Draw Me Like One of Your French Girls

Symmetry and Right Angles

Placement is extremely important in stained glass.   Just because something fits together it doesn't mean that it's correct.   We're seeing a lot of crosses being made and when putting one together it is important that each of the four ends line up perfectly as right angles.   The cross on the left is perfect.  As you can see, each point of the cross falls onto the red lines which are right angles.   The cross on the right doesn't line up as the red arrows point out.   The cross may appear fine to you when the red lines aren't there to highlight its inaccuracies, but the cross will hang crooked thus exaggerating and drawing attention to its inaccuracies.

Many shapes (including bevel clusters) need to fall on right angles for lines to correctly join with them.   Even the popular Fleur De Lis design has two separate sections that need to land evenly at right angles for it to maintain its symmetry.  If the points of this Fleur De Lis didn't land exactly on the red right angle lines then cutting it into the center of a window will make the lines crooked.   You may not see it when the Fleur De Lis is standing alone, but when lines radiate outward from its points its inaccuracies will CLEARLY show.  So always be careful with symmetrical shapes and your windows look look all the better for it.

I'm pleased to announce that Martha's Seafood Window has been completed but I'm not happy because she's being far too hard on herself when it comes to critiquing it.  All she sees are flaws that don't exist and I'm not just saying that to make her feel better.   Just look at this window and tell me that it's not perfect.  A job well done no matter how you 'cut' it.

 

Sheri completed soldering her Fleur De Lis and Flowers Window this week and what a window it is.   We showed her how to touch up her soldering so that any  wrinkles could be ironed out and Sheri took to the touch up process  like a fish to water.   This is one beautifully soldered window with only minor help from me.  I can't wait to see her start working on her next project.

 

This week Jan finished the Cat Panel of her two piece bookcase window and it's a nice sturdy window.  Once that was completed she pulled out the pattern for the second section and I got to see just how many more books there were in that part of the design.   But there's no curved cat tail (which was actually a fun piece to cut) so even though there's more lines and color, almost all the cuts are straight which should make things easy for Jan.   If the second window turns out even half as good as this first section did (and I'm sure it will) then Jan will have done a phenomenal job.

Terry finished her Pair of Birds which turned out to be a suncatcher.  It's beautiful work and I loved that Terry was thinking ahead when she asked if she should fill in the opened areas between the branches with clear glass to give it more stability.   In the end we voted against the extra work because this project is certainly stable enough as is.

 

Brenda finished her Duck Window while she was at home and brought it in for its hooks and its closeup.   Her work on this panel is top tier and I hope that she can worry less about working on her Transom window-- although it's a big project the pieces are of average size.   Big or small the work to make a window is always the same.

 

 

Barbara completed her Candle Holder by adding some brass feet to it which really gave it an added amount of flair.  I have to say that I really like the looks of the tall feet on these tall bevels.  Barbara also  began foiling even more bevels so she could make another box and another candle holder.

 

 

Cindy completed her Cardinal Window and discovered that if you don't coat your brass channel with lead it won't color with the patina.  After the panel got  a  quick washing in the sink  and then a thin coating of solder it took the black patina nicely and now everything looks great.   

 

Susan R  finished her version of the Pumpkin Window this week and the two toned background  and border were perfect compliments to each other.   This i snow officially a popular  pattern because a third(!) student (Mary Grace) has begun working on one as well.

 

Carol knocked out another Cross Suncatcher and her cutting on this was nothing short of SPECTACULAR!  She even came up with numerous tricks to make fitting the nine pieces of the cross together seamlessly.   As you can see there's nothing less than perfect about it.  I must say that I couldn't have cut this out any better myself!

Mary Grace made this American Flag Lawn Ornament while she was at home and she did a great job of it.  There was a little smoothing to do on the soldering but in about 5 minutes this was completed and ready to be staked in her front yard. 

 

Becky S spent her time in class cutting more pieces for her Vase of Flowers Window.  There's a lot more cut out and you can already see just how nice this window is going to look when it's completed.   Becky also hammered out an idea on how to get spots on the glass she plans to use on her Cougar Window.   All in all it was a very productive night for her. 

 

Myrt got her Mermaid Window tacked together and started cutting out the few remaining  pieces that somehow got left out of the mix when she first started cutting the glass for this window.  Myrt also discovered that the real shells that she's using are not flat and therefore leave a few small gaps when butted up again the background glass.  These will simple cover with solder.   This is a normal 'problem' when working with items that aren't perfectly flat, but it  shouldn't discourage anyone from working with 3D items because these inconsistencies  won't show at all when the window is completed.

