! PEP Badge: Textiles

did clean move to nest?

The clean uphiolstry one? I don't think it did, but I'll go check and move it there if it did not!

Done! Deep Clean a Couch is now a Nest BB, under the Alice list (https://permies.com/wiki/151759/pep-nest/Deep-Clean-Couch-Chair-nest)

Both the google sheet and the thread are now the same for the Straw level. Yay!

These weren't on the Textile google sheet, but were on the thread:

Leather cord for shoelaces or bolo ties
Leather carrying strap(s) (to add on to a bag or use for carrying a yoga mat, instrument case, large basket for harvesting food, etc)
Leather purse, handbag, or messenger bag
Leather gloves
Fur collar
Fur muff
Fur cuffs (for sleeves or boot tops)
Fur hat or hood
Add a fur lining to a pair of moccasins, slippers, or boots
Add a fur lining to a pair of mittens
Fur cloak or cape

Opalyn,

I was talking to Paul today and he wants to get the mess we have made sorted out before bringing any new people onto the textiles stuff. A lot of stuff is muddled up between different documents, etc. currently. But once we get that sorted, it would be awesome to have your help!

There isn't a BB for knitting a new rib onto an old garment, is it? Or will that be part of of Iron Badge?

I attempted to make a video for you that shows some details on invisible mending a small hole in woven cloth.  



Invisible mending usually means to recreate the same structure of cloth.  Woven cloth = woven mend.  Knitted cloth = knitted mend.

Invisible mending used to be common.  Every dry cleaner.  Every laundry.  Every tailor shop.  Every seamstress or high-end clothing shop.  They all had someone trained in invisible mending.

Think about how life was like 20 years ago.  Having a visible repair on your clothing was shameful.  It meant that you were too poor (or too clumsy a smoker) that you had to do the repairs yourself.  

Whereas now, having visible mends on your clothing is a badge of pristige.  It means you are wealthy and conscientious enough to buy clothing worth repairing and moreover, you have leisure time to do the repairs.  

What I really REALLY want to stress in the Straw Repair badges is the art of Invisible mending before we lose the skill in the sands of time.  We are close enough in History to people that had this skill.  Let's grab hold of it while we still can.  

All natural materials, for example, linen/flax, hemp, nettle, wool, cotton, silk, grass, feathers, willow. Local/home-grown/harvested materials preferred over store-bought ones.

This is from the first post and is one of the requirements for Textile BBs.

Please, please, please!  Natural materials only.

Yes, you can totally use reclaimed and upcycled materials to make these projects.  But they probably won't qualify for BBs.  

I have a huge reason I'll write out one day explaining more about this, but for now, let's just stick with "it says at the top" as the reason why.  

Besides, the first P of PEP is all about permaculture.  This Badge is all about working with natural materials that we can grow and process ourselves.  

I'm looking at the wood and iron level and I'm trying to find out how to keep it more vegan friendly.

But the goal is to be able to cloth yourself (and others) for all-weather, using only locally sourced, natural materials.  Which means, we need more brainstorming of what that will look like if it was vegan.  https://permies.com/t/56436/fiber-arts/Vegan-friendly-warm-natural-textiles

My friend tried some of the ideas in that thread and they didn't hold up to a proper Canadian winter.  

If anyone wants to pop over to that thread and help brainstorm some more ideas, that would be awesome.  

Nicole Alderman wrote:Raven and I are working on the Straw Badge requirements. I'm trying to think of useful, relatively easy things people make with lacework. I know NOTHING about lacework! Anyone have a beginner-level lacework task (or two or three) that can be accomplished in 2-4 hours?

I think that's a wonderful idea. I've attached a photo with a few examples of small projects like edging a hankie or a coaster (smaller yet), making a Christmas decoration or a bookmark. Earrings are also pretty. There are lots of patterns for crochet, knitted, bobbin and needle lace available on the web.

Terry Hadford wrote:

Nicole Alderman wrote:Raven and I are working on the Straw Badge requirements. I'm trying to think of useful, relatively easy things people make with lacework. I know NOTHING about lacework! Anyone have a beginner-level lacework task (or two or three) that can be accomplished in 2-4 hours?

