), I often want nice things but my taste outpaces my bank account. Can anyone relate? This headboard from West Elm has been on my radar for a while now and is so deliciously beautiful. I WANTED it, tried to bargain with myself why I should get it, and thought of things I could give up in exchange. But in the end, my boyfriend talked me off yet another figurative cliff and I challenged myself to make the best knock off version I could. Enter: my DIY Leather Tufted Headboard.

West Elm inspiration headboard

How to make your own DIY Leather Tufted Headboard

Since our previous bed was a low platform style, we needed to purchase a new frame in addition to replacing the headboard. After researching beds vs. bed frames only, I ultimately went with this IKEA Hemnes bed because it got us a new frame and with the low price tag I didn’t worry about covering the headboard.

IKEA Hemnes queen bed

Here are the rest of the supplies:

Headboard to cover

Alternate– Skip covering an old headboard all together and use pegboard as your base layer. You’ll then mount directly to the wall using z-clips.

Peg board- cut to the same size as your headboard

You’ll only need this if your headboard has cut out areas like mine or if you’re using pegboard as the base layer. If you are using a solid wood headboard, skip this step.

Pro tip– Home Depot will not cut peg board so try a local lumber yard or cut on your own saw.

Drill and wood screws

High-density foam

I went with 2” thick but this is what determines how deep the tufted indents can go, so feel free to go thicker if you’d like. They make up to 5″!

Alternate– If you’re budget conscious, try using an inexpensive foam mattress cover instead.

Batting

Basting spray or spray adhesive

Leather fabric

I purchased a nice vinyl alternative. You’ll need at least 2.5 yds. for a Queen bed but you may want to order more for wiggle room.

Pro tip– Fabric.com lets you order samples at a low cost so I ordered a few options to look at in my room with my other furniture and textiles.

Alternate– If leather isn’t your thing, you can replicate with any upholstery fabric.

Button kit

Florist wire

Heavy duty staple gun

This low-cost version from JoAnns was great.

Heavy duty staples

Upholstery needles

Step 1

Lay your headboard flat and work in an area that you can flip and move the headboard as needed. You’re going to need to be able to get to all angles!

Step 2

Since my headboard had cut out sections I started by attaching a piece of pegboard over the top to give me a flat surface. I recommend using peg board since it already has pre-drilled holes which will be handy when adding the buttons to tuft. Easily secure the pegboard with a few wood screws on all sides.

Step 3

Cut your foam to size. This can easily be done with a box cutter. Use a straight edge and take it slow and it cuts very easily. I then used a spray adhesive to attach the foam to the pegboard. It doesn’t need to be too secure, just enough so you can move the headboard around without the foam falling out of place.

Alternate– The sewing store will sell high-density foam (the green foam) and it is great but it is also really costly. I’ve seen other DIYs use inexpensive mattress pads from Target or somewhere comparable (the tan foam). Since my headboard was too tall for either option alone, I knew I would have to piece the foam in sections. While I was slightly nervous about this, it turned out to be completely fine, especially since the leather vinyl is a thick upholstery material. If you use the mattress pads be aware that they have ridges on one side. This made me a bit hesitant but again turned out fine. Just make sure to put the ridges against the pegboard to keep the flat side out.

Step 4

Spray the face of the foam with your spray adhesive and lay the batting across the face leaving enough room on all sides to wrap around the edges. Once the adhesive has dried, flip the headboard onto its face and pull the batting tightly around all edges and staple to secure in the back. You’ll want this layer to look clean and taut since it is the last layer before fabric. But don’t stress, since the leather vinyl is a thick upholstery fabric it will cover up any minor inconsistencies on the face.

Step 5 (Optional)

(Only if you feel like sewing or making things harder)

If you noticed, the inspiration headboard has leather panels which create 2 seams running vertically and one horizontally. The 5 buttons are then all placed along the horizontal seam. While I initially did not think I was going to add this nuance, once I got to this point and was feeling pretty bad ass I challenged myself to add the seams. (If you’ve already decided to not add panels feel free to skip ahead) Now it’s time to do a little math…or look at the diagram below.

When planning for my seam, I knew that I didn’t want it to sit too low since the buttons would then be covered by pillows. This took a little bit of experimenting against the wall of my bedroom and measuring my pillow height (yes, it’s neurotic but I did it!). For me, since my headboard is 46” tall that meant having my buttons 8.5” from the top.

With my buttons 8.5” from the top I sewed two panels together, running my full width, with the top one being approximately 15” giving me enough extra fabric (15″-8.5″= 6.5” extra) to pull around the top edge and attach to the back. You can make your seam pattern how ever you’d like, just be sure to leave enough room to cover the sides! To make the vertical seams, I folded and sewed 2 seams that were 20” apart. See the diagram below for all the seam placements. Once all the seams are in, press them open with a hot iron.

