#mxbuster

[vinceaddams]

@mxbuster replied to your post “Any tips on learning to make buttonholes? I've...”:

Wait, Vince, can you take a picture of how to use the scissors? What's the screw thing for? How do I cut the buttonhole with it?

​Yes, sorry for the delay!

They work like this! The gap behind the blades leaves room for the edge of the garment, though it's still a bit small for some larger things like coats, and not really much help for vertical buttonholes.

The screw thing is so that you can adjust them so that they don't close all the way, which is useful if you have very short buttonholes. The one on mine is pretty worn and a little bent, but it's not completely stripped yet, so it still works.

These ones aren't as dull as they look, but I really ought to get them sharpened & cleaned up at some point. Mine came from my Grandma and I don't know exactly how old they are, but there are some very similar looking ones in the 1897 Sears catalogue.

[copperbadge]

Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

Long one this week so I've broken out giving into two segments, "Personal" for individuals needing help and "Organization" for orgs that are fundraising.

Ways to Give, Personal:

mousedetective has been homeless since January; until recently she was in a safe parking program with her mother and trans daughter, but is now in need of safe housing and has been divided from her family, plus can't save when they're having to pay for short-term housing. They have a number of ways to give and an Amazon wishlist for supplies available; you can read more, reblog, and find giving information here or give via KoFi here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for sobeautifullyobsessed, who has been homeless for some time and is raising funds to secure even temporary housing; she often has to sleep in her breakroom at work for the warmth. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here or give via KoFi here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for fatiguesupreme, who is facing eviction with her mother and needs help to fund a move as soon as possible; they have had to pay for car repairs and been unable to work without their car, and are just now getting back to work doing food delivery. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here or give via KoFi here.

risingtograce linked to a fundraiser for a close friend, Erin, who was recently hit by a bus; they are currently in recovery and need to raise funds for living expenses while they are unable to work, plus medical bills. You can read more and share on Facebook here or give at GoFundMe here.

localdorkincombatboots is raising funds for help with bills, medical expenses, and housing for them and their family after several financial blows; you can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

winteryserpent has had to take unpaid time off for illness, and is behind on bills; he's working again but struggling with bills and anxiety over bills, including an overdrawn bank account and a late internet bill. You can read more and give at GoFundMe here.

like-the-midnight-sun is a queer, multiply disabled Jewish conversion student; she and her wife, also queer and Jewish, are currently living in the US, are trying to move somewhere safer, and are fundraising for an international move to Norway. You can read more and give at GoFundMe here.

Ways to Give, Organization:

mxbuster linked to No Surrender, an Ottawa-based pet rescue which is raising funds for community support; they've collected dog coats that are being distributed to community members through a mutual-aid and food-sharing kitchen, and have the opportunity to buy bulk cold-weather clothing for dogs if they can raise $450. You can read more and find giving information at Facebook here.

melayneseahawk linked to Worlds Elsewhere Theatre Company, a socially distant and socially responsible digital theater which is going into its fourth season; their 2024 fundraiser is about to begin, and in the meantime they have several ways to support the theater one-off or on an ongoing basis. Giving supports production expenses, paying cast and crew, and fees for things like maintaining their nonprofit status legally. You can read more and give to the theatre here.

Recurring Needs:

mid-nighttiger linked to a fundraiser for a friend, Katherine, a cosplayer (501st and Rebel Legion, among others) who was in a serious car accident and has had a gofundme set up for her medical expenses; you can read more and reblog Mid-Nighttiger's post here or support the fundraiser here.

chingaderita's partner's family house recently caught fire and completely burned, killing his grandmother and causing extensive property loss; they're raising funds in part to help support their partner, who is understandably in a bad place emotionally and has since last week been laid off from his job. They're also in need of money for medications. You can read more, reblog, and support the fundraiser here.

rilee16 is raising funds to cover utilities after having to use bill money to cover rent and late fees; Rilee also needs to be able to pay for medication. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

gwydion's very elderly car broke down in late October; the repair, to a cooling hose, has cheap parts but expensive labor, and ate most of zir budget for the month. Ze can't do without a car, being disabled, but can't afford to replace it either; ze's raising $280 to help cover bills and the repair. You can give via PayPal here.

gwydion linked to a fundraiser for Squirrel, a good friend who has recently lost his job and needs to raise about $800 to cover bills and food; Squirrel has had a lot of interviews and believes he will have an offer but won't start work until December. You can give via paypal here.

gwydion linked to a fundraiser for a friend, whose dog Rosie needs medical care, dental work, and special food; you can read more and give here at gofundme.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.

