An Unexpected Finish (And Not A Sock In Sight)!

One morning last week, I went into the workroom to open the blind and realised that the little clock which has been sitting on my Fettling List for far too long awaiting a makeover for its sun-faded face had stopped several hours before. I decided that I wouldn’t put a new battery in until it was off the Fettling List, put it in The Cupboard Of Possibilities and left the room. A few minutes later, I wandered back in and started looking at anything which could become its new face: I didn’t know whether I wanted paper or fabric which is partly what has held me up but that decision was made for me as I didn’t have any suitable paper. I did toy with the idea of using this really cute panda sticker but decided against it because it looked odd when the hands were over his face and given that that’s quite a few hours in the day, it felt like he’d spend more time looking odd than looking like the panda version of Hercule Poirot with his enormous (and magnificent) moustaches.

Admittedly very cute. Really should have taken a photo of him at five to one. 

Again, cute (but not quite so cute). Less cute at half twelve when his face is bisected.

Once I’d definitely got the idea of a panda clock face out of my system (it took a while, I’ll be honest), I went looking in the fabric boxes and as I knew the fabric would have to be fine so as not to interfere with the movement of the hands, the first box I opened was the Liberty Tana lawn box. Once I’d chosen the fabric, I dismantled the clock (putting all parts safely on a Liberty paper plate) and laid the fabric over to see what needed doing next. That turned out to be sanding off the original design (no photo, it wasn’t that interesting. Not that the next photo is even close to being somewhere in the vicinity of interesting) but even when the numbers could no longer be seen, the face looked mawky and was distorting the colour of the fabric I’d chosen, even through the layer of interfacing I knew I’d need. Out came the chalk paint (French Chic Al Fresco in ‘Dazzle Me’) and I applied two thin coats. So thin were the coats and so warm was the workroom that the first coat dried within a minute, as did the second. I knew I didn’t need to keep the surface particularly even as it was more to blank out the mawky colour of the sanded-back surface than be a decorative finish and the main thing was avoiding getting paint on the spindle and inhibiting the mechanism. I’ve used this paint before to paint the drawers in that room and it’s really robust, cleans off your hands and brush really easily and doesn’t have a strong scent. I’m going to be using it again soon, I think.  Well I am, just not sure how soon is soon as its next job is a bit more involved and won’t take thirty seconds for each coat.

See? Not even close to being considered for a place on the riveting scale.

Next was to fuse the chosen fabric to the (fine woven cotton) interfacing, draw round the glass to get an approximate size, trim it back a bit and cut a hole in the middle:

If we could all pretend that this is in focus, I’d really appreciate it. I got new glasses a few weeks ago
 (and a new phone a few months ago) and close-up photos are still catching me out: they look in focus
 when I review them straight after taking them and then when I see them on a larger screen, it’s
obvious they’re not. It was too late to do anything about it by the time I realised.

Then it was time to get the pritt-stick out and glue the fabric to the face. I chose pritt-stick because it dries clear, doesn’t soak through fabric and doesn’t yellow over time as well as being easy to control near the edges and centre. It was at this point that I realised a wiser person would have glued the fabric on and then trimmed it to size rather than freehand cutting a couple of millimetres from round the edge after cutting it to the same size as the glass *makes a note for next time* Fortunately, it’s just big enough and I mean just. 

Again, please pretend this is in focus. Thank you. 

After every stage, I replaced the hands and checked that they still moved freely and then put the (new) battery in to double check. 

All I had to do then was set the hands to noon, put the clock back together (the hardest part was getting the two short tiny screws stood in their respective holes so I could screw them back in. I think that was the longest step, made worse by me trimming my nails in the days between me dismantling the clock to start this process and getting to the point where it was ready to reassemble, another lesson learnt), put the battery back in and admire the new face:

I think the whole thing took about half an hour all told. I spread it over several days and each step was, in effect, a micro task to help me with my pacing (an energy management system aka spending your spoons wisely and carefully) so while someone else could have done this within the half hour and not needed a break, I needed one after each tiny step, most of which took under a minute. 

Just in case you’re wondering what size the clock is, here’s Mini Archie for scale: 

Others have pocket watches, I has a schnozzle watch *proud face*

I must admit that I’m quite pleased with how it’s turned out and especially that in my favourite section of the fabric in terms of fish size and balance of colours, the fish have the decency to be swimming clockwise. 

So that’s a finish fettled and one more Fettling Point gained. Considering this wasn’t even on my radar as a possible finish this year let alone this month, I’m rather chuffed! Needless to say, I’ve looked at my list to see if there’s anything else on there which can be done in micro steps and which doesn’t involve a sewing machine or knitting needles and there is, so watch this space!