7.0 - Sewing
============
Sewing materials/resources - Section 99.23
Sewing on about.com - http://sewing.about.com/
SeamLyne's costume construction tips -
http://www.seamlyne.com/design/costume/
GREAT page on fabrics and how to make things, including boots!
Suggested needles for fabrics - http://mrsews.com/lessons/lesson7.html
How-tos on various items including sewing - http://naughtyteaspoon.20m.com/HOWTO.html
Site on sewing and related - http://www.sewing.com/
Kwik-Sew's page on finding the correct pattern size and how to take measurements - http://www.kwiksew.com/techinfo/measure/measure.htm
Commercial site showing the various styles of sewing machine feet - http://www.ggcreations.com.au/althea/feet.html
7.1 - Finding a good sewing machine
====================================
A serger is also known as an overlocker, can be good for sewing fur.
From: Robert King
I've been asked for info on how to choose a sewing machine - since I'm
relatively new, I asked a friend, BJ Stahlen, (who has sewn fake fur) and she
told me this:
Here is what you need:
1. A machine that will do a good zigzag stitch.
2. A Ballpoint needle (not leather, not universal)
3. An option known as a "Walking Foot" or an "Even Feed Foot" which adds
a second set of feed dogs so that feed dogs pull on both the top and bottom
of the material.
This is very useful if you are sewing together two pieces by the following technique (direct abutment with no seam allowance).
A. put one piece on the other with the pile (fur) in. Align perfectly.
B. Sew a wide zigzag stitch such that 1/2 of the seam is falling off the
edge (ie. no seam allowance)
C. Open the seam and pick the pile out of the stitches - should be darn
near invisible if you do it right.
4. Be sure the tension on the machine will go low enough
5. There is no substitute for bringing in some scraps and doing some
test seams on the prospective machine.
6. Check Consumer Reports
From: TeddyRuxpin
> Here is what you need:
>
> 1. A machine that will do a good zigzag stitch.
Yes! Check in particular that the machine always picks up the back thread on each stitch. That is - you see a perfect zig-zag front AND back.
> 2. A Ballpoint needle (not leather, not universal)
Fake fur backing is usually like double-knit, so this can help. Backing that is plastic reinforced is worse to deal with.
Its also worth asking (and trying!) if it will sew with heavier thread, like quilting, tapestry or carpet top and bottom. Heavier thread is worth using on furry garment seams.
> 3. An option known as a "Walking Foot" or an "Even Feed Foot" which
> adds a second set of feed dogs so that feed dogs pull on both the top
> and bottom of the material.
One of these does help. It also helps a lot to thoroughly pin the fur pieces together first. Even better is hand tacking them in place first. If you do this well, you can get away with a standard foot.
> This is very useful if you are sewing together two pieces by the
> following technique (direct abutment with no seam allowance - Furrier's
seam).
>
> A. put one piece on the other with the pile (fur) in. Align
perfectly.
> B. Sew a wide zigzag stitch such that 1/2 of the seam is falling
> off the edge (ie. no seam allowance)
I never tried this - I would say 'perfectly aligning' fur edges is quite difficult to maintain. But I will try it out. I usually use a straight stitch at the most coarse setting with a large allowance - 1/2"+ (1.27+ cm). Then trim back the allowance to 1/4" (0.635 cm) from stitches.
> C. Open the seam and pick the pile out of the stitches - should be
> darn near invisible if you do it right.
You do have to 'pick out' your seams after machine sewing. When hand sewing you can stroke the pile into the seam as you go, which much reduces the need to pick out.
> 4. Be sure the tension on the machine will go low enough
Check that the point at which the top and bottom threads wrap around each other is 'inside' the fabric. I find you always seem to need a very low tension.
> 5. There is no substitute for bringing in some scraps and doing some
> test seams on the prospective machine.
Very true!!!
> 6. Check Consumer Reports
Do they ever test them sewing four layers of 1" (2.5 cm) fake fur?
The BIGGEST problem with domestic sewing machines is how much fabric you can get under the foot (2.5 cm). 1/4" - 3/8" (0.635 - 0.95 cm) is the usual - just enough for 2 layers. But when you get to 'corners' it gets very tight.
From: Teddy Ruxpin
Subject: Sewing machine maintainance.
Sewing machines suffer from oil drying up. Owners rarely oil them regularly, and the lint (fabric fluff) wicks the oil out of everywhere.