[sweaterkittensahoy]

The awesome @mxbuster sent me a pile of vintage crochet goodies that include this typed pattern and the handwritten copy that matches it. "Mile a minute" is a style of afghan I see referenced a lot, and I think this may be an original design. I will be taking well-lit hi-res shots of everything, but I just wanted to share this because I love it so much.

[intosnarkness]

@mxbuster just told me they didn’t know I had more than one cat which

Fair, I post a lot of Hercules because look at him

But there are two more in the house!

This is Peri, my old man cat. Aka Pman, Periman, The Periman, Spots, Spoots, Mr. Mooperman. He has been with me since circa 2008 Christmas. I met him at a petsmart rescue event and I loved him at first sight. He is well known for being the sweetest, most patient boy. He has raised 5 kittens, doesn’t meow good, and has a tail he stole from a raccoon. Now that he’s old as hell, 90% of his time is spent on the couch with me or in a heated bed. He has hats, wings, and bracelets.

The is is Zoey, who is 8 and has been here for about 16 months. Aka Z, Zoische, Zbird, Her, Madame Z. She came here from Florida after her person died and his kids (who are friends of ours) asked Nat if he wanted to take her in. She is walleyed, beautiful, and deeply horny for cheese. Her favorite things are trying to leave when we come home, making weird mumble noises and trying to play with Hercules, which she is going to figure out how to do one of these days maybe. She also has hats and wings, and a mustache.

[meilas]

Phantom of the Opera Wine List

Your wine sommeliers: 

@meilas: Concept, Graphics, Layout, Project Manager, Hadley, Barbara the Mannequin

@gwalchmedi: Franc D’Ambrosio, Norm Lewis, Drew Sarich, Peter Joback, Bronson Norris Murphy, Hugh Panaro, Michael Crawford, Jonathan Roxmouth, Jeremy Stolle, Barbara the Mannequin, Ethan Freeman, Peter Karrie, Dmitry Ermak, Earl Carpenter

inspired by @mxbuster: Uwe Kroger

inspired by @petittneko: Saulo Vasconcelos, Thiago Arancam

@devilswalkingstick: Cooper and triptychs

@when-it-rains-it-snows: Ben Lewis

DocTy: Alexander Goebel

Tina: Gina Beck

@from-aldebaran: Derrick Davis and proof-reader

@therosenpants: proof-reader and taste-tester

@box5intern: Christopher Carl

This wine list could not have turned out so well without the loving dedication of everyone involved. Thank you everyone for putting up with this silly project for so long!

D’Ambrosio Vintage Vintage 1962, best run 1998 Other nicknames: Cabernet Franc; Franc D’Amn that’s good!

Slither yourself down somewhere comfortable and loosen a few buttons while you steal a taste, slowly swirling your tongue around a luscious mouthful of this full-bodied, ambrosial red. Every note stays with you while you are distracted by its elegant looks, get reeled in by a silvery touch, and feel it gliding along your throat. As you swallow, a slow leisurely piquancy reveals a muscular body and delivers a prominent, long, full finish. A total god of a wine. Keeps giving satisfaction long after you have embraced your last glassful.

Bottling notes: The reddest of red wines in the bluest of containers, and the perfect precursor to pants-less pastimes. Comes in our most prominent bottle.

Saulo Vasconcelos, vintage 1999

An epic year for Brazilian wines, this timeless choice has performed in many a fine vintage bottle. A few tastings will assure you that this wine leaves you anything but Miserable, being a bit of a beast in disguise. Delightfully playful, sensuously hands-on with its flavour, and encasing you in its warm, chocolate tones, you’ll find yourself helplessly succumbing to its embrace. A proper, stern Daddy of a wine, this is one for those who like their types mature and commanding. De Nada!

