I need your opinions on this one, guys. I just completed a job at work using a very difficult fabric (Rob't Allen, $180/yd.!). It was a rayon/cotton blend with a large embroidered floral pattern. Lovely stuff, until I turned it over... yikes! all the different colored threads for the embroidered motifs were simply carried over from one part of the design to the next. There were spans of thread that were 5" across and if cut could've been used for tassels!. Once the pieces were cut there were hanks of multi-colored thread hanging every where and there was the ever present threat of snagging them on something and pulling the face out of wack.
I was at my job and there is virtually no equipment there (what little there is is poorly maintained or filthy) and was just about beside myself. I ended up backing the fabric with lining and then brought the pieces home and overlocked them with my own machine. I honest don't know what I'd have done had the pieces required cording! How do you deal with this kind of fabric? do you bond something to it, trim the carried over threads, "just deal with it"? what?
Another problem with that type of fabric is how it reacts to steaming. The multicolored threads will tighten, while the "face fabric" doesn't, thus giving it a puckered look.
Yeah, it is easy to snag those loose threads. Your backing idea isn't a bad one. I've had a little luck by using a cheap can of hair spray on the back to stiffen the threads. But, more often than not, I "just deal with it".
Have you ever had to try to cut cording from it, Sofa.?
That was the reason for my question about bonding some sort of backing to it. I thought of fusible interfacing, but was concerned about the reaction of the face to the heat required to bond anything. (glad I sidestepped that minefield, lol!).
Cording isn't so bad. By the time you cut it ino 1.5" strips, the loose threads aren't long enough to get snagged on anything.
I've used fusable backing on that type of fabric a few times. I buy the rolls of 1/2" and steam it to where I am going to cut. It is very time consuming. And yes, steam a sample piece first.
If the area on the back that is fully woven is wide enough, I try to cut my welt cord strips from this area so I don't have to mess with all those threads.
Other than this, cutting them off is the only other way that I have dealt with this type of fabric.
gene
I bought a can of "No Fray Spray" at Joann Fabric once. Can't find it anymore. Anyone know where I can get some more.
Quote from: kodydog on December 18, 2010, 05:46:22 pm
I bought a can of "No Fray Spray" at Joann Fabric once. Can't find it anymore. Anyone know where I can get some more.
A 99 cent can of Aqua Net hair spray from Wally World works about as well.
Whoever is running this site needs to learn how to avoid all the spammers.
New software is needed.
Quote from: 206RB on December 18, 2010, 08:17:08 pm
Whoever is running this site needs to learn how to avoid all the spammers.
New software is needed.
While spam may be a problem, I think first and foremost, we should appreciate Ken for providing this website. I'm sure that he's doing the best he can to knock out the spam posts. We can do our part by not clicking on them.
Absolutely, although I must admit I didn't know who ran this site, much less who Ken is. Still don't.
I do know I dislike sites full of spam though.
Mike
Mike, Ken is a very hard-working guy (with a regular job just like the rest of us). Staying on top of spam can easily become a full time job (as we all know) and when the spam tide rolls in in the wee hours from faraway lands there isn't much he can do about it. Drives me nuts, too, so I sympathize.
I never click on any of those things... what's the drill, anyway? the highlighted words will take you to some site about something vaguely related? I don't pretend to understand how it all works, I just try to avoid it like the plague.
As do we all! :(
The spam on my e-mail is over flowing. Lets hope it gets better after Christmas.
kodydog i found this i think its the spray you were looking for.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sprayway-821-No-Fray-Spray-/110340768587?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19b0d2834b#ht_813wt_907
Yes! Thanks Jonyee. Lots of neat other stuff on that page too. I was hoping to get it at a brick and mortar store. I think I'll try sofadocs idea and borrow some hair spray from my wife's vanity. If that doesn't get the results I want I'll try your link. Thank you.
Don't know what just happened but while I was writing this we just got spamed???
Quote from: kodydog on December 20, 2010, 07:57:39 pm
I think I'll try sofadocs idea and borrow some hair spray from my wife's vanity.