Take the covers off, scrape off all the oily lint, then put light machine oil in all the oil holes while turning the mechanisms by hand.
Dont forget underneath. And take the cover off the bobbin housing and clean that complicated part up too.
Then sew some scrap fabric with scap cotton and check that you did not overdo the oil!
boogi talked with Teddy Ruxpin about locating a used sewing machine
at thrift stores and machine repair store resales.
[boogi> Something to check. Seems you gotta remove the front cover to
check for the metal gears, on any machine.
[TedyRuxpn> Right, or the top.
[boogi> Thanks. I'll be looking around some more. Anything else I'll
need to look for, when looking for this, and making sure it's working,
besides bringing along thread and fabric pieces, and moving by hand the
handwheel?
[TedyRuxpn> load with thread top and bottom, and a good needle and see
if it sews. Try all the combinations of stitch length/sewing
[TedyRuxpn> If it is in a thrift store, may need oiling and adjustment
to make work
[TedyRuxpn> More expensive, but reliable (guaranteed) is a machine
repair store re-sale of abandoned machines
[TedyRuxpn> Might be worth talking to people who have bought used
machines. I got mine new for $100, 28 years ago
[Maintainer's note: Interestingly enough, both have the same model sewing machine, a Singer Fashion Mate 257, made around the early 70s. This model has all metal gears.]
7.2 - Machine sewing
====================
*EXCELLENT* writeup by Alopex on using sergers with fursuits! - AloSerger.pdf (4.4 megs in size)
Adobe's Acrobat Reader to read the above - http://www.adobe.com/
From: Teddy Ruxpin
Subject: FL: Tips for machine sewing
TeddyRuxpin's basic tips for machine sewing.
Note. Some modern machines are better behaved, so tips may not apply in some cases.
1. Threading the needle: Lick thumb and forefinger, pinch thread end between and pull through. This straightens the thread, stiffens it and sticks the microhairs down. Next snip off the end with sharp scissors. The resulting tip is easier to poke through the hole. For really difficult situations use beeswax instead of spit.
2. When starting a run make sure you have about 4" of thread end hanging free. This prevents top thread snatch dethreading the needle. The way you do this is at the end of each run move the wheel backwards to raise the needle to just before top position, then lift the presser foot. This should release the thread clamp. Pull the work 4" away from the foot. Cut the threads right at the work, leaving 4" free ends for the next run. To be tidy, go immediately to the start of the run and trim the 4" threads from there.
3. When doing finishing runs (not tacking runs) on heavy work, start 3/8" in from the start point and run backwards slowly to the start, then forwards along the run. This locks and reinforces the start. At the end, go back slowly over the last 3/8" before release and trim, for similar reinforcement. (On tacking runs that you may want to rip open, do not double-stitch anyplace and use a very coarse stitch.)
4. Unless you have a lot of practice, pin all seams liberally before sewing. Align pieces at the ends, pin at ends. Match middle, pin. Match in between and pin... until pins are 2" apart. If the edge lengths will not match, review your pattern!
5. To prevent 'pinched pile' on long fur, as you sew, stroke the fur pile back between the cut edges. The rounded handle end of a small seam ripper is good for this.
6. Pinning - to make it easy to remove pins while sewing, place pins at right-angles to the sew line, head next to the cut edges and on top as you sew. Then you can easily pull them as they approach the foot. Sewing over pins has a little risk - if the needle spears the pin it may break. Mostly it misses. If you miss pulling a pin it may be painful when you eventually rediscover it!
7. To aid sewing over bumpy joints and reduce skewing problems caused by extra drag, wrap around all the layers of fabric with one fold of tissue paper (offcuts from paper patterns work well). Sew through the 'sandwich', the paper surface slides through the machine better. After, rip the paper away.
From: Teddy Ruxpin in response to MoonShadow
> Does any one have any recommendations for the sizes of sewing
> needles, thread or anything else that I need (besides more practice
> runs on the sewing machine?)
Needles - get 'double-knit' needles, they come in light, medium and heavy, which works best depends on your fur backing, but since one rarely cares about the size of the hole the needle is punching, go with the heavy.
For thread - first time use a really cheap light-weight cotton and coarse stitch (6). Do not trim the allowance. Try the garment on. If it is not right you can rip the seams apart easily and adjust.
When you have it right, over-sew it all with a good cotton/polyester thread - I used Coates Dual Duty Plus - with a finer stitch (10). If you want reliability sew all the seams twice.
