Making a Copper Mask, Part 2

 Go HERE for the first post on how to design and shape the mask.

Copper Jaguar Mask

The Copper Jaguar Mask could be used as it is, but I want to add spots and fabric decorations.

RIVETS:  A jaguar’s spots (like the markings on any spotted or striped cat) are unique to the individual, just like human finger prints.  Even black jaguars have spots, though they may not be visible except in bright sunlight.  But the spots on the mask will be highly stylized decorative rivets for a 3-D look.  Rivets are small cylindrical pieces of metal that are commonly used to join two pieces of metal without heat (in blacksmithing, large steel rivets are heated, though the pieces to be joined may not be). 

I drew dots on the copper with a permanent marker and used a drill press to drill holes from the inside of the mask, with the metal resting on a block of scrap wood.  The three hole sizes fit the three sizes of wire that I chose for rivets. 

Holes Drilled for Rivets

Copper wire in gauges 14, 10, and 6 was annealed to soften it.  (Rivets smaller than 16 are more difficult to set, and anything larger than 6 is quite heavy).  The pieces of wire must be long enough to form a substantial domed or flattened ”head” when they are hammered in, but not so long that the shank bends sideways or protrudes from the sheet metal.  For this project, I cut pieces of wire about 3/16″ long, and file the ends flat and smooth.  I usually lay the metal on the anvil for riveting, but the convex surface of the mask needed a domed support.  Fortunately I have a specialized tool for the job:  a forming stake, bought years ago from another blacksmith, made from a trailer hitch ball welded to a length of heavy square bar that slides into the hardy hole on my anvil.  For each rivet, I laid the mask right-side-up on the stake, put the rivet in the hole, and carefully hammered the end of the wire with the ball end of the hammer.  I worked on the edges of the rivet first, to stabilize it, then hammered the center to flatten it, and hammered the edges again to create a dome.  I flipped the mask over and hammered the rivet a couple of times from the back, just to make sure it was securely fastened into the metal.  Here’s the finished mask, with a closer view of some of the rivets.

 

Tarot Bag Pattern

PATTERN FOR A TAROT BAG:
Lined, reversible, with double drawstrings.

LEFT:  Padded, flannel-lined embroidered bag for “All Souls Procession Bell”

CENTER:  Flannel inside and outside, for jewelry.

RIGHT:  Half-size bag for Pod Knife:   Hemp/cotton hand-dyed with pomegranate husks, with hemp cords and silk tassels.

This pattern is sized to fit most Tarot decks, but I use it far more often to make bags for my bells and jewelry.   If it is not embellished with embroidery or ornaments, it is completely reversible.  Suitable fabrics include calico, flannel, muslin, and other quilter’s cottons, as well as lightweight denim, hemp/cotton, and corduroy. Construction can be a challenge with lightweight or unstable material (silk, satin, handkerchief linen, etc.) unless you are sewing by hand or have experience with these fabrics.  View a larger version of the pattern here:

http://www.mineralarts.com/artwork/bagpatternbig.jpg

Cut four pieces, two for the outer bag, and two from another fabric for the lining.  The pattern is 8.5″ x 5.5″ but can easily be resized.

CONSTRUCTION:
1. To be sure the pieces are the same size and the notches line up exactly, stack the four cut rectangles on top of each other, and cut all the notches at once. 

2. Fold the top (notched) corners over twice onto the wrong side of the fabric, and stitch flat.  The folded triangles will not be stitched together, because they will form the open ends of the cord channel.  Complete any embroidery, applique, etc. for the outside of the bag now.

3. With right sides together, sew the two pieces of the lining (inner bag) together along the sides and bottom (NOT the top of the bag above the side notches).  Use a 1/4″ seam allowance.  Repeat with the the outer bag.  Clip seam allowances to 1/8″.

4.  Turn the outer bag right side out and press so seams and corners are straight.  Leave the lining as is, with the wrong side facing out.   Put the lining inside the outer bag, fold and press 1/2″ of the the tops over towards the wrong sides so they face each other to make the seam, and pin the two bags together at the top.  You should now have one bag with a lining.

5. Tack with a few stitches to firmly anchor the four top corners and the bottoms of the two”V” openings that form the cord channel, matching the pieces carefully. This step reinforces stress points and and helps keep the outer bag and the lining from slipping when you are stitching the top edges of the bag.

6. Stitch the two bags together at the top, about 1/8″ from the edge.   This can be done by hand or on the machine.  If the two pieces are different colors, match the top thread to the outer bag and the bobbin thread to the lining, since this stitching will be visible on both sides.

7. Use a ruler and a fabric-marking pencil, draw a straight line parallel to the top of the bag to connect the bottoms of the two “V” openings (note that the two pairs of folded triangles are facing each other).  On the pattern, this line connects the side notches to indicate the bottom of the cord channel.

8. If  you want the bag to be fully reversible, topstitch this line on the machine.  Since it is prominently visible on the bag, you may wish to handstitch it with embroidery thread instead, to give a more elegant look, especially if you are embellishing the outside of the bag and/or you don’t need it to be reversible.  I use herringbone stitch because it is quick, easy, attractive, and durable. 

9. The bag is done! If you are using commercial cord or ribbon, choose carefully and do not use cord that is too slippery or too small, or the bag won’t close properly. This pattern is really designed for 1/2″ or even wider ribbons, or for flat 1/4″-1/2″ drawstrings made from cotton fabric scraps.  Fabrics can be chosen to complement the colors of the bag, and the result is an attractive, long-wearing cord that is washable and closes very securely.  Photo shows the top of a completed bag with herringbone topstitching. 

