It’s a TEE PARTY! Next up, in what’s turning out to be a very busy month over at Generation T, please come to Little Joe’s Books on Sunday, October 20 with bestselling author of the Generation T book series, Megan Nicolay. The Tee Party is from 2:00 – 4:00 PM — all materials will be provided, but it’s BYOT (Bring Your Own T-shirt)!
Little Joe’s Books
25 Katonah Avenue
Katonah NY 10536
(914) 232-7278
info@littlejoesbooks.com
[ 1 Comment ]
When you’re talking fruit and vegetable stamping, a change of seasonal harvest can herald a whole new palette of patterns and textures with which to print. And with them, a whole new no-sew T-shirt totebag tutorial — this time, with fringe! Before the summer fruits and veggies officially relinquish their harvest reign to the autumn root vegetables (reminder: potato printing=boring!), see what you can scavenge from the last of the September haul to make some colorful T-shirt prints — and a sturdy T-shirt tote to bring to next weekend’s farmers market! Behold, this fall’s hottest accessory (see this summer’s no-sew tote here)….
Materials:
-Plain old T-shirt (I used an adult size M for this particular one)
–Tulip Dimensional Paint or Tulip Soft Fabric Paint Tubes
-Plastic container lid(s) to use as a paint palette (check your recycling bin!)
-Half of two bell peppers, corn on the cob, lime, and the end of a celery stalk (to use as stamps)
-Scissors
-Ruler or straightedge
-Scrap paper
-Plastic garbage bag or table cloth to protect your work surface
-Mixing bowl or other round item (to use as a cutting guide)
Make it:
Click through to get the photographic step-by-step tutorial through my newest post for iLoveToCreate Blog. You can print lots of T-shirts…
…and then decide which one(s) you want to turn into a totebag!
The ties to the farmers market run deep for this totebag, but don’t limit its use to produce! I had a student make one of these totes during my artist-in-residency at her school, and she quickly transferred all of her textbooks into it before heading off to her next class. If you tie your knots tightly, this bag will definitely hold up to any combination of weighty tomes, making it a great (if a little late) back to school project. Or…with Halloween around the corner, how about using it as a creative vessel for that delicious candy haul…?
[ 2 Comments | Posted on September 24th, 2013 ]
Mark your calendars and sharpen your scissors! It’s a BROOKLYN TEE PARTY! Grab an old T-shirt that you want to freshen up, and come to the free T-shirt refashioning event at the Park Slope Library in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday October 5, 2013 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm! Bestselling author Megan Nicolay will teach several designs from her books Generation T and Generation T: Beyond Fashion.
Scissors and any other necessary tools will be provided, and books will be available for sale (get them signed!), but BYOT (Bring Your Own T-shirt)! Hope to see you!
What: Generation T Tee Party
When: October 5, 2013 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Where: The Park Slope Library, 431 Sixth Avenue, at 9th Street
Cost: FREE!
RSVP: We may be ordering pizza, so kindly RSVP so we can have a ballpark figure for how many folks to expect!
This event is sponsored by the Friends of Park Slope Library and Park Slope Parents.
[ Comments Off on Brooklyn, NY @ Park Slope Library ]
Here’s a handmade, personalized, and timeless gift for Grandparent’s Day (the first Sunday after Labor Day — for 2013, it’s on September 8!), or you can save it for Mother’s or Father’s Day. Just snap a photo of your subject in profile, gather up the rest of the materials, and you can make and assemble this in minutes. Start a series by making a new image each year so you can see the growth of your child!
Materials:
–Aleene’s Tacky Dot Runner adhesive
-photo frame
-photo of subject in profile to fit your frame (the photo doesn’t need to be crisp or particularly high quality–just irresistible, like my little pal Caleb, featured above!)
-artists tape
-craft knife and cutting mat
-black paper (tip: if you don’t have any, create and print out a sheet of black paper on your computer)
-decorative paper (for background–check out your wrapping paper stash for good options)
-scrap paper (for banner–I found a colorful envelope from a holiday card in the recycling bin)
-thin-tipped pen
Make it:
Check out the step-by-step tutorial over at the iLoveToCreate Blog!
There’s also a video tutorial I did for About.com, below:
[ Comments Off on How to: Make a Silhouette Portrait | Posted on September 4th, 2013 ]
Though my motivation was nursery decor (inspired particularly by my son’s love for taxis and trucks — hey, we live in Brooklyn!), this technique could easily be applied to any shapes that benefit from a grid-like treatment — like robots, or alphabet tiles, or basic shapes. I was inspired by the geometry of the landscape where we live, but your cityscape could be urban or rural (or suburban, for that matter!). The tape technique works like any resist–I love the rough-hewn, batik-like result, and the effect, as I mentioned, could be applied to any subject matter, to suit any room in the house!
