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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

My almost-finished belt

I love doing so many different crafts. When I find a new project, I get so excited motivated to work on that project. There is just one problem with that: I usually am either in the middle of a project at the time.
All my enthusiasm goes toward this new craft or project, and so I end up putting aside what I have been working on in order to move on to the new thing. I love starting crafts, but I usually have problems finishing them. Having finished my Mario latch-hook is honestly a miracle. Even then, I ended up setting it aside a few weeks in the middle then had to force myself to finish it.

After finishing Mario, I was browsing one of my now-favorite sites for crafting ideas, http://www.spritestitch.com/, and I came across a MegaMan chainmail inlay tapestry. Oh, Wow! It was totally awesome. I started getting more ideas in my head for more crafts and projects.
I began the research period of learning how to make chainmail. I found a few very awesome sites that were chock full of information and ideas and one in particular that has excellent tutorials on not only the tools and how to create the rings, but there were great step-by-step tutorials on more weaves than I will ever make in my lifetime.
To try out this new (to me) craft, I followed the advice in one of these tutorials and went to a local hardware store. I bought some basic inexpensive tools and some wire with which to begin making my own rings with.


Once I got home, I immediately began making coils and then cutting them into rings. Once I had a medium sized pile, I then started another pile of rings that were already closed.


It took me a little while to get the hang of it, trying to connect the rings in the right way and in the right place to get the weave pattern. At this point, I was just trying it out, but I didn't want to waste all this effort that I was putting into this first project, so I needed to think of something to make with it.
After scouring the forums on things I could make with the limited supplies that I had, I came across the idea for a belt. Now, I'm not really one who wears belts a lot, but this sounded perfect, especially since the sample I had made so far was already the perfect width.



Once the belt started getting longer and longer, I started thinking about what I could use for the buckle. I went to a local craft store, but I wasn't happy with the few options that they had. One day, though, I was working on my belt outside in a public area and a woman came up and began speaking with me about my project. She suggested that I look at a thrift store for an old, used belt and take the buckle from it. I felt stupid. This was such a wonderful (and cheap) suggestion that I almost felt dumb for not thinking of it myself.


I now have most of my belt done, I have the buckle ready to go, and I even looked up the steps on how to put larger rings in the middle for the belt buckle to attach to.
But, unfortunately, my enthusiasm started to wane...
I'm stuck at this point for now. I'm sure I'll go back to it and finish, but for now I'm working on bigger and better things!

2 comments:

  1. neat! chainmail is on my list to try. i got a small starter kit for a pair of earrings but keep putting it off. trying to finish some of the many other projects i have before starting yet another. would of never of thought of making a belt.

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  2. I got the idea from someone else. I wouldn't have thought of it on my own, either. It's a great idea. I'll eventually finish it, I'm sure. There are just so many other things I have to work on!

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