Crémant NormLew Château Tallahassee

A first for a Crémant from this region of Florida, you’ll be getting a plethora of orchard fruits here with delightful baritone notes! Up there with the finest of champagnes, just enjoy how this Crémant gives such a unique expression of its appellation.

Peter Jöback

This fiery Scandinavian grape is a notoriously difficult one to grow well, but prolific once it takes hold, which makes this lovely drop of sleek Swedish red even more impressive! The acidity has a true, tenor register, a light note that is just right for pairings with other Swedish delicacies, I'd say. Very quaffable indeed.

Drew Sarich

With a very young feel to this Veltliner grape, it actually delivers a surprise that is a decade ahead of itself. This wine has a long taste on the tongue, sitting there like a kitten purring in your lap. Delightfully complex, this is a New York socialite of a vintage with a phantasm of aromatic perfume on it which is absolutely phenomenal. It’s fascinating how the acidity is so high that it somewhat devilishly disguises the wine’s natural sweetness.

Dreamclimber from the House of Derrick Davis Two pressings, 2016-2017 and 2019-2020

An astonishingly underappreciated vintage, Dreamclimber will make you abandon your defenses from the very first sip. A potent mix of smooth deep notes of dark oak ranging upward to a soaring sunshiney sweetness, the positive energy in every bottle offers sweet intoxication and will fundamentally alter your outlook on life. The dynamic and passionate essence of Dreamclimber elevates everything around it, so if you need to restage a meal, add this bold and muscular yet soft and sensual wine to your table. Want to stay one step ahead of the crowd? Catch a Broadway-bound dream of a wine and you can say you were among the first to realize its genuine and soul-stirring star power. Dreamclimber has the uplifting soulfulness to take you and your guests to where you long to be!

Bronson Norris Murphy Variety: Babygrapes

The very youngest of our vintages, this wine has brought out excitingly different comments from our patrons. Respected Voices talk knowledgeably either about its Wheel of Flavours, or enjoy a genuine Laugh about how this rush of taste almost knocks them over; still others amongst the cognoscenti talk about its delightfully Icie youthfulness and endearing features, or how a glassful taken at bedtime would counter a Snowy cold evening. One Purist anonymously chuckled that a grape as vigorous as this could be put in more than one setting and still retain its delightful, child-like boyish charms. Two stunningly dressed patrons, in Rose and Cora(l), admitted they’d been given a taste of this wine secretly, a sort of cameo appearance before its launch, and had felt the vibes of the overt rosehip and petal flavours long before it had become popular. The pair’s general consensus was that this vintage was young enough to Make It on the scene, although the coquettish undertones about vinicultural size and handspan were elusively enticing. The Vast Glassy Orangery was agog with gossip about some Baguette-wielding youth (and their noteworthy tailoring) having hugely overdosed on the tasting previously, almost knocking their socks off with its pale beauty and fragrant scents. Their partner in crime, a clear Persephone of a beauty, was wearing delicious couture from the House of ChristineGrrl, and the effect of this duo almost matched the effect of the wine’s heady aroma on the delightfully younger crowd. Suffice to say the vintage was a resounding success and its aura of vinicultural adolescence bursting into manhood held everyone in its attractive grasp. One worth keeping.

Panaro Prosecco

The elevation that every note in this charismatic, versatile Prosecco provides ensures that the bubbles in this Panaro Prosecco are so much lighter than in the flatter and usually insipid Chagny Champagnes to which they are unfairly compared. For me, there is no contest; crystal clear delivery, in a bottle with movie star good looks, this vintage delivers a deliciously singing bouquet, with beautifully crisp notes of apple to finish.

Michael Crawford, vintage 1986

Oh yes, this most venerable of English sparkling wines has a well-rounded palate with a hint of the most delicate, sweetest of orchard fruits giving way to deeper notes of Parisian brioche, with a hint of French kisses. French, I hear you ask - but did you know that English winemakers use the same traditional method that the French use to produce Champagne?

Jonathan Roxmouth, vintage b.1987, run 2011-2012, 2019

Not an easy Chenin Blanc grape variety to like on first encounter, this South African powerhouse has a drawn-out tingle which stays on your tongue, and wanders high into your head. The yearning feel to break out in full fruit mode is hidden beneath the complex mix of earthy, graveyard depths. You may feel the emotional and smoky hint of stalk, but a flash of strength beneath its velvet glove packs a punch like no other. Rox your Sox.