MAKING DRAWCORDS:
Choose a solid color or small print, keeping in mind that the finished cord is only 1/2″ wide. Fabrics should be the same weight as the bag fabrics or a bit lighter. Since you will be stitching through four layers, avoid heavy fabrics. Cut a piece 1 1/2″ wide and about 30″ long.  Fold the piece in half lengthwise and press. Fold the sides into the center, then fold in half lengthwise along the first fold.  You will have a strip that is four layers thick and 1/3 the original width.  Press and pin shut. Topstitch within 1/8″ of the edge.
Now you have a cord.  Cut it in half.  Attach a safety pin to one end of the cord, close it, and use it to help you thread the cord through the two channels.  Repeat with the other cord.  Pull cords until ends are even.  If they are too long, cut to desired length.  Ends can simply be knotted, like any other cord, but the raw edges will show.  You can finish the ends in various ways:  Fold them over and stitch them, add shapes in contrasting fabrics, felt, leather etc., make tassels or stitch the end into a loop for beads or bells, wrap them with wire, or crimp them with pieces of metal tubing.

A New Blanket for Rainbow Lion

I made Rainbow Lion back in March but was never happy with his blanket. I also realized that the iron didn’t suit him, even though it was perfect for the other two lions. So I took off the iron bells and made a flannel blanket with sparkly aluminum shisha mirrors decorated with variegated embroidery thread, and added the iridescent glass beads and copper spirals from the original blanket.  I really don’t know where this guy came from – he’s definitely not the type of work I prefer to do – too much “white light” – and I’m often uncomfortable with such bright colors.  But I hope he’ll be perfect for someone.  Larger photos are here:

http://www.mineralarts.com/artwork/greenliontoy.html

Two Mirror Shirts

Three new items to wear this winter, decorated with shisha mirrors.  I went a bit wild with them, since I get all kinds of comments on my weird clothes anyway.  One of the benefits of being “too strange for the Village” (Daniel Deardorff’s words in his book, THE OTHER WITHIN) is that you can wear whatever makes you happy, since everybody will always know you for a freak, even if you are dressed like Them.

 

LEFT:  Flannel jumper with a flannel shirt.  The jumper has a black band embroidered with red and white just above the hem.  The motif (teardrop/feather/pomegranate seed?) matches the fabric. 

RIGHT:  The black cotton shirt is to wear under the labyrinth dress that I finished a couple of weeks ago.  The dress is shown here:

http://ironwing.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/labyrinth-dress/

Labyrinth Dress

Just finished this loose-fitting cotton jumper/pinafore dress, embroidered with brass, copper, and aluminum shisha mirrors along the hem, a labyrinth with a brass sun on the front, and a reverse labyrinth with copper moon and aluminum star on the back.  It’s meant to be worn over a gray or black t-shirt or a natural white long-sleeved shirt.  The fabric is a Japanese-inspired faux patchwork print that required extra work to match the pleats and seams, but it was worth it – I love the soothing earthy colors and subtle patterns, and am looking forward to making an embroidered shoulder bag with the leftovers.

More Shisha: Mirror Shirt and Forge Banner

Awhile ago I bought fabric to make a banner for my blacksmith shop.  The shop isn’t open to the public and I don’t do fairs or demonstrate anymore, but I thought it would be fun just to brighten up the place.  The fabric is a one-yard cotton ombre print.  The anvil is black cotton stitched on by machine, with the edges hand-embroidered in herringbone stitch with dark green thread, and the anvil contours done in gray split stitch.  The veve for Ogun Ferraille, the blacksmith’s loa, is embroidered in white pearl cotton.  Aluminum mirrors are embroidered on in three shades of purple.

I found a brand new melon-colored blouse at a local thrift shop, a lovely nearly-iridescent “shot” cotton that demanded some ribbons and embroidered decoration.  Here’s the result:

Lepidolite Shisha Mirror

Here’s an experiment with shisha mirror embroidery, since I want to use it in several projects.  Instead of the usual glass mirrors, I tried a thinner version cut from a sheet of polished aluminum that was left over from one of our tubular skylight installations.  It’s easier to work with than glass, and I can cut it to any size or shape.  In the photo, the left mirror is aluminum.  The one on the right is translucent lepidolite mica, backed with aluminum to make it more reflective and bring out the beautiful pearly lavender color.

If I’m in the mood for it, embroidery work can be peaceful and satisfying, which is why I spent the Full Moon doing that instead of something more exciting.  Beluga kitty had a couple of seizures (they tend to occur more often at the New and Full Moons) and I wanted to calm my own energy and that of the house, since he is very sensitive to these things – he spends much of his time in the doorway to my studio or the hallway just outside, which is essentially the “crossroads” of the house.

Rainbow Lion

Rainbow Lion was my big project for March.  The magic in this one is a bit more “white light” than my usual work, and it will be reassuring for me to get back to my stones and knives.  But I found this colorful yarn when I was working on the Snow Lion, and it was an irresistible match for the white silk/hemp fabric.  This is a particularly cuddly lion (though very sturdy, like the others) with a very thick, soft mane.  The yarn is a cotton/silk/rayon blend.  The blanket adds a lot of color, but (unlike the other two lions) he looks just as good without it.  Description and more photos are here:

http://www.mineralarts.com/artwork/greenliontoy.html

I hope this lion provides comfort after a storm for somebody.  This was a difficult month for me, but I’ll wait until after the New Moon to look for my own sign of celestial renewal.

Tibetan Snow Lion Doll

For this Moon, I took a break from designing oracles and took a commission for a shaman’s doll – this Tibetan Snow Lion, with blanket, iron bells and tent stakes, and shaman’s mirror.  I enjoyed making him so much that I want to make another lion, but I’ll probably take my time about finishing that one, and get back to other projects.

Description and more photos on this page:

http://www.mineralarts.com/artwork/greenliontoy.html