Materials:
-Stretched canvas (mine is 10″ x 8″)
–Tulip Soft Fabric Paint
–Tulip Sponge Pouncers and other foam brushes
–Tulip Fabric Paintbrushes
-Artist’s tape (or masking tape, but artist’s tape peels off more easily)
-Craft knife and cutting mat
-Paper plates (to use as paint palettes)
Make it:
Gather your materials, and click on through to the I Love to Create Blog for the complete tutorial!
My imaginary city is the perfect accompaniment to the New York City “Bridges” print by Two Arms Inc. and the Safari Mobile by PetitCollage that we already have hanging. I’m thinking of adding Sophie Blackall’s subway poster to my urban/jungle theme….
[ Comments Off on How to: Paint a Cityscape with Tape! | Posted on July 24th, 2013 ]
While most fringe T-shirts have the fringe tailing off the bottom, I went with horizontal fringe on this one. The side fringe gives nice movement and flow to the tee, and it’s a great project for making a slightly-too-big T-shirt into a just-right T-shirt. Add a touch of ombre tie-dye, and it’s a perfect summertime staple. Throw it over your bathing suit, and head beachward!
Materials:
-Plain T-shirt (one to two sizes larger than you’d ordinarily wear)
–Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Kit (includes rubber bands, bottles, dyes, two pairs of plastic gloves, and an instruction/inspiration sheet)
-Plastic table cloth or plastic garbage bag to cover your work surface
-Paper towels
-Plastic cling wrap or zip-lock bags
-Scissors
-Sewing machine with thread or needle and thread
-Safety pins (optional)
Make it:
Head over to my post at the iLoveToCreate blog for the step-by-step photo tutorial.
Note: You can make a no-sew version of this shirt by cutting the fringe first and then knotting the front fringe piece with the corresponding back fringe all the way up and down both sides (the shoulder fringe remains unknotted). I like this version because it’s quick (particularly if you are using a sewing machine), and the fringe fall nicely without the bulk of the knots.
[ Comments Off on How to: Side-Fringe Tie-Dye T-shirt | Posted on July 8th, 2013 ]
Oh, the quest for the perfect tee! While our collective search for the perfect jersey knit continues (Alternative Apparel or American Apparel? J. Crew or GAP?), why not make your own? It’s quite arguably the perfect summer project to take on when you’re looking to have yourself a crafty long weekend. But hurry, since you’ve got less than a week to join the “Scout” T-shirt pattern sew-along over at Kollabora (entries are due Monday, July 8!)…
Here’s what you do:
-Download the pattern from Grainline Studio here (it costs $6.50).
-Then print and assemble the pattern, and check out the step-by-step photo tutorials over at Kollabora to get you feeling inspired and confident (there are plenty of variations, too!).
-Upload photos of your finished T-shirt to the gallery to share your creation, and to be entered to win some awesome stuff! (And while you’re there, click through to check out the gallery of T-shirts that have already been made and cast your vote for fan favorite!)
Behold, the Scout Woven Tee pattern by Jennifer Beeman, the designer and patternmaker at Grainline Studio:
Though I personally won’t make the July 8 deadline, I do have some yellow and blue lightning bolt jersey knit left over from a hooded sweatshirt project I was working on for the little guy that I will definitely be turning into a “Scout” T-shirt for myself!
[ 1 Comment | Posted on July 3rd, 2013 ]
Move over potato stamping! There are some other fruits and veggies that want in on the action. Printing with fruits and veggies is nothing new — but when applied to a grocery or green market bag, you get a tote that forecasts what should go inside (apples, onions, peppers, celery, corn…). Not to mention, you can construct this sturdy bag from an old T-shirt without sewing–a single safety pin is the closest you’ll get to any specialty tools. I worked out the bag particulars while I was in residency at a workshop up in NH (I’ve since discovered a great tutorial for a very similar technique by Lee Meredith over at Leethal.net, which I imagine works particularly well for larger T-shirts, where the bottom bunching can be redistributed between several gathers). And I was inspired to use an apple after seeing Kayte Terry’s lovely apple-printed tote (I wish my apple had had a stem on it!).
Materials:
-Plain old T-shirt (I used a kid’s size 6-8 for this particular one)
–Tulip Dimensional Paint or Tulip Soft Fabric Paint Tubes
-Plastic lid to use as a paint palette
-Half an apple (or bell pepper, or onion, or…) to use as a stamp
-Scissors
-Safety pin
-Scrap paper (optional)
Make it:
Head on over to iLoveToCreate blog for the complete step-by-step tutorial! You’ll be ready to hit the farmer’s market (or beach! or park!) in no time.
And don’t forget to share your bounty!
Stay tuned: Another veggie-printed, no-sew tote bag tutorial is coming your way right here on Generation T next week!
[ 1 Comment | Posted on June 25th, 2013 ]
Perfect for Father’s Day, here’s a last-minute T-shirt how-to, courtesy of Jessica at The Blue Basket blog. Here’s what happens: Make the shirt (templates are provided, or you can improvise!), have Dad put on the shirt, instruct Dad to lie face-down on the floor, and invite the kids to play. As the kids drive the cars over the map, Dad gets a massage! Brilliant.