The St(r)olle

The smoothest of our wines, this will simultaneously quench your thirst and leave you begging for more. In parts of America, this vintage used to be obscure, yet when you taste it, you’ll wonder why.  This wine takes a confident, sassy stroll across your palate, its taste coiling a lasso around you as rock solid as Henry Cavill’s abs. Achingly rich and smooth, sporting lush, sweet toned, deep throated berry notes tinged with vanilla, it has suave yet elemental flavors pushing out from a deep, muscular centre. One not to be trifled with.

Barbara the Mannequin, vintage 1988

Wooden and oaky, this wine is perfect for poorly-thought-out proposals. We’ve all known at least one weird, dorky guy who somehow engineered a vision of a hot chick.  This wine is that chick.  Barbara is also known for its thin, acid nature, bolstered with a dressing that feels domineering, but sadly is only a foreshadowing of a disappointingly textured mouthfeel, with little middle, and an abrupt finish.

Hadley Fraser, vintage: 2 weeks old

A light dessert wine that sometimes forgets how it is supposed to taste. It’s not its fault. Really. We just didn’t give it enough time before bottling it.

Alexander Goebel Der Goebel Veltliner - Vintage 1988

Often overlooked and replaced by the Freeman, its direct descendant, the Goebel is the true original flavour of Vienna's best vineyards, planted and cultivated by the same London vintners that originated the Crawford. Since 1988 the deep rich tones of Dunkelheit in this wine have melted the heart and palate of real connoisseurs around the globe, who also appreciate the high Skan-da-lös and Maskenball notes that follow the first taste. Best served in the Original Cast environment (especially accompanied with a side dish of Nistler and Pfeifer) to highlight its most recognizable qualities, it is also recommended in its "boot" version where its taste is sublimated by visual experience to heighten each sensation.

Peter Karrie

Vintage with a distinctive voice. A commanding flavour, this is a wine both dangerous and elegant, one a chivalrous soul would offer to another, with a heart-rending tone, and an unparalleled physicality and wealth of detail. This grape makes the wine totally in a class of its own, with a wandering taste yet, by some rare and strange alchemy, with a touch of the rock band too. A bit of The Wolf in this bottle.

Ermak Syrah

Our only Slavic wine to date. Once phans sneak a taste of Ermak, they become avid for this imposing Russian grape. Its notes are powerful and bright, dominated by scents of ripe rich raspberry, and a touch of smoke that either comes from barrels toasted over a hickory flame or all that sexy heat. The Eastern European earthy touch, common in ‘Old World’ Syrah, is always present on the back of the palate, but bright succulent flavours mingle with those of hazelnut and chocolate. The tannins swirl like Rusalki across your taste buds, as smooth and alluring as Ermak himself.

G. Beck, vintage 2010

A silken, dry, red English wine with a strong note of blackcurrant. There’s a hint of youthfulness in its complexities. A wine so lovely it will bring tears to your eyes, as the taste conjures up the image of wistfully walking through a graveyard while crying about your father. Perfect after a day of tired feet from wearing heels and heavy gala dresses for too long, and with dark chocolate… or perhaps even Marmite on toast, if you’re feeling adventurous? It has also been blessed by a certain soprano’s tuxedo cat, because why not.

Tested and reviewed by: Tina, who was definitely in a country where the legal age of drinking is 17 at the time. She immediately bought nearly the entire stock and gave it a 6 out of 5 stars rating.

Thiago Arancam, vintage 1982

A total Batata Bonita, this wine from a little-known grape has been successfully transplanted from 13,000 feet up at Insosso Opera’s vineyard to the less stratospheric Sem Sal Palco Musical’s estate. You might call it a vinho on a budget mais fácil. With an early unmasking of a distinct brasiliaro flavour, this is one wine which ought to know how to show its range of notes, but sometimes just pales into insignificance.

Earl Carpenter

A strong bold grape should produce an overbearing wine. Instead, what we have here is viniculture’s version of a smooth Movie Star. Nuanced, sensual and gentle on the palate, it has a buttery feel, although on occasion this vintage’s notes are somewhat uncertain. Building up towards a taste explosion, too much enthusiastic sampling will find you too far gone to stop at the final reveal.

