[Noisebridge-discuss] decorating oddly-shaped spandex?

Wed Apr 21 21:56:26 UTC 2010

OK I do know a little about embroidery.  For any kind of dense machine
embroidery (like patches or monograms) stretchy simply isn't going to
happen.  You could probably get a reasonable look when worn if you did
hand embroidery with the fabric stretched to its final shape, more or
less, but it'll be incredibly difficult to do this with the fabric in a
relaxed shape.  Stretchy thread would be worse, not better, at least for
a machine embroidery, because the process of stitching will stretch the
thread quite a bit so when the stitch is complete it will relax down to
a much smaller size than when you started.  To my knowledge there are 2
kinds of stretchy thread. One is intended to make nice covered hems when
run through a serger (think edges of underwear or sports garments) and
comes in a reasonable range of colors, but isn't really all that
stretchy, it's just kinda fuzzy and not twisted up much.  The other is
actual elastic with a fine thread braided around it (a little like
paracord) and this is much fatter, and only comes in black or white.
It's intended to go in the bobbin of a machine to do a kind of flexible
smocking... ok if you care, like this:
http://www.madebylex.com/2009/06/elastic-thread-smocked-dresstutorial.html

You might try a non-dense embroidery which is basically a free line of
stitching going around wherever you want it.  If you stretch the fabric
as you're stitching, and use a long stitch length, you might obtain
reasonable results.  The more stitches you have, though, the stiffer,
less flexible, and less stretchy your results will be.

Printing or painting will definitely work better for this.  Consider
too, that you can print more than one image, in more than one color, to
get a more complex effect.

Mikolaj Habryn wrote:
> Interesting, but I think perhaps too limited for my grandiose,
> over-reaching, world-dominating aims. How about embroidery? Could one use a
> stretchy thread to machine embroider a spandex garment? Do we have a sewing
> machine pre-programmed for sigils to summon eldritch horrors, or are they
> all pretty much restricted to button-holes? I'm visualizing a pattern of
> runes around my face which I'll claim are mystical, healing, and/or
> protective but are really selected purely to look cool and mysterious.
> 
> Some crude measurements suggest that the spandex section wrapping around my
> face stretches by around 15-18% when donned; the wrapper around my neck by
> 10-12%. Is that embroidable without having the stitched runes tear holes
> under tension? The spandex is pretty thin, but I can't offhand think of a
> way of measuring it - it's way thicker than even the heaviest denier tights,
> but not as thick as normal cotton clothing.
> 
> And yes, these things are reasonably inexpensive, so I can destroy them
> without added heartburn.
> 
> m.
> 
> On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 4:17 AM, Rachel McConnell <rachel at xtreme.com> wrote:
> 
>> Fortuitously this was just on the front page of Instructables:
>>
>> http://www.instructables.com/id/Screenprinting-Easy-Detailed-Inexpensive/
>>
>> This is the simplest of all the silk-screen processes I've ever read
>> about.  I haven't done any myself though so can't personally guarantee
>> results.  I'd totally be up for messing around with screen printing at
>> NB over the course of a couple days, though; I've been meaning to try
>> this for ages.
>>
>> I can expand a bit on the notion Sean touched on about stretchiness.
>> There is a range of material available to decorate fabrics.  At one end
>> are inks or dyes which will sink into the fiber and dye it, and be
>> completely stretchy with the fabric.  At the other end are paints, or
>> colored glues, that sit on top of the fabric and won't stretch
>> significantly, but will be visible on dark or black fabric even if they
>> are much lighter.  The former seems better for your purposes but you may
>> want to consider starting with a white garment and dying the background
>> black around whatever design you end up with.
>>
>> Rachel
>>
>> Mikolaj Habryn wrote:
>>> The stretching pattern is largely predictable, though -
>>> http://www.makemeheal.com/mmh/product.do?id=10064 is an example of the
>> kind
>>> of thing I have in mind. My foremost random idea involves printing a
>>> subcutaneous musculature design that would sit in about the right place.
>>>
>>> Also, what happened to all those kawaii flu masks that were everywhere a
>> few
>>> years ago? Combining a nicely printed one of those with the above would
>> be
>>> great, although at that point a ninja theme might be less disturbing than
>>> pure anatomy.
>>>
>>> m.
>>>
>>> On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 2:28 AM, Sean Cusack <sean.p.cusack at gmail.com
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I think a print is could hose you bad...just trying to plan for the
>>>> stretching and pulling will be a nightmare...even before the washing.
>> Think
>>>> tattoo on some 90 year old boobs.
>>>>
>>>> Why not try something that sits on top of the fabric but has its own
>>>> backing - stickers/patches (maybe?) To do pinstripes, maybe consider
>> that
>>>> weird puffy paint shit (i.e.
>>>>
>> http://www.ssww.com/item/color-splash-puffy-paint-PT3378/?cm_mmc=Data%20Feeds-_-Froogle-_-CMB-_-PT3378&cid=900&aid=FRG
>> ).
>>>> You'll be able to apply it like makeup after your face thingy is already
>>>> stretched out to avoid all the problems with trying to make your
>> pinstripes
>>>> straight when the garmet is in non-spandex mode. Is the spandex thingy
>>>> expendable? Like, could you buy another if one got toasted? This is the
>> big
>>>> problem you could hit with stitching...after several tense to relax
>>>> movements (*snicker*), the garment could get shredded.
>>>>
>>>> Sean
>>>>
>>>> ...whose underwear is always in non-spandex mode
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 11:46 PM, Mikolaj Habryn <dichro at rcpt.to>
>> wrote:
>>>>> I'm keen on a some kind of digital print process that will survive
>> washing
>>>>> and on a stretch fabric. Does such a thing exist?
>>>>>
>>>>> m.
>>>>>
>>>>> On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 3:07 PM, Christie Dudley <longobord at gmail.com
>>> wrote:
>>>>>> Well, silkscreen seems the most obvious thing.  Of course, it's not
>> great
>>>>>> for a one-off.  (Why doesn't Noisebridge have a logo silkscreen yet?)
>>  You
>>>>>> could probably do something interesting and artistic with fabric
>> paints like
>>>>>> these:
>>>>>> http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/2518921-AA.shtml
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Christie
>>>>>> _______
>>>>>> "We also briefly discussed having officers replaced by very small
>> shell
>>>>>> scripts." -- Noisebridge meeting notes 2008-06-17
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The outer bounds is only the beginning.
>>>>>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/genriel/sets/72157623376093724/
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 12:03 AM, Mikolaj Habryn <dichro at rcpt.to>
>> wrote:
>>>>>>> I'm going to be wearing a "facial garment" that looks somewhat like
>> this
>>>>>>> -
>>>>>>>
>> https://id217.chi.us.securedata.net/fstubbs.com/merchantmanager/index.php?cPath=11_12-
>>>>>>> for a number of months. While they do apparently come in black, I
>> can't help
>>>>>>> but feel that being able to print onto them would be brilliant. Are
>> there
>>>>>>> processes that work onto such things?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm imagining everything from basic pin-stripe patterns through to
>>>>>>> anatomically accurate windows into musculature layout, or shapelock
>> horns
>>>>>>> attached, mohawks, pinhead rigs, you name it. What are the easy
>> places to
>>>>>>> start, given that I know thing (I say, *nothing*) about crafty
>> things?
>>>>>>> m.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>>>>>>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>>>>>>> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>>>>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>>>>> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>>> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
> 