 Lara worked on cutting out more pieces for her African Woman Window and is really moving along wonderfully with it.  She's traced out a lot of pieces onto sheets of glass  which she's taken home with her so she can continue working on this project over the next two weeks.  I have no doubt that she'll have no problems at all working on this alone.

 

Susan D has bee busy working on her Flower Cornucopia piece at home and send me this picture of the progress she's making on it.   This is one lush piece of art and it's going to look amazing when it's all tacked together.  Remember that this is just the back layer that all the flowers and insects will be tacked to.  This shot is from behind the project so you can see the bard and the wires that everything is tacked to to keep it all together.  Amazing.

Jeannette has the front of her Fish Window all soldered and has the back of it well under way.  This will surely be completed in our next post and  then we'll get to see progress on Jeannette's newest  window which will feature Minnie Mouse (sans frills).

 

 

Shelley's Autism Flower Vase is all cut out and the four accent colors in the corners in her border are a perfect addition to this window.  She's done a spectacular job on this and we're sure to see this lit up when she comes back into class.

 

  

Terry, who is not one to rest and take it easy once a project is completed, worked on these two Christmas Suncatchers that both have enough pieces to rival some windows that have been made in class.  These are all ready for a coat of solder and they'll be completed!

 

And here's a look at the Pumpkin Window that Mary Grace has started.  Everybody loves this orange glass and it's a shame that it isn't available anymore.  But have no fear because a replacement glass will surely be found soon.

 

Well, it's official, Linda L has all of the glass cut and ground for her Fleur De Lis Window and all but 9 pieces of the glass wrapped.   She'll completely tack the front side of this window when she returns and get to see just how easy it is to solder this 'odd' window'  With so many of the pieces completely covered in foil I know Linda is anxious to see how this will come together once she starts adding the solder.   I know that she'll do just fine and that this window will look amazing.

 

Susan D got her LSU Tiger all tacked together and then altered it so that it would fit better into a smaller opening than the original pattern was drawn for. Yes, there was some tail amputation done (not that you'd notice it) to make it fit less snugly but after that little procedure this tiger works out perfectly for a smaller opening. Susan will start cutting her background during her time off.

 

Bonnie now has all of her pieces ground and fitting together perfectly for her Candy Skull Window. She's  this project  home with her to wrap over the next two weeks since we won' be having classes next week.  When she comes back in she should be ready to get this tacked and then get its border attached. 

  

Cindy started work on this large Parrot Suncatcher and is well under way on it already.  She wants it brightly colored and I have no doubt that is what it will be once it is finished.

 

Brenda did get her Transom Window tacked together which means that she's about ready to get the final border attached to it.  When that's been done the zinc channel will then be attached and if everything has been cut correctly (which it has) then the size will work out perfectly. There won't be any surprises here, that's for sure.

 

Mary Grace got the zinc channel attached to her Welcome Window and she's completed all of the soldering on it.   All she needs to do now is to do some touch up work which means that she'll certainly be able to color it and take it on home with her after her next class.

 

 Rowena has her first border attached to her Peacock Window and has the final blue border is all cut out into strips.   She's going to be adding clear pieces into the center of the strips to form a pattern that hasn't been arranged yet but from what I could see I love the idea that she is currently working out for it. 

 

 

Susan R started cutting out this large Christmas Tree Suncatcher which she will be altering so that it's a window when it is completed.   She has everything but the background glass cut out already so look to see this completed in the very near future.   Considering that she's just got one class of work in on this project I'd say that she's doing great!

 

Lynn traced out the pattern for her next project which turned MANY heads while it was pinned to the wall this week.   The nice thing about working on this Tree Of Life Design is that Lynn will be able to incorporate a lot of glass scraps thus cutting down on the cost of materials  immensely which is always a good thing.  And I have to say that I may just make one of these myself in the near future.

 

Birthday girl Ann worked on tracing out the pattern for her next window which will be a large cross design.  She's taken the pattern home to color in so she can see exactly what she wants to do with this color wise  When she comes back in she'll be  all ready to start cutting her glass.   Happy Birthday Ann!  It's not often that someone brings their own 'cake' to the party!

Lastly, Paula ironed out a pattern for the next box that she'll be making and it will be a bit different from other boxes that we've seen made in our classes because the top will not match the bottom.  And if that sounds intriguing to you then make sure that you come back to read our Blog during the next few weeks to see exactly how Paula makes these curvy piano keys into a square box.   It will be enlightening for sure!