BEN BEN BEN Shiraz 2011

BEN BEN BEN is most curious; the 2011 is one of just two Phantom varietals that are easily acquired, yet rarely is it recommended. Best suited to the mad friends of Dionysus, this Australian Shiraz is a magic show as run by the white tigers:  absolutely beautiful, but whose idea was this? It cannot possibly end well… No amount of familiarity with the Brilliant Original will prepare the palate for this Absolute Beast. Expect to be dragged from delicately smoky baritone lows to peppery near-tenor highs; you may feel a little wide-eyed as you study the legs and ponder what that cheekbone is doing to the mouthfeel. Swooning is fine, this glass will pick you up from the floor, it is broad shouldered and surprisingly sweet.

A word to the wise: don't finish the bottle. Pour out that last twenty minutes in memory of the rare 2018 vintage, BEN! KELLY! BEN! KELLY!, of which no complete bottles exist.

Uwe Kroger, vintage 1964, 2006

Ye little gods, here was a tone with an unsettling quirky tongue to it, cutting right through the sweet fruit; an acidity, quite at odds with its vinicultural opulence. This lick of minerality which is just a fingertip’s distance away, is a bit old hat. Been done to death. Somewhat late to the party and overdressed too. It is easier to define what it is not – that is, it is not richness, nor fleshiness, nor texture, it is just there, this odd mineral flavour bringing neither a sense of purpose nor a sense of depth, fashionably unpopular, kookier and saltier than a bag of KP nuts, changeable without letting you know where it is going. And in any case, minerals, rocks and stones have no flavour at all. In Kresowy Slavic folklore, the “flavour” of stones is caused by an invisible substance called petrichor, which, according to my Russian-Greek-English thesaurus (what? It’s the only one I’ve got! Give me a break!) is “constructed from petra (πέτρα), meaning ‘stone’, and īchōr (ἰχώρ), the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods of Russian mythology.”

Gary Mauer

Are you married to your job? Just the wine for you! With a hint of sexy Dionysian wildness in its overtones, this sexy, vastly diverting and deliciously deep flavoured wine hits up hard on the brain. A sparkling good character with a touch of flair on its first taste, under all that joie de vivre, subsequent contact may make you come unhinged in the final analysis. Touted by wine snobs as 100% clean and wholesome in taste, those of us in the know greedily drink up the wicked taste and flavour, both of which provide a powerhouse duo, giving an amazing almost Elizabethan scent to the final mouthful. Having dashing good looks, this wine has a lovely tenor to its middle notes. While fairly standard from a non-specialist standpoint, it is sprinkled with touches of genius throughout; the distant whispered scent of a bridal bouquet of roses: so romantic. All in all, a great wine with a hugely masculine edge.

Ethan Freeman

A Viennese delight, this unexpected Rosé has distinct European notes, yet a brash American aroma. Moreover, it has a singing finish on the palate. A demanding Jekyll and Hyde of a wine, the duality of the fresh flavour of Oberhaüsen strawberries combined with the descending chill of the faint ghost of basement scents have resulted in a complex type of legerdemain that can be almost felt, not just tasted. Best experienced on hot summer nights.

Cooper, vintage 2014

Far too many notes for our taste, and most of them about this wine.  Just read this review left by a customer!  (We would like to remind everyone that we card any customers who appear to be younger than 21.) “A delightful wine, positively wonderful, just the perfect stubbly lad. Anytime is Coopertime. Also sweet.”

Christopher Carl

Looks like a meme but also 100% legit like a stock image of STOIC MAN (TM) sold by Hasbro. (Wine bottle and fine horses sold separately.)

[bomberqueen17]

reply about horsehair

mxbuster replied to this post

Tailoring uses horsehair fabric as a stiffener, as did Victorian crinolines and bustle pads. There’s a contemporary braided trim that’s called horsehair braid but is in fact now synthetic used to make hairpin tabs and such in hats, also edge stabilizing in wedding garments.

OH YEAH i can’t believe i forgot to mention horsehair braid and crinolines. I believe “crinoline” even literally means like. horsehair-and-linen.