Other things: Pins to hold the fabric together. I use glass head pins because they are easier to see and get hold of; Small scissors to trim off thread ends while sewing; A seam ripper - useful for undoing seams, and also as a poker to push fabric under the shoe and keep it aligned.
There are also some tricks on how to sew with a machine that are not usually in the owners manual, if you are interested in more.
7.3 - Sewing kit
================
A good hand sewing kit has quite a few things in here, like the well
stocked tool box below. You can even mix stuff in the tool box, and not have
problems in using any of these items. Even machine sewing parts can be kept
in them.
- upholstery or button & carpet thread
- needles
- thimble
- seam ripper
- elastic (1/4", 1/2", 1")
- velcro (sew and stick)
- small scissors
- snaps
- hooks and eyes
- colored chalk
- markers
- hem clips
- zippers
- fabric glue
- safety, straight, and T pins
From: Ostrich, in response to Maxgoof
> Before you attempt to sew anything furry, make sure you use
> upholstery needles. Anything less will likely break. Use a stretch
> stitch (the kind that goes over the same spot three or four times),
> as anything less will rip when any strain is put on it.
I've had good results with common ballpoint needles, #16 or heavier. I generally use Singer 'Yellow Band' needles, although in fairness I've gotta note that a lot of fursuiters and plush makers just hate Singer needles since they will bend readily if you're not careful with them. You've gotta be careful to let the tractor feed the cloth all by itself, and not rush it.
I generally use a tight locking straight stitch as well, since it requires less of a seam allowance. Of late, though, I've actually taken to hand-sewing, since I can have almost no allowances that way, and the seams are nearly invisible.
Congratulations on getting an older machine too, BTW - most of the modern ones simply aren't sturdy enough to sew fur.
7.4 - Handsewing
=================
Graphical page on handsewing.
Even better page on handsewing - http://www.hutchal.clara.net/curtains/sewguide.htm
More on handsewing - http://www.alternative-windows.co.uk/stitches.htm
7.5 - References
=================
Anything by Nancy Zieman, including Fitting Finesse.
ABC's of Serging - Written by Tammy Young and Lori Bottom. 148 pages of serging basics. This book is organized in a logical step by step format so anyone can work through this book and learn to use their serger to its full potential.
Serge A Simple Project - Written by Tammy Young and Naomi Baker. 148 pages pages that help you review and reinforce good sewing skills through 56 simple projects.
Sew The New Fleece - Written by Rochelle Harper, this 135 page book deals with the techniques used to sew synthetic fleece and pile. No matter what your sewing skill level, you will find useful information in this book for getting professional results when sewing with these fabrics.
The Ultimate Serger Answer Guide - This 95 page book is the user friendly reference essential for any current or prospective serger owner. It provides easy, practical solutions for any problem with any serger, along with expert savvy and timesaving tips.
A Step-By-Step Guide To Your New Home Sewing Machine - Written by Jan Saunders. 244 pages that help you teach yourself to sew better. Among several other tips, this book teaches you how to make simple projects as well as learn which machine settings, thread and needle to use for each step of the project. Along with information about using the presser feet and accessories that came with your new home machine.
The below are courtesy of various Usenet posters on the
alt.sewing group.
Check a local Library book sale as well as used bookstores. You may find some books for quite cheap. The publish dates may be from the 70s or 80s but the basic methods are still the same.
Vogue's Sewing Book. It's so thorough and easy to understand.
Any or all of the Chilton books on the subject.
Complete Book of Sewing, The
Fabric Savvy, by Sandra Betzina. This is good for learning what thread go with what fabrics, and how to care for fabrics.
Home Decorating, by Pamela Hastings. Another home decorating book.
Innovative Serging by Gail Brown/Tammy Young
Instant Interiors. Great for Home Decor.
Know Your... [Baby Loc, in my case, as I bought a BL] This is one of a good series covering many different brands, by Naomi Baker/Tammy Young.
Owner's Guide To Sewing Machines, Sergers and Knitting Machines by Gail Grigg Hazen
Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing. I heard from a couple of people, though, that it was a bit overwhelming.
Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework. This is helpful for learning the basics. A great reference book.
Sewing for Dummies. Not overwhelming, but very easy to understand.
Sewing With Sergers: The Complete Handbook For Overlock Sewing. by Gail Brown & Pati Palmer (ISBN# 0-935278-11-7 - [about US $7.00, small paperback])
Simplicity's Basic Sewing Book.
