Entry tags:
and back to the beginning
When I started work on the half-round gymnastics matt/block project the goal was a finished product that stands 72 cm high, and has a base that is 90 x 60 cm. I started the work by making the side pieces 90 cm wide, 72 cm tall, and with a reasonable curve from the peak to the sides. Then I started sewing a 60 cm wide foam over the top of the curve, to make a shell. Once I had the shell together I saw that the pile of foam we had wasn't big enough, so today I went and bought 2 more cheap foam mattresses that measure 200 cm by 90 cm (I thought one might be enough, but it might not, so I grabbed the spare).
Today I managed to finish assembling the bits, measured the base and saw that I needed rectangles 90 x 55 cm to fit inside the two layers thick of the camping mat frame from which I have done the shell, so I cut them and determined that I did, in fact, need some, but not all, of the second mat. I put them into place, set the one last bit of camping matt foam over it, sewed it shut, pulled the fabric shell over all, and pinned it shut, and started sewing it shut. Then I decided to give the matt a try, and was surprised to discover that it is too big, that when I do the fall over it from the handstand I wind up perched on top, rather than having my feet come to the other side.
So I grabbed the meter stick and checked it, and discovered that I had wound up with something that was 95 x 75 x 60 cm. In other words, too big by the layer of foam I wrapped around the sides. I forgot that I would need to subtract those from the sides, since I wanted the sides sitting under the top curve, to give it better support.
Sigh. So I have started taking it back apart, so that I can make it smaller. But if it is worth doing, it is worth doing over correctly if one makes such an easily avoidable mistake. Luckily, I have also learned a few other things doing this project, and I think it will be an overall better result from having to do it over. But, darn it, I wanted to be able to play with it already, and to have the sewing mess cleaned up before house guests arrive on boxing day. Now I am not so certain I will accomplish that goal, since I plan to go visiting tomorrow, and this is not a good take-with sewing project.
Today I managed to finish assembling the bits, measured the base and saw that I needed rectangles 90 x 55 cm to fit inside the two layers thick of the camping mat frame from which I have done the shell, so I cut them and determined that I did, in fact, need some, but not all, of the second mat. I put them into place, set the one last bit of camping matt foam over it, sewed it shut, pulled the fabric shell over all, and pinned it shut, and started sewing it shut. Then I decided to give the matt a try, and was surprised to discover that it is too big, that when I do the fall over it from the handstand I wind up perched on top, rather than having my feet come to the other side.
So I grabbed the meter stick and checked it, and discovered that I had wound up with something that was 95 x 75 x 60 cm. In other words, too big by the layer of foam I wrapped around the sides. I forgot that I would need to subtract those from the sides, since I wanted the sides sitting under the top curve, to give it better support.
Sigh. So I have started taking it back apart, so that I can make it smaller. But if it is worth doing, it is worth doing over correctly if one makes such an easily avoidable mistake. Luckily, I have also learned a few other things doing this project, and I think it will be an overall better result from having to do it over. But, darn it, I wanted to be able to play with it already, and to have the sewing mess cleaned up before house guests arrive on boxing day. Now I am not so certain I will accomplish that goal, since I plan to go visiting tomorrow, and this is not a good take-with sewing project.