There was something I was looking at horsehair braid for, I don’t remember now, a few months ago, and I was like “could i just braid horsehair for this” and i literally did not look into it any farther than that because like why would anyone do that, but I did have a bunch of it in my cart. I do wish I could remember what I was getting it for. I know you use it in the hems of retro-style circle skirts too sometimes, maybe it was for that i was thinking about it. Never did make that circle skirt did I.

[vinceaddams]

@mxbuster replied to your post “Being a part time alterations tailor may be a very...”:

Omg you are amazing. If you ever want to do a tutorial…….

​Sorry for the delay, I put the photos in a folder on my desktop and immediately forgot they existed.

Alrighty, here is how I shorten modern jacket sleeves.

First I should note that:

I work for a suit store that doesn't take very many outside alterations, meaning almost everything I alter is from the same few brands and I'm used to a specific construction. Other jackets from other brands may have different construction, but it shouldn't be too wildly different.

All the jackets I work on have false buttonholes, or none at all. If you've got one with functional buttonholes (statistically unlikely, but not impossible) you're kind of screwed, unless you need to shorten it by so much they'll all be turned to the inside.

The amount you need to shorten it by should already be marked on the sleeve, or you should have a measurement written down. The salesmen leave a little chalk line for me.

Start by cutting the buttons off. (Both this shop and my previous job use razor blades for this kind of thing, so I can only assume it's common in the professional tailoring world.)

Then turn the sleeve inside out. There will probably be a section on the lining seam where the 2 edges have been topstitched closed. Carefully pick this out with a seam ripper on both sleeves. If it doesn't have this, just open a section of the seam, but not too close to the end of the sleeve.

Often the sleeve lining will be tacked to the outer sleeve's seam allowance in a few places, and you can cut these if they're in the way.

Now you can easily pull out the threads that were holding the buttons on, and can remove the false buttonholes if there are any.

Most of the buttonholes on the jackets I do at work are chain stitch, which means they're easy to pull out quickly once you get one end loose and can un-chain them, but some of them aren't and take a lot longer. I especially hate the ones on the sport coats that have a little contrasting bar tack at the end, those ones are the WORST and take forever to pick off.

There's a seam holding the ends of the lining and outer fabric together. Cut it off.

On jackets with a particularly loose fabric there may be a bit of blindstitching around here holding the end up, same as there is inside a dress pants hem, and you should remove this first. It's big and loopy on the inside and you can find the end and pull on it to make it come apart, just like the string on a potato bag.

There's probably also a bit where the edge of the jacket sleeve is stuck in place with a bit of fusible tape, so pull that apart. Cut through the threads where the seam allowance is sewn to itself, and pick apart the seams that form the corners of the vent.

(I use the razor blade for this too, by pulling the 2 halves of the seam in opposite directions and cutting the threads in between, but you'll probably want to use a seam ripper.) Don't cut the top part of the seam on the vent though, that bit where the seam allowance juts out to provide extra material for the overlap should still be sewn shut, as you can see at the top of the photo below.

Turn the sleeve back right side out and mark the new line all the way around. At work I mainly use wax chalk which disappears as soon as you iron it, but regular chalk works too, it'll just take a bit more work to brush it all off after.

Press out all the creases from the old seams at the corners. (I have to be careful not to get steam on my wax lines, or else they'll disappear.)

Now press the end of the sleeve in and make the new crease. Sometimes I press out the old crease first, if it's far enough away from the marked line, but sometimes not.

I like to press both layers of sleeve at once in the middle, avoiding squishing the sides, and then I press each of those side bits using this little dense pillow thingy we have at work. It's kind of like a tailor's ham but small. You could easily make one and fill it with scraps, it's a useful thing to have. Make sure the overlap & underlap are facing the correct way.

I then straighten out the sleeve and see how the lining length looks. The end of the lining is usually quite wrinkled, so I press it first.

Here the lining is barely protruding, so I didn't trim anything off, but if there's more than about 1.5 cm sticking out past the sleeve then I'll trim that excess off.

Turning the sleeve back inside out, trim any excess off the folded up bit. I try to keep this bit about 4.5 cm wide, so this one just needed a little bit removed.