Simply Serge Any Fabric by Naomi Baker/Tammy Young
Singer's sewing library. Singer has several books on this subject that are very helpful.
7.6 - Terminology
=================
Sewing Terminology and Techniques - http://www.loudzen.com/users/jessica/precostuming/jargon.html
More on sewing terms - http://www.hutchal.clara.net/curtains/glossary.htm
From: Robert C King, responding to someone about bodysuit seams
>>Samantha's fur body suit is just full of curved seams, darts, and a few
>>spots where we pray the fur has enough stretch.
>
>darts?
Yup - one way to add that 3rd dimension to 2D cloth
A Dart is a construct where you cut out some of a piece of cloth (usually a wedge shaped piece, hence the name - think Isoceles triangle) and then sew together the two matching sides to create a shallow cone-like shape.
http://www.sew-whats-new.com/sewinglessons/skirt/b-skirt-diagram4.jpg
A Pleat is like a Dart except that you don't cut out the material in the wedge to be removed, you fold it over on itself.
A Gather is a "non-linear" seam. I'll explain by example. Imagine you have two strips of cloth 10 inches long. If you sew them together normally, you get a straight, flat seam 10 inches long. Now imagine you have one strip of cloth 10" and one strip 14". If you sew them together so that the ends come out together with a 10" seam, you have created a gather - the longer side will have little ripples in the seam where you have scrunched it down evenly to make 14" fit in 10".
An Ease is like a Gather but less extreme - like sewing a 10" strip to an 11" strip. The ripples don't show.
A curved seam lets you add and subtract fabric to create curve also, but the more seams, the more work.
> Well, since I've gotten to this point in making my own furry body (far
>less detailed than yours, though, since this is my first time), I've got
>some questions about this whole tailoring to fit thing. I made a bodysuit
>out of white cotton fabric, figuring I'd just tailor that the way I wanted
>and then use it as a pattern for the fur. Except I realized when I was
>finished that I had no idea how to go about doing things like making
>sleeves narrower. Rather than insist that you recount every last detail
>of the process you went through, I guess I'll just ask if there are any
>books you know of out there that talk about how to do this? I've seen one
>book by Singer on alterations, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere
>lately. Any other suggestions?
Maybe you can alter that. I'm assuming you used a commercial pattern. Most "normal" clothes don't hug the arms skin tight. Can't you just pin it down smaller, invert, and sew a new seam under the arm?
Ultimately what you want to do is called "draping" - essentially creating your own pattern. Draping is an art. You can probably find books on the subject if you go to a major fabric/sewing store (the kind that sells skads of patterns).
But you just can't drape yourself. You have to find a friend with the skill.
If you want I can TRY to give you a verbal description of the general
technique BJ used. In brief, you start pinning with the shoulder centerline
and neck seam and "drape" the muslin piece until it will not lay "flat"
against the curve of the body - then you decide whether to:
a. If covering a convex part of the body, grumble and identify locations
to dart, then cut the piece a few inches beyond.
b. If covering a concave part of the body, curse under you breath, cut the
piece and start with a new piece of muslin. (curved seam)
c. If doing a concave-convex (eg. crotch seam or underarm), curse loudly
while trying to bring multiple seams together without creating a gnarled mess.
Sorry, I got a little less than serious there. :) I just can't summarize in a few paragraphs what requires an entire book and practice.
(Samantha's butt has independent cheeks and that produced what BJ referred to as "The crotch seam from hell")
-- Robert "Muslin, foam women's body parts, and pins everywhere..." King
From: Silent Red
Subject: Smocking
Smocking is an old technique, I'm not sure how it was done originally but nowadays the technique is to tack the material onto a length of stretched out elastic. When the elastic is released the material puckers (for the turtle costume the effect was like wrinkles on its legs). It's kind of hard to explain but if you saw it you'd recognize the technique. :>
7.7 - Workplace lighting
=====================
This is one of the most important things to have when creating a fursuit.
You need good lighting. Without it, you can't see what you're doing very
well. The question was asked by boogi in the mailing list awhile ago, and
some good responses abounded.
> What kind of lighting do you use when you do your fursuit work?
>
> Has anyone used the Ott Light that is seen in the fabric stores? How
> useful is it compared to regular lighting when doing fursuit creation?
From: Spiked Punch
Any kind of bright white lighting will help you see clearly while working on
your costumes. Good places to look would be any artist, fabric, or hardware
store that has workplace lights, such as the magnifying lamps and what not.
