Media

It was an early morning at Fox News with hosts Mark Wright and Lily Jang and the rest of the newsroom team. I flew in this morning and went straight to the TV studio. It was a fun segment, and I’m about ready for a nap!

This morning in Portland on AM Northwest, my host was the lovely and fun Helen Raptis. There was a great studio audience–all wearing bright orange T-shirts that looked ripe for T-shirt refashioning!

Yesterday afternoon, I met up with hosts Spencer and Janelle of View From the Bay, for a great segment of refashioned fun–they even had mannequins to dress! We had a lot more time for this segment, so got to show off a bunch of different projects that you’ll find in the book! Click through the link to see the segment, and here are some photos from behind the scenes….

1) While I waited in the lobby, I happened to catch my friend Kathy Cano-Murillo (otherwise known as the Crafty Chica) on one of the silent screens in front of me, sharing a glitter-fabulous project with viewers! 2) Then I had to head to the studio to dress the mannequin they produced to tape the B-rol for the segment.

3) I added the no-sew Tic Tac Boa as an accessory and then the camerman filmed it so we could use the footage later in the segment (with live voice-over commentary).

4) Peter helped get the mannequin ready with another look (those arms were hard to get on and off!).  5) This show comes with a studio audience. I think it looks a lot more intimidating when all the seats are empty! Bring in the people!

6) Ready on set! (Don’t those T-shirts that they put up for the back set look awesome?)

7) And we did it! Halter top transformation complete. Thanks, Janelle and Spencer! 8 ) And it wasn’t so scary, even under all those lights with a big studio audience!

Yay, Treehugger, for a lovely review today! I’ve pasted it below, but read it here, too, for a free, downloadable tutorial for the Pinup Girl halter top!

by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA

Grab those shears and kick your sewing machines into gear because Megan Nicolay, author of the 2006 bestseller Generation T, is back with more ideas—a staggering 120, to be exact—for repurposing and reinterpreting the humble T-shirt, from ill-fitting promotional freebies to memory-laden concert merch.

Nicolay’s sophomore endeavor, Generation T: Beyond Fashion ($15.95), bleeds new life into the burgeoning wardrobe-refashion movement, which couldn’t have come at a better time for both pocketbook and planet: An estimated 11.9 million tons of textiles were generated in 2007, accounting 4.7 percent of total municipal solid waste, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In contrast, only 2.5 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste gets recycled, leaving plenty of fabric gold in them thar landfills.

Nicolay one-ups herself in Beyond Fashion, moving from ripped and restitched togs (though you’ll find plenty of those, including maternity tops) to home accessories, pet gear, and the cutest hipster babywear this side of Williamsburg (the animal-eared hooded towel and superhero cape are completely inspired.)

Skillwise, projects run the gamut from easy-peasy no-sew to intermediate, and the illustrated step-by-step directions—along with tutorials on knotting, sewing, braiding, lacing, and embellishing—are a cinch to follow. Don’t believe us? Download the first project, a cinched halter, right now for free.

One thing’s for sure; you’ll never look at a ratty T-shirt the same way again.

This just in! Cafemom just posted a little something about the Pinup Girl halter top yesterday. That top has been getting a lot of play lately, and I think it’s because it’s so freaking easy. Seriously, it’s a great project for on the go because you can make it in about 30 seconds. No, really, I have!

How to Transform Your T-Shirt

July 10, 2009 at 7:00 AM by Cafe MicheleZ – Comments (3)

Photo from Generation T

Ah the t-shirt — a perfect example of comfort that never goes out of style. You can dress it up or down and it goes with just about everything as Cafe Suzanne writes in her ode to white tees.

But what if you wanted to mix it up a little bit? Maybe there’s even a stain you need to hide? You can keep the comfort of the tee, but craft it into something more unique.All you need are a pair of scissors! And some tips from Megan Nicolay.

Megan wrote Generation T Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt. Um hello! Amazing!

I love to do this with old rock t-shirts and I have just cut and tied and designed as I went. But how cool is it that there is a book to do the thinking for us?! I love the gathering you can do (step 4 below) if you are working with a shirt that is big for you.

For more ideas, 119 of them actually, Generation T‘s website has more styles and info on where to buy book.

Are you going to try it?

A segment I taped last week in Arizona with Sonoran Living Live just aired this morning. Check it out!

In a “Where’s Waldo” of TV appearances, Generation T: Beyond Fashion made a brief and subtle appearance on Good Morning America this morning. If you pay (very, very) close attention to the how-to books table, you’ll notice a blue and green spine sitting next to my friend Jessica Hopper‘s book, The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, at about 1:38, with a closeup at about 1:30. See if you can spot it!

Here’s a closeup. Look at the lower right corner….

That’s it!

This morning I stopped in the studio at The Denver Channel (KMGH) to refashion a halter top with host Bertha Lynn. She’s just delightful and it was great to be on her show sharing some projects from book 2!

And here’s the full spread, like a Thanksgiving dinner of T-shirt fashion:

Last stop today (before Changing Hands bookstore tonight!) was Arizona Midday (KPNX-TV) with host Destry Jetton, where we refashioned a large T-shirt into the Stop, Crop, and Roll fluttery cropped tank top (project #10).

Perhaps more exciting than seeing my name on the dry erase board (on at 1:40 p.m.!) was another couple of guests on the show today…

Forget the lions and bears–it was two baby white tigers, oh my! About the size of full-grown house cats, these little sweethearts were very into exploring the set and meeting all the crew members. Needless to say, even after they were fed, it took some wrangling to keep Sonya and Celine in front of the cameras for the length of their segment!

These two cuties from the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium had everyone at “rawr!”…

And, when they settled down for some petting and photo ops after, well, we were all melting.

Here’s me with Celine.