At this point you may want to add a bit more fusible interfacing to the button area, but it usually goes pretty far up, so I only do this if I'm shortening the sleeve by a LOT. (And if I'm shortening it by that much then there probably isn't enough overlap left to redo the vent.)

Now there should be creases showing where the new vent corners will be. On the underlap side I mark a little + right where I'll start sewing there.

And on the overlap side (the one with the mitred corner) I mark a diagonal x and then draw a line over the whole corner with a ruler, like so.

That is NOT your stitching line!!

This corner isn't perfectly square, it's a slightly wider angle. So when I fold that corner right sides together and match up the lines I start sewing from the tip of that marked line at the fold, but I veer off at a slight angle (in the direction of the seam allowance) and end about 4 mm out from it.

It's not very clear in the below picture, but you can hopefully see it.

Flip those 2 corners right side out, turn the whole sleeve right side out again, and press those corners nice and flat. I use the little sleeve pillow for this too.

Then you can pin the overlap shut just the way you want it to sit, turn it inside out again, and carefully re-pin it so the pin is on the inside, before removing the first pin.

(I actually skip this step and just pin it from the inside and go straight to the rest of the sewing up, and then press the corners after the lining is closed up, but I've done hundreds of these at this point so you'll probably want to do it this way.)

Sew the two halves of the vent together so that it'll stay closed. Just a tiny spot of backstitching on the seam allowances, like so.

Now you can match up the ends of the lining and outer sleeve and reattach them. I always start with the seam opposite the vent, since the vent side doesn't line up precisely.

I put them together like this, right side to right side, and pull those ends out through that opening in the lining before pinning it closed.

Then sew it, starting and finishing on either side of the vent.

There will likely be a small gap between the ends of the seam, since the vent is in the way, but this doesn't matter.

On the non vent side, clip into one of the seam allowances right below the seam.

Fold that seam allowance right sides together, keeping the rest of the sleeve out of the way, and sew it to itself. This is the same bit of stitching you removed earlier in the process, and it helps to keep the end of the sleeve from sagging.

If the seam allowances are too small or frayed you can also just turn it back right sides out and stick a bit of fusible tape in there.

Stuff everything back so that it's right sides out but the sleeve itself is still inside out, and redo that topstitching on the linings. (Or do it for the first time if there wasn't any. You may want to press the lining first if you don't have two nice creased edges.)

If this is your own personal nice jacket you might prefer to slipstitch it closed by hand, or to instead machine sew it closed from the inside and hand sew the lining back to the end of the sleeve, but I'm obviously not going to do that for my very low paying alterations job.

Turn the sleeve right sides out, sew the buttons back on, and you're done!

Nice mitred corner and all!

The first time I did this it took me over 2 hours because I didn't know what I was doing, but 5 years later I've got it down to about 45 minutes.

If the sleeve needs to be shortened by so much that there isn't enough overlap material left to redo the vent, then I just sew it shut and fold the whole thing up. I have to add new interfacing behind the buttons, as mentioned. For this I also need to turn it back right side out before I close up the lining, so I can stick the not-vent-anymore area to itself with some fusible tape.

Sometimes I have to lengthen sleeves, and for that the process is fairly similar, except of course I have to carefully unpick the seam at the end of the sleeve instead of cutting it off, and I sew an extra strip of fabric to the end. (I keep a box of cut off ends from some of the pants I've hemmed for this.)

For that you also need to use fusible tape for both seam ends, because when you've added an extra bit on you can't sew the seam allowance to itself. The amount you can lengthen a sleeve by is limited, since you need to make sure the new piece of material is entirely folded to the inside and out of view.

I hope this helps and makes sense!

[sweaterkittensahoy]

I FOUND MY NANO NOVEL ABOUT OUTLAWING COMICS

@mxbuster!!! I KNOW YOU WILL BE EXCITED!!

I don't have any plans to do sweet fuck-all with it, but it was my favorite one, so I am so glad I found it. Holy shit, I think I wrote it in 2009.

[sweaterkittensahoy]

I left a comment on someone's fic on AO3, and they left one back saying they'd enjoyed my writing since guykyle, so I feel like I gotta say hi to @infiniteeight8 and @lunaris1013 and @mxbuster, who I met via guykyle.

