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| all to pieces.... |
Umbrellas are a funny thing. Expressions of individuality or mass conformity, delicate but protective, valued at times but so often discarded in near-usable form.... enter the freestyler. In anticipation of an outdoor steampunk festival [wait, What is steampunk? ] I was considering decorating an umbrella to use as a parasol. Imagine my delight when I found a large red umbrella, or rather, the pieces of it (pictured at right), while out for a walk on a rather gloomy day. Luckily they had been discarded right next to each other in an otherwise empty bin. Yes, that is what I call luck.
Next steps:
1) figure out how to re-attach center handle to fabric part
2) decorate!
How did I accomplished this in freestyle fashion?
Comparing the broken umbrella to some intact, smaller, specimens led me to realize that I had to find some way of securing the center handle to the top white plastic ring of the umbrella (where all the 'ribs' meet). Close inspection revealed a place on the handle, about 4 inches from the pointy end, where there was a small circular hole opposite a longer oblong opening drilled into the handle. There was also a small, but sturdy, pin sticking through the white ring. I decided to put the pink through the oblong hole and see if that would hold. It did! This is shown in the picture as the 'tiny pin.' It is hard to see (especially when reaching over an open umbrella top), but I promise you it is there.
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| When there is a job to be done..... |
Wanting a little extra security for holding the pieces together, I used the handle from a Thai food takeout container to wrap around one 'rib,' through the oblong and round holes on the handle, and then around the opposite 'rib.' This is labeled in the picture above as 'Free wire'. These little bits of flexible wire are SUPER useful, so I save them. Of course I could not have done this without some trusty tools. Curved needle-nosed pliers are pretty awesome at times.
For decoration I used gold fabric paint donated by Creative Roommate (who in turn got it from her mom).
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| Decorative motifs, from top right: Atlantic long-armed octopus, gears, a feather, random squiggles. |
Ya esta! A freestyle steampunk-inspired umbrella, ready to shade one's delicate skin while out for a stroll.
In honor of mother's day this post is dedicated to my mother (who taught me to fix things myself), my godmother (who taught me about saving things in case they are needed in future), and Creative Roommate's mother (an accomplished musician who supports others in their artistic endeavors, no matter what medium). Thanks moms!