Thursday 24 October 2013

GoCAD helpful tips

GoCAD crashed?
Lost your unsaved data?

Well, you've made a rookie mistake and there's no recovering from that. You'll have to redo your work. I can however offer a useful tip for unlocking the project that crashed so you don't have save it as another name and create folder after folder highlighting all of your mistakes.

Go into your project folder and delete the file that starts with:

gocad_lock_read_(non-random numbers)


Your file should now be unlocked. If you want to try this without deleting a precious file, change the extension to .BAK (backup) by simply typing .bak on the end of the file name.


Second helpful tip:

The project folder is for GoCAD's use. If you save over the now unlocked file with changes you've made since, GoCAD may spitefully delete any additional files you've put in this folder, including those lovely images of your model during construction that you agonized over.


Third helpful tip:

Many people get involved in their work and forget to save important changes. Set a timer on your desk or make sure you save your project every time you get another coffee, or interact with someone in the office. Backup your projects frequently, preferentially to an external drive that is nowhere near your desk or building.

These helpful tips were brought to you by the resignation of recreating the model I just lost, and the experience of dropping my primary drive and losing 3 months of un-backed up work.


 

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Kthulu onsie

I've been busy with moving house so haven't made anything new recently. I do have three half written posts about completed tiles needing photographs but they'll have to wait until I get a camera. In the mean time, I made this a while ago:

(the Kthulu onsie, not the baby)

Thursday 3 October 2013

Embroidered cushion Mk II - Complete



I finished the embroidery on this cushion a couple of weeks ago, it just took me a while to get the zip in and finish the sewing. I've completed this just in time too, I'm moving house soon so everything is in packing chaos and I've found so many UFO's I'm being buried by the pile! I fixed the zip issue with this one by using a 59 cm long zip rather than a 61cm one. The pillow fits well in the case and is just squishy enough. It goes nicely with the first one too (which you can just make out in the background). I still haven't bought a walking foot so I'm not going to try sewing gorget again anytime soon.

I'm really happy with how some of the squares turned out. I'm especially happy with the argyle sort of one (top left), the check (upper right middle) and the circles (lower left). The design I'm most happy with is the spiral (image below). I got the idea from Dimity's Fibre Adventures, a blog I stumbled upon when looking for examples of button hole stitch. Her spiral was made with buttonhole stitch and beads. I didn't incorporate the beads, lord knows I have plenty) because I don't want bead patterns on my face when I nap on this cushion. I also like the texture of the larger stitches and I didn't want glass or plastic interfering with that.
I made my spiral by sewing the spiral in running stitch. Then I went back and made each stitch a square U shape and placed a long stitch between them.


Though I've got to finish some items from my UFO pile, I'm thinking of making more experimental cushions.  Suggestions are always welcome!

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Places to paint ceramics around Australia

 Melbourne

328a Glen Eira Rd
Elsternwick
http://www.glazeit.com.au

568 Hampton Street
Hampton
http://www.afu.com.au/


Sydney

Colour MeMine
Shop 4, 29 Holtermann Street
Crows Nest
http://www.crowsnest.colourmemine.com/


Brisbane

Shop 3 Sandgate Arcade
Cnr Brighton Rd & Cliff St
Sandgate
http://www.teaandbisque-it.com.au/


Adelaide

17a Rose Street,
Mile End
http://www.pugmill.com.au/
(also a good place to buy home supplies, assuming you have a kiln)

Perth

29 Winton Rd,
Joondalup
http://www.firedcafe.com.au/

8/2 Hulme Ct
Myaree
http://www.makeyourmarkartcafe.com.au/