Clear polyurethane works pretty good too. Only problem is it makes your scissors sticky.
I keep a can of clear polyurethane and a seperate pair of scissors just for trimming double welt.
I wonder if those E-Bay stores rotate their stock. Those aerosol cans tend to go bad. But $9 a can and free shipping is a pretty good deal (if the cans don't lose their aerosol before you use up the product).
I used to buy those cans of No-fray spray off a supply truck, but they don't carry them anymore. I think I'm gonna' try one of those E-Bay cans.
Heck, it's a good day for me when I ONLY waste 9 bucks!
But wait! there's more to the story. The woman the cushions were for informed my boss that she thinks not adding cording was a mistake... looks like I get to disassemble the entire mess and do it again, this time with cording. We have done several projects for that woman and every single time I've been told to take the work apart and add/subtract something. Can't wait!
Oh good grief! ??? I hope there's going to be a rework charge. Who's idea was it not to include welt in the first place?
June
I do not know if there will be a "rework charge". It's not for me to question the higher power, I just do as I'm told.
As for no welting in the first place, that was not my call, either. Had it been up to me I'd have probably recommended that she opt for a solid fabric or perhaps some of the braided lip cord. That would have satisfied the welting issue and neatly sidestepped the horror of making welting out of the fabric. I'll keep you informed of the next chapter in, "As the Stomach Turns".
For those cheezy cheap "designer fabrics" *read overpriced" just bond them to the thinnest scrim you can find. Then just getter done.
QuoteWhile spam may be a problem, I think first and foremost, we should appreciate Ken for providing this website. I'm sure that he's doing the best he can to knock out the spam posts.
By the time I get to log on here Bobby and Ken have already cleaned up all the junk,each day.Thanks boys !!!
Quote from: 206RB on December 18, 2010, 08:17:08 pm
Whoever is running this site needs to learn how to avoid all the spammers.
New software is needed.
206RB,
This is not my site, but I offered to help with it....for free. Ken does not frequent the site, so I volunteered to try and help for the benefit of us all. Ken puts a lot into it, and we get the benefit for FREE. Like was said earlier about Ken, I also work...3 jobs! ;D And I receive an email every time someone reports spam. I also check my email several times a day. Most of the time, Ken (the owner) has already deleted it and banned the spammer. I got 3 of them today, and each one had only made 1 post each. I ban all of their sign in and IP addresses.
Still it's aggravating to me as well. Any solutions you can provide, will be appreciated by all...including myself and I'm sure I can also add Ken to that.
I have made every setting I can find on this forum software to try and alleviate the problem. We'll go for a while with no problems, then they'll start showing up again. Ones thing for sure, I might not be able to stop them, but they don't stay on here for long.
Did I mention I have 3 jobs, and a software engineer is not one of them! ;D
Hdflame,
Sorry for the un asked for opinion. I appreciate the work you guys do, and you deserve a raise! I guess I was spoiled by the V bulletin software that my fishing sites have. It actually has too many bells and whistles, but it's easy to use and not too expensive.
Now if I could just find a place to buy some shoes online ;)
Happy New Year!
Mike
Bobby: Glad to hear that you're still on the job. You haven't posted as much lately, and I think I remember you saying that you were having 'puter problems. I was afraid that you had turned in your administrator badge.
I didn't mean to give Ken all the credit.
When I see spam now, I just ignore it. I know that it will be gone soon.
3 jobs??? Slow down man!!
Quote from: 206RB on December 27, 2010, 02:58:08 pm
Hdflame,
Sorry for the un asked for opinion. I appreciate the work you guys do, and you deserve a raise! I guess I was spoiled by the V bulletin software that my fishing sites have. It actually has too many bells and whistles, but it's easy to use and not too expensive.
Now if I could just find a place to buy some shoes online ;)
Happy New Year!
Mike
No problem Mike. ;D I saw a few small problems when I got on here so I offered to help. That's how I got this "High Paying" job! I'm just glad we have this place. I know this software might not be as fancy as other sites, but it still amazes me how they get through what we have. The whole thing baffles me, why would I want to waste my time posting garbledegook on sites, knowing that no one is going to read it. What a waste of time.