 

Paul

Bayou Salé GlassWorks

My Goat Knows The Bowling Score

Knowing the Angle

We're reprinting a tip this week since we've seen so many people handing their soldering irons and rolls of solder incorrectly.  In order to get a nice even bead on your project you need to be sure of numerous issues but these two cannot be ignored.  Most importantly, the solder (from the roll) should be placed just barely above the point where the soldering iron tip is touching your project.  Secondly, the iron should be kept at an angle to the glass rather than held parallel to the project.   The picture below highlights both of these points perfectly.   If you position the lead high up on the iron it has to drip down onto the glass and that will never get you a smooth bead.   If the iron is at too low an angle then the lead can't easily get around the tip of the iron and the lead ends up pooling behind the iron.   With a little practice and a little patience this will happen instinctively without you ever having to think of it.

Okay, so Lara completed the soldering on her Mermaid Window and managed to complete it with PLENTY of time to spare.  So did she rest and take it easy the rest of the night?  Nope, she started a new project!  If her newest window looks even half as good as this one does (and I know it will) then we're in for a treat.  Scroll on down a little further and you'll see exactly what she's working on next.

 

Lynn soldered the border section of the front of her Tulip Window and then got the back finished as well.  By the end of the night she was washing and coloring this project so she could take it home with her.  I must say that I was VERY impressed with her soldering abilities and that's because she's not afraid to take her time rather than trying to rush it.  There's a common phrase that I can't state enough while soldering-- "Slow but steady wins the race."

 

Becky B got her Dragonfly Window completed and even though she had fears about the pieces fitting too loosely with gaps being apparent, everything came together perfectly in the end.  People worry too much about cutting off the line while they are cutting because they worry fear their pieces will be too short.  The thing is, if all the pieces are short by the same amount (the amount of the line) then everything balances out in the end.  This window is perfect proof of it. 

  

Linda F came in with her LSU Window all soldered and ready for its hooks.  Once they were attached she washed it, colored it and then I hung it up for its picture. The nice straight lines in this window surely speak for themselves.

 

Carol came in and had Crosses on her mind.  She's taken patterns home with her for quite a few different varieties and this is one that she made, start to finish, while in class.  Now that's great work! I can't wait to see what she walks in the door with next week.

As I said at the start of this post, Lara completed her Mermaid with plenty of time to spare.  This is the African Woman pattern that she started cutting out during the remainder of her class once her Mermaid was colored.  This has a lot of pieces but it's going to look wonderful in the end.

 

Brenda managed to get the majority of her Beveled Transom Window cut out and will begin on the final border of this beautiful window next week.  Although the picture is small, this window is huge (and elegant).

  

Brenda worked on her small Duck Window while she was at home and brought it to pick out a border for it.  The border pieces have all been cut and Brenda will have this finished before you know it.   I love the sky in this window and I'm super impressed with the quality of work that Brenda does on her own.

Next up I'm pleased to show you how Bonnie's Skull Window really looks like a skull this week.  With only two hours of grinding Bonnie has this window pretty much whipped into shape.  The different color teeth in the skull itself are a subtle but nice touch.  Bonnie made excellent progress on this and may very well begin wrapping her glass when we see her again.

  

Jan came in with all of her Cat In A Bookcase Window foiled and ready to be tacked together.  Once that was accomplished she attached a zinc channel and then proceeded to work on soldering the front side.  Once that was completed she flipped it over and started in on the second side.  By the time her roll of solder was empty the class was very nearly over so Jan called it a night.  Yep, this will be another window completed next week!

 

Paula got the top of her turtle box finished and she's altered the pattern to include many more smaller pieces than it originally had when I originally drew it.  Sometimes I worry and sacrifice detail for simplicity so I won't scare students away from a project but I should never do that with Paula because she never shies away from difficult projects.  I'm thrilled that she changed this because I know it looks much better this way.

 

Terry has begun work on her Pair of Birds but I'm unsure if this will be a suncatcher or a window.  It's large enough to go either way and I hate to make predictions about the overall design of a project, especially when Terry is involved.  We'll see how this works out when she comes back i n next week.

 

  

Well color me surprised!  Susan D walked in the door with a Tiger all cut out and mostly ground!   By the time class was finished she had a good portion of this frothy mouthed tiger wrapped.   And I have to point out how wonderfully everything fits together because that's important and Susan achieved it on her own yet again.

