Wow I've neglected this for YEARS haven't I? Hah!
Check out my designs on the website:
http://winterfetish.com
Saturday, July 16, 2022
Thursday, November 17, 2011
New catsuit design and extended sizes
I've been at the patterning table revamping our sizing system for our back-seamed catsuits. We went from simply offering sizes X Small - Large to a new system that not only goes up to 2x but also offers both a tall and petite size. From just 4 to 21 sizes! My hope is that folks can find a size that fits them superbly off the rack. In addition I restyled the back seam to curve on the bottom and meet in the middle for a "saddle seat" look. This allowed me to shape the suits to cause your backside to look nice and round.
I'm also happy to finally have photos of our new PVC colors. Silver, purple, blue, and the new prismatic PVC. We've got new photos of the red and black as well. When it comes to product photos our work is never done, I just realized we don't have a photo of the white PVC up. We'll have to shoot that and the pink PVC soon. Not to mention our rainbow of spandex catsuit colors.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Latex repair
I'm often asked about damage to latex and whether we do repairs. We are happy to repair your latex items, though what can be done for an item is substantially based on the condition of the latex and the type of repair needed. If you would like a quote we will need to see the item's condition before we can determine the amount of work that is required. While some items are beyond repair, we do manage to save most of the latex sent our way.
For those of you who are so inclined I have included some instructions for repairing your own latex garments. I hope you find them useful and feel free to ask me questions.
First off you want to obtain the right glue and thinner. Here is a photo of the type I use most frequently. You can find these in art supply stores in the US. Notice that there are two different cans of glue here, they are essentially the same. For a repair the smaller one is all you should need.
Now you'll want to get yourself an old credit card or similar piece of rigid thin plastic (I use hotel room cards that were given to me by someone who took my latex repair class a while back). You will also need some latex to patch with if you have a hole or tare and a piece of soft cloth that won't leave behind little bits of itself. I use scrap spandex that is never in short supply around the http://winterfetish.com workshop. :) Finally you'll need something to cut your scrap latex to size for patching; I like to use a rotary cutter and mat, though cutting latex with a sharp pair of scissors is possible (this can be a -bit- challenging).
First, soak your little scrap of soft cloth with thinner and clean off the back side of your latex item where it needs repair and one side of the latex scrap you plan to use as a patch. This will likely cause your items to curl, they will curl more if they are a thin gauge of latex, don't worry. Allow them time to relax and get your card and glue ready.
Place a bit of the glue at the edge of your card and use it to smooth on a thin layer of glue where you cleaned your latex item and patch. Try to keep the glue in the areas you need it. You will want the glue on your item to be slightly larger than the patch. Again your latex pieces will curl. Just wait for a bit and then the will uncurl. Don't try to keep your little patch piece from curling in and touching itself, this is nearly impossible. If it touches itself a little it will pull apart easily later. (If you have a lot of trouble with this it works to glue a larger piece and then cut it down. Just be careful not to let the glue stick to anything and pull off.)
Give it a few minutes and then carefully lay your patch from one edge to another to avoid trapping bubbles of air in between. Once you are sure the patch is on correctly be sure to press it down firmly and allow it some time to set.
Finally take a clean piece of your soft cloth and soak it in thinner. Carefully clean off excess glue you may have on the garment, making sure NOT to clean it off too completely near the edges of your patch. Make sure your little cloth doesn't become dry during this process and if you need to use several to get the glue off that is better than smearing excess glue around.
If you are going to store this garment right away be sure to talc this area well to make sure the glue doesn't stick to another part of the garment and cause a problem later.
To make a less visible repair you can use blue painter's tape to preposition the
latex before you start. Tape the area together from the outside and make your repair on the inside. Once the patch is in place, turn the garment over, remove the tape and split the seam open just a bit from the outside. Now that you have that done, glue the edges of the latex lightly to join them (pressing two seams together creates something called a "butt seam", this means the seams are joined by butting them together, as opposed to overlapping). This seam needs to dry for at least 8 hours, though the longer it is left to cure, the better. It is important to remember that this type of repair needs more time to cure than the patch that needs only a couple hours to be reasonably strong.
These instructions can also be used to make your own new latex garments. Essentially you simply need to clean and glue both sides of the seams and carefully stick them together.
For those of you who are so inclined I have included some instructions for repairing your own latex garments. I hope you find them useful and feel free to ask me questions.
First off you want to obtain the right glue and thinner. Here is a photo of the type I use most frequently. You can find these in art supply stores in the US. Notice that there are two different cans of glue here, they are essentially the same. For a repair the smaller one is all you should need.
Now you'll want to get yourself an old credit card or similar piece of rigid thin plastic (I use hotel room cards that were given to me by someone who took my latex repair class a while back). You will also need some latex to patch with if you have a hole or tare and a piece of soft cloth that won't leave behind little bits of itself. I use scrap spandex that is never in short supply around the http://winterfetish.com workshop. :) Finally you'll need something to cut your scrap latex to size for patching; I like to use a rotary cutter and mat, though cutting latex with a sharp pair of scissors is possible (this can be a -bit- challenging).
First, soak your little scrap of soft cloth with thinner and clean off the back side of your latex item where it needs repair and one side of the latex scrap you plan to use as a patch. This will likely cause your items to curl, they will curl more if they are a thin gauge of latex, don't worry. Allow them time to relax and get your card and glue ready.
Place a bit of the glue at the edge of your card and use it to smooth on a thin layer of glue where you cleaned your latex item and patch. Try to keep the glue in the areas you need it. You will want the glue on your item to be slightly larger than the patch. Again your latex pieces will curl. Just wait for a bit and then the will uncurl. Don't try to keep your little patch piece from curling in and touching itself, this is nearly impossible. If it touches itself a little it will pull apart easily later. (If you have a lot of trouble with this it works to glue a larger piece and then cut it down. Just be careful not to let the glue stick to anything and pull off.)