I think that's a wonderful idea. I've attached a photo with a few examples of small projects like edging a hankie or a coaster (smaller yet), making a Christmas decoration or a bookmark. Earrings are also pretty. There are lots of patterns for crochet, knitted, bobbin and needle lace available on the web.

A simple and practical use of lace is insertion lace in undergarments. It allows the woven material to breathe a bit better--a definite advantage in warmer climates, or if one is wearing many layers. A simple bobbin lace may be best suited to beginners (like this one). However, you are still looking at a significant time input even for a simple pattern around the circumference of the chest as lace is just slow. My mother did both bobbin and tatting lace, and even with practice, small pieces still took her well over 10 hours (though these were much more complicated than the piece I linked to). To make a tablecloth or curtain (a very useful lace item--keep sun and insects out while looking beautiful), she often told me would be 200+ hours of work by a skilled person.

Lacemaking evolved from fishing net (the tatting shuttle is a scaled-down version of netmaking tools), so making net--a mesh bag, a fruitpicking sack, a tie-down net for transporting light goods (leaves, wool, etc) on a vehicle, or even potentially a fishing net would all be potentially valuable things to learn to make using the same base skill set.

I have just started knitting a long sleeve, adult sized sweater (for the straw badge). I don't see a thread started for it. Should I wait for someone to start one, or should I start one, or should I post the project here? I'd like some guidance on the best way to document it. Thanks!

Stacie Kim wrote:I have just started knitting a long sleeve, adult sized sweater (for the straw badge). I don't see a thread started for it. Should I wait for someone to start one, or should I start one, or should I post the project here? I'd like some guidance on the best way to document it. Thanks!

Sweet!  Sweater!

You can make the straw badge thread.  There are some instructions around here somewhere.

To submit the badge, the sweater needs to be finished.  But you can start a "blog" thread like this one to share your progress and we will cheer you on.  https://permies.com/t/73354/permaculture-projects/yarn-blog-spinning-weaving-natural

Just a heads up - if anyone is making a badge for clothing, one of the requirements is to see it on the intended person.  Part of making clothing is to make it fit the human.  

Thanks, Y'all!

I started it a couple of days ago, so I'm only about 30 rows into it right now. But I'll be sure to take pictures of it while in progress, when I'm piecing it together, and wearing it when it's completed.

This is my first long sleeve sweater. (I've made a couple of short sleeves.)

FYI, this is the pattern I'm using , and so far it's easier than I anticipated. If anyone needs a good starter sweater pattern, I highly recommend it:

https://www.allaboutami.com/the-downtown-cardigan/

Hi you all. I made some warm slippers. There is no exact matching BB for them. They are in different materials. I used felt (felted old sweaters), leather (from an old bag) and fur (parka hood rims). They are all sewn by hand, the felt parts with unraveled wool yarn, the leather and fur with waxed cotton.
The textile PEP doesn't have 'oddballs'. Still I want to show how I made my slippers (no matter if I get points for them or not). I think most of you are able to watch my personal thread here: slippers
I'll only show them (nearly) finished on my feet here:
 
You can't see the fur here, it's inside the sole. Maybe I'll add a small rim of fur alongside the ankle

Hi all, a couple of questions before I start my next pair of socks...

I see the requirement for all natural materials. The socks will be wool but I normally add a thread of nylon in the heel and sole so that they last longer than a year. Is that ok?

Can I submit machine knitted garments? I can and have knit most of the garments listed in the BBs by hand in the past, but my wrists and fingers no longer like me doing so.

Kevin Wilson wrote:Hi all, a couple of questions before I start my next pair of socks...

I see the requirement for all natural materials. The socks will be wool but I normally add a thread of nylon in the heel and sole so that they last longer than a year. Is that ok?

Can I submit machine knitted garments? I can and have knit most of the garments listed in the BBs by hand in the past, but my wrists and fingers no longer like me doing so.

