Gonna Quilt Myself A Straitjacket

[Kanalah]

I think a scrappy quilted one would be adorable.

Chemical Lady would always email me between 11pm and 1am. I told hubs that I think she needed more sleep and less late-night google.

[mhkohne]

I think chemical lady is confusing "phosphorescent" (keeps glowing for a while after the "exciter" illumination is removed) with "phosphorous" (the element). Both names are derived from the Greek word for "light" or "glow" (been a LONG time since I was studying it). Want to see her freak out? Tell her that your quilts need to be cleaned using Dihydrogen Monoxide.

Also, the chemicals that glow are refered to as 'phosphors' - apparently the common ones these days are an aluminum compound and a zinc compound.

http://www.physics.org/article-questions.asp?id=63

Idiot SC with the 100% cotton crack - did they think the dyes were made of cotton?

[Kanalah]

I honestly think she was under the impression that cotton grows in different colors and then people weave it into patterns like rugs. My aunt said "tye-dye sheep".

The dyes in the fabrics themselves apparently didn't bother her, it was the "chemical" glowy "stuff" that she didn't like. And yes she put those words in quotes every time. Never mind that I have 63 other quilts listed without glowy chemicals.

[Seshat]

I don't like glow in the dark stuff because I find it creepy.

But people who are scared of 'chemicals' amuse me. I'm scared of 'chemicals' too: I'm scared of the 'chemicals' in annatto because they give me hives, ditto the 'chemicals' in penicillin.
I'm scared of the 'chemicals' strychnine and ricin, too. But I figure all humans (all mammals?) should be.



Oh: regarding the tie-dye sheep; I once saw multicoloured pastel rabbits. (A kid's zoo had dyed rabbits.)

[XCashier]

I honestly think she was under the impression that cotton grows in different colors and then people weave it into patterns like rugs.

I sometimes wonder if that isn't the case. When I've told people to wash their fabrics before using them, to preshrink them and get rid of any lingering chemicals, they're all shocked. "They use chemicals to make these?!" Um, yes. Dyes and sizing are chemicals. The same stuff in the clothing that you're currently wearing. Unless you're planning to make all of your clothing from undyed natural muslin and never wash it in anything but water, you will have to deal with chemical products from time to time.

Though it would be cool if cotton and flax did grow in different colors. Drive by a cotton field that looks tie-dyed...

[EvilEmpryss]

Though it would be cool if cotton and flax did grow in different colors. Drive by a cotton field that looks tie-dyed...

It could be done with the right science, and it would be freaking awesome.......

Until the anti-GMO groups got all up in arms about it, convinced that wearing cotton grown in different colors will give us all cancer or something.

[dalesys]

...BTW, Hubby is a psychologist, so the idea of me having a straitjacket of any kind, much less a prettily-quilted one, is hilarious!

Work at home...

[Tee]

I sometimes wonder if that isn't the case. When I've told people to wash their fabrics before using them, to preshrink them and get rid of any lingering chemicals, they're all shocked. "They use chemicals to make these?!" Um, yes. Dyes and sizing are chemicals. The same stuff in the clothing that you're currently wearing. Unless you're planning to make all of your clothing from undyed natural muslin and never wash it in anything but water, you will have to deal with chemical products from time to time.

Though it would be cool if cotton and flax did grow in different colors. Drive by a cotton field that looks tie-dyed...

Wait, what? Chemicals to do sizing? How does that work? That sounds kinda interesting...

TO GOOGLE!

Edit: Awwww... less awesome than I thought it would be from the name.

[notalwaysright]

I've made soap... With sodium hydroxide, the horror! Anyways, I totally lean towards in the granola eating, tree-hugging direction, but I at least try to be informed. I'm not afraid of chemicals. And even without doing any research, I know that not all things that glow are evil, what about those scary fish?

[AdamAnt316]

Ahhh, "chemicals". As a collector of vintage tech junk stuff, I actually have a few devices which have glow-in-the-dark markings done the old-fashioned way, i.e. radium. For example, this clock, and these radios. I also have a couple of Geiger counters, and it can be rather unsettling to watch the meter pointer rise when I put its sensor probe near them... even so, they're apparently fairly safe unless you lick the markings, or something like that.

As for modern glow-in-the-dark stuff, as others have said, it's far safer than the old stuff was. I still wouldn't lick it, of course.
-Adam

[stitchwitch]

Most of the sci-fi/ comic conventions are in Tulsa, which adds a 2 hour drive, plus the need for a hotel room to my usual show costs. A lot of my stuff is not really sci-fi. However I am working on Doctor Who potholders.

I am looking at getting into my local Ren faire because I do have a lot of dragons/ knights/ unicorns/ pegasus type stuff, and they don't have anyone doing textile arts.

Cons also tend to attract "Fantasy Nerds" who would love those same kind of patterns. And Fen (plural of fan) of the fantasy verity tend to be costumers, and as such know how much effort goes into making things by hand and would never cheapen a fine work by complaining about the price.

[Slave to the Phone]

I might have suddenly found a need for Doctor Who potholders. Send me a pm when you have some ready to sell, please. If it happens before Christmas, it will be such a bonus.

[dalesys]

...Doctor Who potholders...

...ask not for who the bongs toke...

[Seshat]

I have a sudden need to grow hydroponic cotton, with each row being supplied with a different dye in the water. Just to see if that works the way I hope it would.

Failing that, I shall get in touch with an old friend who happens to be a genetic botanist (or botanic geneticist?), and challenge her to put saffron's colour genes into cotton bolls.

[gerund]

I don't think No Chemicals lady really wants to avoid all Phosphorus.

It's interesting to hear the founder of Greenpeace on why he left that organisation. It turns out he started it to stop companies polluting our world and the first few campaigns they ran were somewhat successful in raising awareness about our world and the stuff that pollutes it.

Then, heady with the attention the majority of the Greenpeace members decided they were going to try to ban chlorine. The founder said to the members that chlorine was an element that occurred naturally, was used in all sorts of products that we depended on for our day to day living (drinking water anyone?) and that they would be laughed at by everyone if they tried to ban it.

He was outvoted and resigned that day. They have gone on with some good things and many stupidities like that which is why I have no respect for them.