Give it a few minutes and then carefully lay your patch from one edge to another to avoid trapping bubbles of air in between. Once you are sure the patch is on correctly be sure to press it down firmly and allow it some time to set.
Finally take a clean piece of your soft cloth and soak it in thinner. Carefully clean off excess glue you may have on the garment, making sure NOT to clean it off too completely near the edges of your patch. Make sure your little cloth doesn't become dry during this process and if you need to use several to get the glue off that is better than smearing excess glue around.
If you are going to store this garment right away be sure to talc this area well to make sure the glue doesn't stick to another part of the garment and cause a problem later.
To make a less visible repair you can use blue painter's tape to preposition the
latex before you start. Tape the area together from the outside and make your repair on the inside. Once the patch is in place, turn the garment over, remove the tape and split the seam open just a bit from the outside. Now that you have that done, glue the edges of the latex lightly to join them (pressing two seams together creates something called a "butt seam", this means the seams are joined by butting them together, as opposed to overlapping). This seam needs to dry for at least 8 hours, though the longer it is left to cure, the better. It is important to remember that this type of repair needs more time to cure than the patch that needs only a couple hours to be reasonably strong.
These instructions can also be used to make your own new latex garments. Essentially you simply need to clean and glue both sides of the seams and carefully stick them together.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Eco-Friendly Spandex
My partner and I were talking about how we could make green Greenman costumes! If we had this new spandex made from sugar and Ecoli. (How awesome is that?) This article my boy found sparked our conversation. We would love to offer a green option for our spandex lines! Even if the materials cost us more money as a company, it would be worthwhile to have a lower fossil fuel option.
*SourceThis month San-Diego start-up Genomatica announced a breakthrough in the field of sustainable chemicals-they successfully converted natural sugar into BDO, an industrial plastic used to make fibers like Spandex. BDO has historically been manufactured entirely with fossil fuels, and now a renewably sourced, cheaper option appears within our grasp.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The trip to Paramount.
As I pulled into the visitor parking lot at Paramount I began thinking about the trip I made there when I was young. I didn't really get to see or do anything really except look at the buildings on that trip but I could barely contain my excitement none the less. Today I was pretty excited too! The guard gave me a ticket that had a map that clearly showed where I was headed. 
Generally when I'm on a trip I forget to take many photos. Maybe I'll remember to take one or two, so the first thing I did was get out my camera and shoot the above photo and another of the water tower. Hey, it's a famous water tower! I know, you were hoping for celebrities... There were folks bustling about on bikes, delivering packages and folks driving little carts labelled with the show they were working on. "Happy Endings" was the first of these I noticed and I had to stop myself from asking the guy for a lift to THAT place...
Meanwhile I found myself where we were headed, building 23 where they were busy taking a lunch break from filming Community. The women who ordered the greenman suit for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia were both working in the costume department that day. We were able to spend a bunch of time with Shawn Barry. She was planning to leave for the day since she wasn't feeling well, but when we arrived she stayed and gave us tea and a tour we walked through the various sets, saw the behind the scenes lighting and bustle associated with shooting a TV show. We exited the building and walked by some of the trailers, costuming, makeup, and food service where we met some friendly folks who are working on the show. I imagine I met the director somewhere in there... I suppose if I were more about schmoozing I would have made a point to do something about that.
Afterward we sat around chatting about burning man, life, politics, dating, clothing and what-not. Donald Glover joined us for a while. Besides standing there looking super cute, he shared with us some of his philosophies on women, being a rockstar and wardrobe. He seemed like a genuinely nice fellow, but I was still too shy to ask for a photo. (I know, odd right?) I did however playfully suggest we could put him in some sexy shorts for his musical performance. hehe!
Later they were ready to shoot the next scene and Shawn handed us off to a great guy who's name I wish I remembered. As this was happening I realized that I was standing just some 10 feet from Chevy Chase! This is when I exerted the most willpower of the day. (I WILL not make an ass of myself, I will not fangirl all over him right before he has to shoot, I will NOT make an ass of myself.) Ok, he caught me staring at him as the makeup girl was touching him up and I smiled like a monkey and tore my gaze away. What can I say? Caddy Shack, Fletch, Three Amigos - some one of my favorite movies as a kid!
This is when I realize that I'm standing in a spot that the camera is pointed at. People around me are dressed like college kids with backpacks. At that moment our charming guide steered us behind the scenes where we had comfy chairs to sit and watch the magic happen. I glanced to my left to see what the people over there were up to with such purpose and it was none other than the gorgeous Yvette Nicole Brown. God, I'd LOVE to dress her. Even if it was in non-fetish clothing. Hell, I'd design a line for her! Oh, see how distracting stars can be? I believe that the actors in the scene were: Joel McHale, Ken Jeong, Yvette Nicole Brown, Chevy Chase, Donald Glover, Alison Brie, and Erik Charles Nielsen. Although it was difficult for me to see a couple of them well enough to be super sure.
Once they finished shooting the scene I snuck in to the Greendale Community College anthropology classroom to get a "see, I was really there" photo before we left.
Once they finished shooting the scene I snuck in to the Greendale Community College anthropology classroom to get a "see, I was really there" photo before we left.
On our way off the lot I spied a restroom and ducked in. There stood Jane Lynch obviously shooting a scene today that involved her being in painted game face. That was when I began to debate to myself if she would prefer to be treated like any other lady in a bathroom or to be recognized. I chose to say hello as I went past as I would have anyone else I found myself brushing past unexpectedly.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
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