 

Linda F came in and practically completed another pumpkin window.   She has the front all soldered and will get the back side of this to match when she comes back in.   I love the fact that she echoed a phrase I always say: "The second one went much quicker than the first one".

 

Jeannette continued working on her Fish Window by tacking together the fish and then cutting out the background water by placing the fish and tracing around them.   She now has this all ground and wrapped which means that she'll be adding borders to this when we see Jeannette again.

 

Becky S was busy cutting glass for her Flowers and Vase Window this week as well as picking out colors for other sections of it.   She's discovering that there are a LOT of pieces in this pattern but the end result will certainly be worth the work.    This is a beautiful pattern and the  pink flowers that Becky cut out are just the tip of the iceberg of perfect colors that this will be constructed from.

  

Cindy got the background and border attached to her Cardinal Window and is now ready to start soldering.  She would have gotten further along but she was concerned that the background glass she cut was too thick to be used.   Width discrepancies between different glasses are always scary but they're never an issue as you can see in the picture below. 

 

And Tasha certainly got a lot accomplished this week.  She came in with the majority of the larger section of her flower border ground and then completed the other two sections as well.  She now understands that you should never look to see how a piece fits with the others UNTIL you skim it.  Once you've taken it to the grinder and ground off any lines you can then see exactly what needs to be done next to ensure a perfect fit.  There are no shortcuts in stained glass, only over ground pieces.

 

Myrt was back this week and she spent her night wrapping her Mermaid Window.   Once all the glass had foil on it she asked if the globs needed to be wrapped.  Since they do need foil on them she took them over to the grinder, skimmed them and then hit them with a twist of foil.  Next week she'll tack this together and put its border on.

 

 

Mary Grace started soldering the second side of her EMOCLEW (that's WELCOME backwards) Window and only has the lettering left to solder before she can wrap this project up.  This is yet another window that will most likely be completed next week.

 

Linda L still had bevels left to cut and although she was managing it certainly wasn't going easily for her until we pointed out a big tip about cutting bevels:  Don't cut the line off, just come close and grind the rest so the bevel doesn't chip.  Once she did that she had no trouble at all.  I did learn that Linda and I have something in common-- when something stands in our way we WILL conquer it to show it who the boss is!

 

 

Sheri has all of her Fleur De Lis and Flowers cut out even though it was looking a little iffy at one point in time.  She had two pieces that wouldn't fit on the piece of glass that she had and we didn't have any more of it in stock.  Luckily she was able to get her missing pieces from a sample piece that we won't be needing now that Spectrum isn't making glass anymore.  But more on that at the end of this post.

 

Roxane's duck window is all cut out and now it's in the process of being ground.  With the hardest part completed (the bottom right corner) I'm thinking that Roxane will surely show the remaining pieces how they should fit together and knock them into place as effortlessly as she's handled all the previous steps of this window.  This is going to look beautiful (and already does).

 

Rowena is now working on the inner border of her Peacock Window and if it were a plain simple border it would certainly be attached already.  However,  Rowena is adding a twisted 'cord' to the border which disguises the breaks that you normally see while adding another splash of color into the mix.  The orange border with red 'twists' look great together and her final outer border has been picked out as well.

 

Susan R is another student with the front side of her Pumpkin Window completely soldered. Knowing how much Susan likes to work on glass while she's at home I'm sure that when we next see this it will be completed and Susan will have some other project started.

 

Jeanne has her Tiger De Lis almost completely wrapped now and will most likely tack it and get her background pieces started when she returns.   I know she feels as though this has been a long haul but it's a fact that she's moved faster than she thinks she did.  All of those tiny pieces take time and she's worked through them at a nice steady pace.

And this week we also got to see Martha solder a good portion (the majority) of the back side of her Seafood Window.   With less than a quarter of it to go I'll climb out on a limb and say that we'll surely see this completed when she returns.  What's next on Martha's plate?  Who knows (but I'm guessing that it won't be seafood!)

 

Lastly, when Cindy came in with her Cardinal Window wrapped all I could see was her beautiful foiling.   I just had to take a closeup to show everyone what perfect wrapping is all about.  Nice even lines without a hint of waver is exactly what you should strive for because it makes your soldering look so much better.  An excellent job, Cindy!

And to wrap things up we'll pass on the information that Spectrum Glass will begin producing glass again sometime next year under a new ownership.   The new Spectrum Glass may or may not be the same as it always was-- that's something that only time will tell.   We'll pass along any news as more information becomes available.

Paul
Bayou Salé GlassWorks