Pubblicato in: Tools & Materials

Lampshade & Passementerie

(pls enter on the italian translation)

The trim or trimming (from the French passement, i.e. the action to pass, to put in order, to apply an ornament; the early French word for lace; from the Middle English “trimmen” and from the Old English “trymian”, i.e. to strengthen, to arrange, to firm) is a decorative accessory originally, and for thousands of years, made and applied by hand, the act of embellishing and garnishing something with by fastening, sewing or attaching elaborate objects, mainly using needle-and-thread-stitches, such as ribbons, lace, fabrics, buttons, bows, embroidery, ruffles, gimp threads, frills, tassels, fringes, gallons, pom-pom, braids, etc.  Its origin is lost in the mists of time:  it is impossible to define the beginnings of this art in a precise fashion.

Passamaneria 2Primitive human beings in the Paleolithic Era, after the art of making elaborate tattoos to express artistic and religious feelings and to show the first signs of social and tribal distinction, decorated themselves with passementerie.  The most diverse decorations were created according to incoming needs and rituals: animal skins cut into strips, bones, shells, fruits, plant fibres, stones, seeds, pearls and bells added to articles of dress, bracelets, amulets and, of course, to weapons.

Passamaneria 1The weaving of cloth from natural fibres had its first significant evidence, especially in the East and Middle East, around 5000-4000 B.C.  The trimming – and sewing which went together with this development – arrived in Europe with the Islāmic conquest.  The Silk Road brought Chinese embroidery techniques to Western Asia and Europe.  The industrial production of semi-finished trims began in England in 1748 and spread quickly in France and Germany.

Passamaneria 3In 1790 Thomas Saint patented the first sewing machine.  By the early 1840s, other machines began to appear.  The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century shifted the textiles production from the household to the mills; as well the introduction to creative woven trims emphasized the manufacture of passementerie to enhance the beauty of garments and home decor.

Passamaneria 4The passementier is someone who makes and sells trimmings.  The passementerie can be applied with sewing stitches or embroidery on a soft material, such as fabric, leather and felt; with specific glue or adhesives on hard and stiff material and divided into a) for clothing b ) for home decor.  The purposes for which it is used are mainly two: a) the structural and finishing one, to cover seams, to fix hems and edges and to prevent fabric fraying; b) the aesthetic and decorative one, to garnish and embellish.

Continua a leggere “Lampshade & Passementerie”

Pubblicato in: Lamps & Lampshades

Lampada Giapponese

1° Step.  Material :

Japanese 100% cotton fabric and two Löbbo IKEA Europe lampshades.

Lampada Giapponese 2

2° Step.  Tools :

First of all I need a soft pencil to design the template on the fabric rear side and the scissors to it cut out.  The vinyl glue (or special fabric-glue) and a flat brush to spread an adequate glue measure on to paste the fabric to polystyrene panel; some pegs or clips to hold and press it down while it dries.

3° Step.  Fabric & Template :

I wash and iron my fabric perfectly.   It is important to draw the template to cut the fabric in the right measures.  In this case, I use the polystyrene panel of the Löbbo lampshade like a template.

Lampada Giapponese - Template 1 I lay it on the wrong side of my fabric and trace all cutting lines with a soft pencil.  With a ruler I extend each line out 2-3 cm. and trace a further edge in all directions the lines were heading.  Finally, I cut the fabric carefully out with scissors or a rotary cutter.  The new cover is now ready to be glued to the shade.

4° Step : Photo & Tutorial.

Pubblicato in: Musicology

Fender-ST-Style : Pick & Music

1° Step : Pickguard & Fabric.

Pickguard Strat & MusicPickguard Strat & Fabric 12° Step : Material & Tools. 

A Strat-pickguard and an adequate beautiful 100% cotton fabric.  To custom and decorate my pickguard with the decoupage technique I need first scissors to cut out my fabric and a soft pencil to design the pickguard’s template on the fabric’s rear side and vinyl glue (or special fabric-glue).  Then a flat brush to spread a fair glue measure on the pickguard to paste the chosen fabric and some plastic or wooden clips, or pegs, to apply around the edges to hold the fabric down while the glue dries.  Finally, I need a satin water-based varnish gel to create a protective and anti-scratch film with a good resistance to mechanical agents.  I apply a thick and uniform coat with a specific flat smooth brush.  Let it dry for at least four hours and then I repeat twice, or more times, as to get a hard, solid and strong last finishing.

3° Step : Photo & Tutorial.

Pubblicato in: Shadow & Art Box Frames

A Birthday Gift & Japan !

a birthday gift & japan 5a birthday gift & japan 2

a birthday gift & japan 3 a birthday gift & japan 6

 Beautiful japanese 100% cotton fabric and Kokeshi soft-paper dolls and small tree.  What an idea for a unique birthday gift: to decorate a 30×40 cm. canvas with the decoupage technique.  First of all I need a soft pencil to design the template on the canvas front side, the scissors to cut out my fabric symmetrically and vinyl glue (or special fabric-glue).  Also a flat brush to spread an adequate glue measure on to paste the ten fabric pieces, my fingers to hold and press the fabric down while it dries.  Then I use a satin water-based varnish gel to create a protective finishing.  I apply a thin uniform coat with a specific smooth flat brush and let dry for at least six hours.  I repeat twice, or three times.  Finally, I paste the japanese Kokeshi soft-paper dolls and small tree to the copper lamina and cut them out carefully.  I glue them with hot-melt adhesive by a hot-glue gun directly to my fabric.  To embellish I choose a white wooden frame.

Pubblicato in: Musicology

Fender-ST-Style : Pick & Chords

A pickguard is usually a piece of plastic, or other laminated material, fixed with some screws on the guitar’s body under the strings, or raised on adjustable metal support brackets close to them.  Its main practical purpose is to protect the guitar’s surface, but it may also have a merely decorative use, as well as be a piece of memorabilia.

Fender-style pickguards are mainly fitted on solid-bodied electric Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars and often cover a large area of the front top surface.  Most of their electronic components, such as  pickups, potentiometers, switches and wiring, are mounted on, or behind, the pickguards.  As a matter of fact, this design simplifies repairs and spare parts change.

1° Step : Pickguard & Fabric.

Pickguard Strat & Chords

Pickguard & Fabric

2° Step : Material & Tools. 

Of course, a Strat-pickguard and an adequate beautiful 100% cotton fabric.  To custom and decorate my pickguard with the decoupage technique, first of all I need scissors to cut out my fabric, soft pencil to design the pickguard’s template on the fabric’s rear side and vinyl glue (or special fabric-glue).  Also a flat brush to spread a fair glue measure on the pickguard to paste the chosen fabric, a few plastic or wooden binder clips to apply around the edges to hold the fabric down while the glue dries.  Finally, I need a satin water-based varnish gel to create a protective, anti-scratch film with a good resistance to mechanical agents.  I apply a thick and uniform coat with a specific flat smooth brush.  Let it dry for at least four hours, and then I repeat twice or more times as to get a hard, solid and strong last finishing.

Fender-St-Style pickguard 1 Continua a leggere “Fender-ST-Style : Pick & Chords”