Even more Useless-ness!
I thought the tippet was bad for useless accessorizing, but I am apparently not to be outdone. You see, I've got a faire to go to in two weeks, and its practically guarunteed to be freezing out, and I'm supposed to be making toasty warm things like cloaks and muffs and gloves. So what did I make last night? A feather fan, of course. What could be more useless in NOVEMBER? I swear I'll sew wooly warm things next week....
the inspiration (one of many). Here is Bess herself with an ornate fan of gold and what I assume to be ostrich feathers.
My local supply of ostrich feathers is low, but I did find these preassembled feather things at A.C. Moore in the autumnal flower arrangement section. I have no idea who makes feathery flower arrangements for autumn. Because what could be better when you're biting into that moist Thanksgiving turkey than seing its tail feathers in the centerpiece? Ew.
Anywho, they were already all nicely arranged on a metal stick, and I got 4 of em for $5, so it was totally worth it. I wanted 5, since I think it would've made for a fuller fan, but they only had four of the brown ones. The red were pretty, but just a bit fake. And the yellow and purple were even faker. So scanty brown fan it is!
Onto making the base...the handle is a bbq wooden skewer with 5 "vases" from Joann fabrics slid over it. I guess they're little wooden vases for doll houses? They came with drilled holes that just happened to fit my skewers. The fan base is made of wooden "decorative accents" from home depot. Something like the things you put on fireplace mantles and the like. They conveniently came in a two pack. I put a wad of evenly rolled out sculpee between, poked the holes needed for handle and 4 feathery bits, added an extra hole for a peacock feather of decorativeness, then removed all the wooden bits and baked the clay.
Once it was baked, I glued it all togehter and spraypainted it gold just like the tippet. I would've loved to stain it, but well, hideous yellow sculpee wouldn't take up stain, would it? I did, however, resist the urge to bejewel it, cuz I'm not sure that'd go well with my middle class wardrobes. I'm sure Beth is proud. ;)
And here are the results:
Its actually rather huge, so I might try my hand at making a more dainty one later. Though the huge does kick up a good bit of wind, which is so uber-useful when its freezing out, eh?
Coming soon: a better set of directions for how I made the tippet head of creepiness (for Allessia) and anyone else who is interested.
the inspiration (one of many). Here is Bess herself with an ornate fan of gold and what I assume to be ostrich feathers.
My local supply of ostrich feathers is low, but I did find these preassembled feather things at A.C. Moore in the autumnal flower arrangement section. I have no idea who makes feathery flower arrangements for autumn. Because what could be better when you're biting into that moist Thanksgiving turkey than seing its tail feathers in the centerpiece? Ew.
Anywho, they were already all nicely arranged on a metal stick, and I got 4 of em for $5, so it was totally worth it. I wanted 5, since I think it would've made for a fuller fan, but they only had four of the brown ones. The red were pretty, but just a bit fake. And the yellow and purple were even faker. So scanty brown fan it is!
Onto making the base...the handle is a bbq wooden skewer with 5 "vases" from Joann fabrics slid over it. I guess they're little wooden vases for doll houses? They came with drilled holes that just happened to fit my skewers. The fan base is made of wooden "decorative accents" from home depot. Something like the things you put on fireplace mantles and the like. They conveniently came in a two pack. I put a wad of evenly rolled out sculpee between, poked the holes needed for handle and 4 feathery bits, added an extra hole for a peacock feather of decorativeness, then removed all the wooden bits and baked the clay.
Once it was baked, I glued it all togehter and spraypainted it gold just like the tippet. I would've loved to stain it, but well, hideous yellow sculpee wouldn't take up stain, would it? I did, however, resist the urge to bejewel it, cuz I'm not sure that'd go well with my middle class wardrobes. I'm sure Beth is proud. ;)
And here are the results:
Its actually rather huge, so I might try my hand at making a more dainty one later. Though the huge does kick up a good bit of wind, which is so uber-useful when its freezing out, eh?
Coming soon: a better set of directions for how I made the tippet head of creepiness (for Allessia) and anyone else who is interested.
posted by Julebug | 8:26 AM
3 Comments:
Woolen petticoat of steel? Woolen Venetians of piratey cross-dressing-ness? Woolen caul for heaven's sake? Do I see them? Precious, where are they? We wants them......... *taps foot patiently*
Oh wait. I'm supposed to be nice to the lady with the silk. Pretty Julie! Nice Julie!
And the fan is lovely, btw. It will be much appreciated come May, and actually I think the whole "doing the accessories ahead of time" plan is brilliant. Since we're always SO on time with our costumes.
*mumble*
Okay, I promise to make something woolen this weekend. Really, I do. A caul at the least. But i do need to wait for fabric for the venetians and cloak, so that's a mighty good excuse. ;)
Anyway, would this be a proper trip to faire if I didn't wait until last minute to sew all the truly necessary items? ;)
Thanks for sharing your fan. I hurried out to my local A.C. Moore and got some feathers. Took a slightly different approach to the handle but your feather shortcut made it SO SIMPLE! This new fan is sturdier than my last one made with cheap feathers glued, duct-taped, and thread-wrapped to a wooden spatula.
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