I think Walmart might have some simular as well.
From: Aerofox
So far I've just used a 50 watt halogen desk lamp I bought from
Wal-Mart while I'm sewing. it has a high and low light setting.
Most of the time I use the low setting which I think is 25 watt
which seems to be plenty of light.
Both Loriana and I've been doin' alot of sewing lately :)
From: Ixbalam
I love the Ott Light. They're a little expensive compared to normal desk
lamp or floor lamp. I seem to have less eye strain and colors look more
like they do in sunlight than they do under other types of light. It's
not especially useful for sewing and similar unless you're having trouble
with eye strain.
For most things an ordinary halogen lights work fine, even though they can be hot for close work.
From: frryfox
I have a sizable workshop (200+sq ft) that I use both for carpentry and
costuming. It has several different types of fixed lighting but one common
thread, its all fluorescent lighting. Why? Minimal heat and a more white
light. That and being in the basement, having a child and dog running amok
shook the filaments so much I was losing a bulb every month.
Main lighting for general use consists of 2 "100W" spiral bulbs on the ceiling (8ft). This gives nice even white light that I can cut and sew fabric by, make measurements on wood etc.
I have a 2 tube 4ft florescent fixture above my table saw (which when covered doubles as my airbrush station). Great overhead light for precision and reflects well off the walls for minimal shadows.
Around my main workbench I have 3 "60W" compact bulbs on a tree so I can get focused multi-angle light on the bench. This is ideal for working with exceptional detail and small pieces (and electronics). Some tools have additional fixed lighting to aid in precision work.
While I could make do with just the 2 100Ws on the ceiling, I prefer different types and intensities depending on the job.
From: Lobowolf
For any mechanical or sewing work that requires precision, you want to
maximize the concentration of light on whatever you're working on without
creating shadows. Anything that's a point source (like a single halogen or
incandescent bulb) is going to give you shadows. I'd recommend a 4 foot
fluorescent fixture with four 40W tubes. That should give you a *lot* of
light over the entire 4 foot length of the fixture with minimal shadows.
If you're doing anything that requires color matching, make sure you use "full-spectrum" tubes the mimic daylight. You could use a couple of inexpensive "shop light" fixtures, but they usually come with "cool white" lamps. All light sources have a color temperature that will affect how colors look under artificial lighting as opposed to how the color would look under sunlight. The "cool white" bulbs don't pose a problem for sewing, but if you're airbrushing and working with subtle variations in color, you'll want to have daylight tubes so you can see how the color will come out under natural light. (Unless you're colorblind like me, in which case it won't matter anyway =P)
If you're doing really tiny and intricate work, a desk-mounted lighted magnifier might help, although if the room is already brightly lit, you probably won't need it.
It also helps to have a light colored room if possible. A really dark colored room won't reflect any light, and you'll be straining and struggling with shadows no matter how much artificial light you have.
Most of the larger fixtures are meant to be hardwired, so if you don't understand AC wiring, you'll have to have somebody who knows what they're doing wire it or put a cord on it. The fixture can be either secured to the ceiling with screws or hung with chains. The whole works will cost you about $60 or so at Home Depot, but it'll pay for itself over the long run.
Happy lighting! ;0)
An exchange of email between boogi and Lobowolf on metal halide lamps...
From: Lobowolf
> > Metal Halide lamps aren't *that* exotic, but they are rather expensive if
> > you buy them new. Neither are they that special...the "control gear" that
> > they need is merely a ballast....just like you'd need with a fluorescent lamp.
>
>Ah, those lamps. I had the right thing in mind the whole time. Thanks.
>I've seen them around and know what kind of output they've got.
Yeah..if you go into Costco or Sam's club or a big gymnasium, you'll see them. There are some in the garage at work, and they're excellent. But you wouldn't want one in a bedroom unless you want to be wearing several pairs of sunglasses.
There's a comparison at http://www.venturelighting.com/Literature/Lighting%20a%20Better%20World.pdf. It says that metal halide lamps are on the same order of efficiency as fluorescents...about 5 times more light output than a standard incandescent bulb. So, a 400 watt metal halide lamp is worth 2000 watts of incandescent bulbs, or the same as twenty 100W bulbs.
So, energy and efficiency-wise, we're talking on par with fluorescent lamps...except that the metal halide lamp can concentrate the light into a much smaller area, and with a polished reflector, you can aim a beam of high intensity light right where you want it, whereas fluorescent lamps are more diffuse and cover a much larger in area. (Good or bad, depending on your application).