Sorry Kevin, but adding a nylon thread is not OK. We even decided to use natural thread (cotton, linen, silk) for sewing. You can do some research to find other ways to make the heel and toe stronger.
I don't know about the knitting machine. If a sewing machine is OK, then probably a knitting machine is too

Although knitting machines and knitting require different skills, they both require a lot of skill in their area and a good understanding of how knitted cloth is constructed.  For now, we're accepting both. It's on the list of 'something to look closer at once we get the basic structure of the badges constructed - so about 3 years from now)

I'm not able to knit any more so I'm planning to learn how to use the knitting machines to do some of the BBs.  

As for Nylon... the goal of PEP is to get to a stage where the entire cloth is homegrown and home processed without toxins.  It's difficult to do that with nylon.  

You can add a bit of silk thread into the heel and toe.  It has the same qualities that make nylon work, only more and it has the advantage of liking the same treatment of wool (a bit acidic on the final rinse)

What I find works best is to knit the heel/toe very slightly larger (maybe one or two stitches and one ow each side of the turn) and add a thin wool thread that is good at felting when washed.  This stabilizes the heel and toe and reduces mending need much better than nylon.

You can also change the stitch structure to have more thickness like a slip stitch heel, but I don't know how to do that on a sock machine.  

Thanks, I know I have some thin silk somewhere in the stash, so I’ll do some digging for it. I’ll have the fanciest boot socks in town 😀

If we’re ever allowed to visit each other again, and if you haven’t already got machine(s) up and running by then, when I come down to visit my daughter in Victoria I’d be happy to come give a hand. I love making things go!

https://permies.com/t/153794/pep-textiles/long-sleeved-sweater#1227504

I finished my adult sized, long sleeve sweater as part of the stickwork requirement for the straw badge.

I think I have completed the Textiles Straw Badge

Here is my Merit Badge Page
Complete 7 required BB and 31 Points including minimums in 6 of the 11 categories to Earn this Badge
  Seven Required BBs:
     Start a Button Jar (harvest buttons from old shirts)
     Sew on a Button
     Create a Textile Toolbox
     Harvest Fabric Scraps for Future Sewing Projects
     Make a Small Loom Capable of Weaving a Belt
     Mend a Small Hole or Tear Invisibly
     Sewing Machine Maintenance
  Repair: 3 point minimum - 3 points earned
     Remove Lint and Pills from Clothing (1/2 point)
     Mend a Hole in a Sweater (1/2 point)
     Unravel Old Sweater Into Yarn for Other Projects (1 Point)
     Alter the Waist on Pants to fit (1 point)
 Sew: 3 point minimum - 3 points earned
     Sew a Skirt (20+ gore and pockets) (3 points)
 Spin: 3 point minimum - 6.5 points earned
     Prepare at least 250 grams of wool (3 points)
     Spin a Plied Yarn (250 grams and 200 yards minimum) (3 points)
     Make a Drop Spindle (1/2 point)
  Stickwork: 3 point minimum - 5 points earned
     Knit Socks (3 points)
     Knit a Hat (1 point)
     Crochet a Scarf (1 point)
  Upholstery: 4 point minimum - 4 points earned  
     Add a Permanent Upholstery Cushion to a Chair or Stool (2 points)
     Make a Bolster Pillow (2 points)
  Weave: 3 point minimum - 6.5 points earned
     Weave a Camera Strap (2.5 Points)
     Weave a Belt (2.5 points)
     Weave a Leash (1.5 points)
   Felt: no minimum - 2 points earned
     Needle Felt a Figure (2 points)
  Wax or Oil Cloth: no minimum - 1 point earned
     Make Three Wax Cloths (1 point)
   Dye: no minimum - 0 points earned
   Leatherwork & Fur: no minimum - 0 points earned
   Shoes: no minimum - 0 points earned

Look at that shiny Straw Badge! A well-earned congratulations to you, Opalyn!!!

Nicole Alderman wrote:Look at that shiny Straw Badge! A well-earned congratulations to you, Opalyn!!!

Thanks. I’m excited to have finished this part of the project.