Pro tip– I like to do a lot of mini-tests with scrap fabric before sewing or ironing. Work out the kinks on your sewing machine, figure out the heat setting on your iron. It’s always easier to do it on scrap pieces and adjust before going straight to the final product.

Step 6

Once I had secured the batting I stood the headboard upright and planned where to place my buttons. Since the West Elm version was my inspiration I wanted to stick with 5 buttons across the middle running along my horizontal seam. Draping the fabric over at this point was very helpful to visualize the button placement.

You could easily choose to do a diamond shape tuft or even 2 lines of buttons for a more modern look. That’s the great thing about pegboard being the base layer- all the holes are already drilled so the pattern is totally up to you. And at this point, if you’re covering a solid headboard instead, you’ll need to plan your button locations and drill holes through the back of the headboard at those locations.

Pro tip–  Since your batting is only a base layer feel free to mark up all over it. I marked up 3 variations of button placement, took a minute to step back and ultimately decide what felt right.

Now that it’s finished, I do still love the placement when we’ve removed the decorative pillows but they could have gone a bit higher to allow me to get some more decorative pillows piled up (maybe it’s for the best!)

Step 7

Making buttons—this could be an entire blog post to themselves. Now, this was hands down the hardest part of the project… not to scare you off! But really, it was HARD. Check out how my hand was looking post buttons.

  The button kit will come with not enough instructions and not many pieces.

Use the fabric stencil to cut out a piece of fabric the correct size.

The goal here is to wrap your cut fabric circle around the curved button front and squish that face down into the silicone form. Pro tip– On the stencil, the outside circle is the size of fabric you need but the inside circle shows you what will be on the button face. Important if you are working with patterns!

Once that is done, you gather the excess fabric, mash it into the concave back and hold it shut with the back of the button. 

The only way you can do this though is to use the pusher piece against the back of the button to apply enough force to sandwich it all together.

After much struggle, it’s magically a button.

If this sounds like a Game of Thrones level mental game, IT IS. This shit is hard. But give yourself time, maybe a glass of wine, and you CAN make all the buttons. I believe in you! I also looked for a button set meant specifically for upholstery fabric and came up empty. If any of you know of one, please please let us know!

Step 8

If you’ve decided to use a flat piece of fabric and not seam it, lay it on the face of your headboard (you can tack it down with the spray adhesive) and start pulling the excess taut around the edges and securing in the back with staples. Make sure to work a little bit on each side so that you are evenly pulling the fabric in each direction. I like to work from the center out and definitely leave the corners for last.

However, if you did seam your fabric it is a slightly harder since the seams will need to stay level and will ultimately affect your button placement. Therefore, before I started attaching the fabric, I loosely secured 2 buttons in their correct locations to hold the fabric in the right spot while I pulled it taut. To attach the buttons, thread floral wire through back of the buttons and an upholstery needle and slowly push through the leather face. This should be relatively easy since it is going through the seam. Once you have pushed through the leather the batting and foam should be no issue. Fish the needle through until you come out one of the pegboard holes in the back. Now you can loosely twist the wire in the back to secure the buttons.

Alternate– You could also use upholstery thread to attach the buttons but after a few tests (told you I like testing things!) the wire felt the most secure and let me really pull the buttons tight at the end and get a nice tufting effect.

Once your two buttons are in place follow the diagram above to attach all the fabric taut all the way around, leaving the corners for last.

Step 9

While the corners look daunting, they really are not. We just need to cover the order in which to fold and secure. (As demonstrated with my scrap fabric and screen)

At this point, all the sides should be well secured with fabric left loose at the corners.

First, pull the fabric from the side up and over the top.

Secure with one staple right into the top.

Now you will have almost a triangle of fabric. Fold the triangle down so that it creates a clean fold that runs along the corner of the headboard. And remember to experiment a few times folding it correctly before securing with staples.

Secure the fold with a staple.

Step 10

Following the same method as above, attach the rest of your buttons. I started with the two I already had loosely placed. At this point, you can really pull the wire from the back and create that tufting effect. How tight you pull and secure the buttons in the back determines the tufted depth. Measure and add the final 3 buttons using the same method as before.

And viola, DIY Leather Tufted Headboard! You’ve done it! Give yourself a pat on the back and pour yourself that second glass of wine. Kudos!

I decided to add two simple 3″ shelves behind the bed for storage since the room isn’t wide enough for bedside tables.

  What do you guys think? Anything you’d change?

Original article source  http://andthenwetried.com/2017/06/west-elm-inspired-diy-leather-tufted-headboard/

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