I did say that having a diffuse source is better, but that was comparing with a regular incandescent bulb where light goes off in all directions (and most of it is reflected or wasted). If you have some way to focus with a reflector, then it's a lot more useful and will take away a lot of the shadows because the light isn't bouncing off other objects and going right to the object that you're working on.
Speaking of which, you could probably get decent light out of incandescent bulbs if you used PAR halogen spot lamps (like the ones used in track lighting or recessed fixtures)...but the efficiency is still only 20% of a metal halide or fluorescent lamp.
> > Not only are they rated at 400 watts, but the light output is orders of
> > magnitude over regular incandescent lamps (which really produce more heat
> > than light). In other words, get out your sunglasses, cause you really need
> > a pretty good size space for one of these unless you like staring at the sun ;)
>
>Blindingly bright. Do they take up more or less power to stay lit? I know
>the incandescents require a bit, but fluorescents don't, while LEDs pretty
>much sip it.
Incandescent lamps generate more heat than light and are power hogs. Fluorescent and halide lamps give five times more light for the same energy usage and are the best choice for work lighting. LED efficiency varies, and seems to be very good in tiny lamps, but isn't much better than incandescent bulbs when room lighting is needed, nor have they figured out how to make very high wattage lamps because of the heat dissipation issues. (According to http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_lighting.html)
Metal halide lamps are hardly ever found in the home and are aimed squarely at the commercial market, and they're initially expensive to install compared to a fluorescent fixture. (And I've never seen anything in the 100W range..most are very high power for large area lighting). So the chances of the average person coming across one are pretty low. Nice and bright and easy to work by, but it's also physically a big fixture, so unless you have high ceilings, it's going to be hard to fit. And that's a heck of a lot of light unless you have a huge space or the fixture is 15 feet off the ground =P Also, cost-wise, if the ballast burns out, it might cost $100 to replace it (special order from your local electrical supply house), and the bulbs are $30-$50 each (available at your electrical supply house, but not at Wal-Mart or Home Depot). And, since metal halide lamps are not consumer items, you'd need to find an electrician or have sufficient electrical knowledge yourself to know how to wire up a cord and switch.
I think most fursuiters would be best off with a 2 or 4 tube four foot fluorescent fixture. The fixtures are pretty cheap, and the bulbs are cheap and available. I spent $60 for the 4-tube fixture and daylight tubes :)
You can get the 2-tube "Shop light" with installed cord for $10-$15 including cool-white bulbs. (Daylight bulbs sold separately). Cheapcheap!
> What kind of lighting do you use when you do your fursuit work?
I'm not familiar with that but a web search finds the bulb for $40:
If this is the mfgr:
http://www.biolightgroup.com/
then they talk only of the human reaction to the light, not industrial use.
I got a similar thing from The Sharper Image: a Verilux "happy eyes"
desk fluorescent lamp that's supposed to be close to natural sunlight.
$80 is a lot for a lamp but I had a gift certificate to cover it.
It's currently in my bedroom, though.
There are sealed beam halogen lamps that ought to give light
exactly where you need it, whether a Tizio
(http://www.artemidestore.com/)
or bare socket on a gooseneck (my drafting table has both).
I'd suggest the sealed lamp type to prevent dust from melting or igniting.
Drafting table lamps ought to be prefect for their ability to position
anywhere, and you can usually install the lamp/bulb of your choice.
I'm unsure if the incandescent/fluorescent combination lamps are still
available. Home Depot used to have a nice selection of different lamps
and a display showing the different color balances they achieve.
Spiked Punch:
Ah yes, my electronics workbench has the traditional magnifier lamp with
circular fluorescent lamp. The problem is that the lamp is available only
in cool white, few other colors.
I remember seeing very interesting "industrial" lighting but that was
way too expensive for me: http://www.sunnex.com/
(trying to remember that name, I found
http://www.luminex.it/ *drool*)
-- mejeep!
Subject: FL: re: otter lights
From: "Jeff Jonas"
> Has anyone used the Ott Light that is seen in the fabric stores? How
> useful is it compared to regular lighting when doing fursuit creation?
http://www.toolsforwellness.com/ls203.html
> Any kind of bright white lighting will help you see clearly while working on
> your costumes. Good places to look would be any artist, fabric, or hardware
> store that has workplace lights, such as the magnifying lamps and what not.
> I think Walmart might have some simular as well.
