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12.28.2007

antennae, a la The Tick

Dedicated to those who have always wondered what it is like to wear the tights of justice.

Materials:


- fabric (if using extremely lightweight material, use interfacing) and hood or toque to attach antennae to.


- 18 gauge wire


- needle nose pliers


Step 1:


Cut 4 rectangles from fabric about 1.5" by 6.5" (or desired size).



The photo shows an extremely professional and not at all crayon silly illustration of an approximated antenna shape. Cut the rectangles to match the shape shown on the left hand side.


Step 2:


Put two antennae pieces together right sides out. Top-stitch along the edges of antenna, leaving the bottom inch or so unsewn (this part will be inside of the hood). Repeat for remaining two antennae pieces.



Step 3:


Cut two 10" long piece of wire and use your pliers to make a small loop on one end of each wire. With the loop end first, insert a wire into an antenna. Then, sewing slowly and being very careful not to sink your needle into the wire, top stitch the antenna to form the divisions between the little knobbly things (um, sorry. Vocabularly fails me here. See picture.) Repeat for second antenna.


Step 4:

Cut a 1.5" slit in the hood where you want your antenna to stick out (cut it horizontally to the hood edge so the antenna faces outwards, not sideways.) Push the antenna through the slit from the inside of the hood.



When positioned just right, tuck the edges of the slit back under. Pinch these edges together, with the antenna sandwiched between, and stitch 1/8" (or as close as you can) atop the slit. Round the seam to sew off the edges of your pinch to avoid puckers on the top of you hood. This will close off the slit with the antenna being held in place (again, careful of the wire). Repeat for other antenna.



Step 5:


To secure the antennae vertically, the remaining 3/5" of wire is bent into a flat spiral and stitched flat against the hood. Use your pliers to bend the wire as it emerges from an antenna at a 90 degree angle. Shape the remaining wire into a spiral that will lay flat against the hood. (Form a small loop on the very end to avoid having the wire's raw edge poke into your head.) Since you did not sew up the very bottom of the antenna, the spiral will separate the fabric and hopefully everything will stay unbunchy. (Which is a word. Really.)

Once you are satisfied with the placement, put a few stitches in by hand to secure the spiral flat against the hood, while the antenna remains vertical. Repeat for other antenna.

Line the hood to cover the wire spiral. Your antennae will remain upright, manipulatable, and lightweight.

Step 6:

Spoon!


P.S. I also suggest you wash garment on delicate and hang to dry.



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This is a free tutorial and I encourage you to use the information in any way you need to (check the disclaimer at the bottom of the page). If it works for you, please consider supporting my etsy shop by purchasing a Little Print Design pattern or toss a dollar or two in my paypal to show appreciation and to encourage me to offer up even more quality patterns and tutorials.






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16 comments:

  1. That looks really cute! Thanks so much for making these tutorials. My sewing machine arrives tomorrow and I can't wait to start making clothes for my little girl and her brother.

    :-)

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  2. I'm just glad there's someone else out there who loves The Tick!

    Great tutorials! I can't wait to get started!

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  3. LOVE IT! Love the antennae. I've tried before to make something similar, but I haven't been able to get the anchoring right to keep the antennae upright. Just awesome, great stuff.

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  4. Thanks all!

    goatinacoat, I have suffered at floppy ears and dino spikes, and I thought it was unfair to share the same fate with my daughter. Wire turns out to be pretty useful stuff to have in my sewing basket. Who knew?

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  5. thank you so much, it is exactly what I need!

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  6. I return to tell you I have done it, thank you a lot! Question: do you allow me to put the translation in french of your tute on my blog, without the fotos of course and with the address of your blog, it could maybe interest somebody , on french internet I had found nothing to do antenaes

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  7. noroc, your antenna look great! (I wish I could read french though :0)

    I've no problem with a translation accompanied by a link.

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  8. ok I will do it, thanks!
    and as you don't understand french: it is supposed to be a cicada , of "the cicada and the ant" by La Fontaine, everybody told me there was a great idea the way it was done, ingenius.
    bybye!

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  9. In step 2, where you said "Put two antennae pieces together right sides out. Top-stitch along the edges of antenna, leaving the bottom inch or so unsewn (this part will be inside of the hood). Repeat for remaining two antennae pieces."
    How do the antennae not fray? Or am I missing something?

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  10. sarah, I used fleece which does not fray. If you want to use a material that does fray, I suggest using a lighter weight material and sewing the antennae right sides together and then turning. It'll be a bugger to turn, because of the little indents, but possible. I didn't do so simply because the fleece was way too thick to turn out.

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  11. Thank you so much for clearing that up, and replying so quickly! :)

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  12. woah this is so great! especially with Halloween coming up ;)
    thanks so much for this you are incredible!

    Cheers,
    Liv

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  13. Spoon! Now that I have a sewing machine, I think I just might do this for next Halloween.

    Thanks for the tut!

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  14. Fantastic site! SPPPPPPPPPOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNN!

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  15. I saw a photo of this years ago and have been looking for it ever since in the hope I could duplicate it.
    THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
    Although these little beauties are first going on my head..lol

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  16. There is *so* much awesome on your site...my son will freak when he sees that there is potential to have his own Tick hoodie!

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