Quote from: sofadoc on December 27, 2010, 03:08:26 pm
Bobby: Glad to hear that you're still on the job. You haven't posted as much lately, and I think I remember you saying that you were having 'puter problems. I was afraid that you had turned in your administrator badge.
I didn't mean to give Ken all the credit.
When I see spam now, I just ignore it. I know that it will be gone soon.
3 jobs??? Slow down man!!
I got my computer fixed...only cost me $40. Something to do with the registry.
I still read on here daily, just haven't been posting as much. I'm learning some leather work and reading a lot on that site too. There comes a point that I can't practice what I read about because I'm reading too much! :o
I could be wrong, but how I understand the spam thing is: Google rates sites higher by how many times they're linked to, in places like this board and anywhere else. By posting gobbledygook with imbedded links that tricks google into thinking the spammers sites are bonefied and so puts them at the top of searches. These posts are made by spambots or actual people in China or Niarobi or where ever and just copypasta-ing word copy stolen from some place and peppered with thier links. The gibberish also is there to fool google.
Whatever the reason thanks for all your effort! A little spam is a small price to pay for this site! Especialy since it's the only price I pay!
Quote from: hdflame on December 27, 2010, 03:25:48 pm
I'm learning some leather work and reading a lot on that site too.
OH!! So that's it. You're CHEATIN' on us!! >:(
What's the matter? Our spam isn't good enough for ya'? ;)
I guess that once you've tasted leather, Naugahyde just won't cut it. ;D
Quote from: sofadoc on December 27, 2010, 06:02:44 pm
Quote from: hdflame on December 27, 2010, 03:25:48 pm
I'm learning some leather work and reading a lot on that site too.
OH!! So that's it. You're CHEATIN' on us!! >:(
What's the matter? Our spam isn't good enough for ya'? ;)
I guess that once you've tasted leather, Naugahyde just won't cut it. ;D
Well.....I didn't want to say this, but that site doesn't have any SPAM! And I will agree that leather does SMELL good! ;D
Peppy, that's interesting. At least that explains the gobbledygook with imbedded links. Well they may get in, but I have a delete and block button available, so they won't stay long! :P
I think the ones we're getting now are more actual people than spam bots. I don't think the spam bots could figure out the letters that have to be typed in the block when joining, and even then, the account has to be activated. So that means that they at least have a good email address. Hmmmm, maybe we should have spam party and fill up their inboxes with junk! ;D
Quote from: hdflame on December 28, 2010, 04:47:56 am
I think the ones we're getting now are more actual people than spam bots. I don't think the spam bots could figure out the letters that have to be typed in the block when joining, and even then, the account has to be activated.
CAPTCHA is very interesting in itself:
http://www.google.com/recaptcha/learnmore
Did you know it's digitizing books? Also you only have to type one of the words correctly. One word is the known word if you type that word correctly it assumes you'll type the unknown word correctly. After seeing a lot of these you can tell pretty easily which word is the unknown. If you type the known word (usually clearer/ less distorted) correctly you can type any word for the unknown and it will still work.
Don't worry, I'm not helping the terrorists win, this is all old news. I guess it's easy to figure out if you're a full time CAPTCHA solver. Yuck. What a job that would be.
Hoo boy!
Back to the original premise of this post:
I had the pleasure of tearing both the seat and back cushion apart and adding a twisted lip cord to the tops and bottoms. I was also charged with changing out the ties that secured the cushions to their sites on the chair. Start to finish it took about 3 hrs. I don't know if she was charged for the reworking of the pieces involved.
It sucked. I have no problem ripping out work to correct a mistake or something that doesn't look right. But there is something about tearing out carefully done work (as it was specified and I was directed!) that really sticks in my craw. I hope she was required to pony up the entire labor cost + the stupid surcharge.
Sometimes when i get jobs like this I find myself taking deep breaths and letting them out very slowly. Hang in there Bobbin tomorrows FRIDAY!!!