If you remember us meeting during my guykyle time and I have lost your name, I am probably confusing you with the PhilClint hotties.

[bomberqueen17]

mxbuster replied to your post wknd and said:                                                                                                                            Be careful when salvaging old furs. If they haven’t been stored properly they can have rot. Also if you’re sewing them the skin pieces need a muslin backing so your stitches won’t tear through the skins.                           

Please tell me more!!! I assume rot would be fairly apparent; I plan to have to discard a lot of the fur if it’s bald or worn or gross or whatever.

How can I attach the muslin backing? I had been wondering about this! Of the two stoles I’ve bought so far, one has no lining and so it’s just the fur and then some felt padding, clearly meant to be interlining for bulk, and I was wondering how it was attached. Could I use like, spray adhesive to attach the muslin, or do I need to attempt to carefully quilt or tack it into place?

I’d been figuring that the blanket would need to be lined, and I’d been pondering whether to put a quilted lining on, and whether maybe I want to attach that to some interlining on some of the furs, to give them some body. I have a ton of unspun wool that I figured I’d sort of roughly felt to provide the bulk/batting, but I really don’t know what I’ll put on the back of the blanket. Probably just flannel or something. Maybe even just plain cotton or linen, the furs themselves should be plenty in terms of insulation.

I also hope to use some of the offcuts to make fake hides of fake animals to use as decor, so we’ll see how that goes. If I don’t get weird with this what’s the point?

And like, of course the woolly mammoth, but i haven’t totally concepted that one out either. (the tusks on my childhood one were felt with a wire armature but i’m not a tiny child now so i could perhaps do something more ambitious. maybe carved wood??)

[bomberqueen17]

GET TO KNOW FOLKS MEME

Thanks to @ghostalservice for the tag! I never do these but why not!

Name: B Relationship status: going on year 19 of non-marriage with Dude Favorite color: blue, but I also really like rainbows Pets: my princess of a cat, Chita Rivera Favorite food: while mostly I enjoy home-cooked food made largely of vegetables and such, I have an unhealthy obsession with Cadbury Creme Eggs Coke or Pepsi: I mean, Coke, but really only very occasionally and as a vehicle for either Jack Daniels or Jameson Day or night: I’m sort of crepuscular really, I wake up before dawn a lot Chapstick or Lipstick: I would love to be the kind of person who wears lipstick but since it comes off right away there seems to be no point, so, neither. Text or Call: listen spoken-out-loud words go right through my head and vanish, so while I’m happy to chat with people, as soon as I hang up, I will have forgotten what was said, so honestly I’d prefer all important communications to be in a text-based format please Last song I listened to: I can’t remember what I last listened to on purpose but yesterday the high school across the street had (we looked it up on their website) their annual Mother/Son Social Event and so they cranked up the sound system from 2pm until 8pm with a bizarre assortment of pop songs (idk would you booty-pop with your mom? if you were a high school Catholic boy?) and the last song of the night that I could identify (I couldn’t hear anything else, it’s louder in my house than in their auditorium I think) was Usher’s Yeah. Fun fact: That was the chart-topper the last time Brood X hatched, 17 years ago. Favorite band/artist/groups: I can never do all-times on these ones, but I was pumped to recently discover that Rhiannon Giddens just put out a new album. Here’s the title track: They’re Calling Me Home Any hobbies/passions: mostly i write fic and drive back and forth to my sister’s farm where I do assorted farm tasks including work on the processing line in her poulty slaughterhouse. My other big hobby for this year is going to be uhh building a tiny house, to live in while at said farm, I just put down a down payment on the roofing supplies so Big Yikes on that. I don’t know how to build a thing but my brother in law swears he does so we’ll see how this goes. (I do believe him. I just don’t believe in the logistics of it. But I’m willing to go along for the ride.)

Ooh i’m supposed to tag people. Thing is I’m never sure who on here is trying v hard not to have any kind of like... personal... existence... but why not?? None of this is super revealing right?

Well, if you think it would be fun, I’ll tag @akilah12902, @mikkeneko, @jackclaw, @mxbuster-- I mean, anybody else who sees this and wants to do it should, it’s easy to get lost in reblogs on this here webbed site and never see anything new. <3