Materials:
– White T-shirt (in the size of the intended recipient)
– Tape and Printer with 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper (if you want to use the template)
– Fabric paint or fabric markers
– Toy cars to drive on your map!
Make it:
1. Print the templates over at The Blue Basket blog, piece them together, and tape them in place. (Or, if you want to improvise the map drawing, it might be nice to keep in mind where on Dad’s back he’s feeling particularly tight, and add a traffic circle or some parallel parking spots!)
2. Slide your template inside the T-shirt and use the fabric paints or markers to trace the image to the back of the shirt (not the front, or the result could end up as a massive tickle-fest!).
3. If you used fabric paint, let it dry. Then pull out the toy cars and trucks! (And make sure Dad’s willing to share his new wardrobe staple when Mother’s Day rolls around!)
Note: If the DIY is simply too much, check out The Blue Basket Etsy shop to purchase the Car Play T-shirt.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND!
All photos in this post courtesy of The Blue Basket.[ 2 Comments | Posted on June 15th, 2013 ]
You’ve probably seen the Beanbag Chair from T-shirts here. And you can always renew the seat cover of a chair with T-shirt fabric following the tutorial here (stay tuned for an actual T-shirt one soon!). But in this T-shirt rescue, I did a modern take on traditional chair caning (or, rather, weaving with a wicker-like material called “paper rush“). I was obviously inspired by the original pattern, but wanting to take it in a new direction!
On a rainy Sunday in May, Build It Green! NYC (@bignyc) drew all sorts if creative types to Gowanus, Brooklyn for Krrb’s (@krrbsale) second annual DIY Chair Workshop. Sponsored by Alabama Chanin (the sustainable, slow fashion outfit in Alabama, @alabamachanin), as part of #makeshift2013, Build It Green gathered up its collection of discarded and beat-up chairs for us to renew.
Materials:
-Structurally sound old wooden chair
-Lots of 3-4″-wide T-shirt fabric scraps (cut horizontally across the T-shirt for maximum stretch)
-Scissors
-Hammer
Make it:
1. Find a chair whose seat is crumbling (note the packing tape holding it together!), but has framework that is still in good shape.
2. Clip off the seat (and peel away all the tape). Use the prongs of the hammer to pry out any nails left in the bars of the seat. Set them aside and note, as you deconstruct the seat, how they were used in the original construction.
3. Cut the T-shirt scraps into 3″- to 4″-wide strips (as long as the scraps allow) and loop them together by cutting a small hole in each end and weaving one through the other (sort of like a cow hitch knot). Stretch the “yarn” out and wrap the end into a ball to make the weaving more manageable. (Though I found, to really make it workable, I wove a length, then added more, then wove, then added more — if the tail of yarn is too long, it does get cumbersome.)
4. Wrap one end of the yarn tightly around one of the bars of the chair seat. Use the nails you pulled out in step 2 (and the existing holes, if possible), and hammer them back in, securing the fabric in place. Starting in one corner, weave the yarn around two bars on a diagonal, crossing them in the middle in a sort of figure-eight. I went almost halfway across the seat, making sure to pull the yarn taut as I went, and then started a new length of T-shirt scrap yarn from the opposite corner.
5. Once I had tightly woven the yarn from the two opposite sides (leaving a gap in the middle), I started again at one of the open corners and “stitched” up the gap separating the two sections by cross-weaving into the sections. (I also had the brilliant idea of moving my chair onto one of the work tables so I could stretch out my back a little!)
6. Tie and then thread the ends of the weaving into the inside of the chair seat. There will be some rough edges where the scraps were pieced together — embrace the texture of it!
The workshop was amazingly fun. Amy Devers of A&E’s “Fix This Yard” was on hand to help out — she and Natalie reworked a whole bench (see Natalie at work on it below). I met Kay Gardiner (you knitters might recognize her from her popular books), who learned how to wield a power drill (see her in action below, too!) to refashion her chair. I met Stacey of Patternix knit design studio — who kindly helped me finish my chair after her woven knit creation was done. Many of the completed chairs are now available in an online silent auction on Krrb (we adopted mine!). So, go bid on your favorite! All proceeds support Build It Green NYC (New York City’s only non-profit retail outlet for salvaged and surplus building materials).
And at the very least, click through for more photos of the event and more refashioned chairs! One of the attendees wore a very cool refashioned T-shirt. Can you spot it in the gallery of photos?
UPDATE 6/18/13: There’s a video!
[ 1 Comment | Posted on June 10th, 2013 ]
Download and print these paper gift tags to print and attach to the projects you make from Generation T and Generation T: Beyond Fashion!
Smart. Fun. Easy-to-use. Make sure you’re well-equipped as you tackle your next craft challenge.
