T-shirt Projects

How to: No-Sew T-shirt Grocery Tote II

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 ]

How to: Side-Fringe Tie-Dye T-shirt

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)

Note: If you’re working with new T-shirts, pre-wash and dry them to make sure any shrinking that’s going to happen has happened!

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 ]

A T-shirt Sew-Along with Kollabora

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 ]

How to: No-Sew T-shirt Grocery Tote!

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 ]

How to: DIY Massage T-shirt with Toy Cars!

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 ]

How to: Rescue an Old Chair Using T-shirts!

(Photo by Peter Stanglmayr)

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!

(Photo by Peter Stanglmayr)

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.

(Photo by Peter Stanglmayr)

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?

All photos by Megan Nicolay unless otherwise noted.

UPDATE 6/18/13: There’s a video!


[ 1 Comment | Posted on June 10th, 2013 ]

How to: Tie-Dye Your Life! (via Your Wardrobe)

I always bring a craft project when I visit my niece, Dorothy. One time it was Embroidery Day, another it was Felt Cat Ear Day…this time it was Tie-Day Day! Our goal, which we nobly chose to accept: to tie-dye an entire wardrobe. As you can see, we got pretty darn close…

So, despite all my T-shirt proclivities, I have to confess I actually have never tie-dyed in my adult life. I don’t know what made me think that it would be so hard, but honestly, the only thing that could have made this easier was a nice picnic table outside to craft on (and that’s just me asking for a luxurious upgrade).

The takeway: Tie-dye. Is. So. Easy.

I would go so far as to say it’s foolproof! Next time you have a family reunion, skip ordering the printed T-shirts: Set up a tie-dye station for all the siblings and cousins–by morning, you’ll have a full set of T-shirts perfect for a very colorful family portrait!

Materials:
–Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Kit (color: “Vibrant” — includes rubber bands, bottles, dyes, two pairs of plastic gloves, and an instruction/inspiration sheet)
-Cotton things to dye: We picked T-shirts (in two sizes, for the two cousins), tights, and socks!
-plastic table cloth or plastic garbage bag to cover your work surface
-paper towels
-plastic cling wrap or zip-lock bags

Note: If you’re working with new T-shirts, pre-wash and dry them to make sure any shrinking that’s going to happen has happened!

Make it:
Hop on over for the how-to at the I Love to Create Blog! (Plus a cute photo-bomb by my niece.) We tie-dyed spirals onto T-shirts, sunbursts onto tights, diagonal stripes onto another T-shirt, horizontal stripes onto socks, and a bullseye design onto yet another T-shirt.

After her cousin, Niko, woke up from his nap, it was time to try on the matching Swirl design tie-dye T-shirts!

Did I mention tie-dye is also great for obscuring grass stains? An added bonus, for sure! There’s definitely more tie-dye to come this summer — and quite likely in my size this time.

[ 2 Comments | Posted on May 28th, 2013 ]

Knit Your Own T-shirt!

Calling all knitters! This is one of those times that I wish so hard that I was a better knitter. Because this hand-knit T-shirt is something I would totally make.

Materials:

Make it:

For the pattern how-to, visit Laura’s Loop on PurlBee, the Purl Soho sewing and knitting blog.

Now that is a T-shirt I wouldn’t touch with scissors!

[ Comments Off on Knit Your Own T-shirt! | Posted on May 13th, 2013 ]

I Love to Create: A is for Animal Wall Decor

A is for Ant, B is for Beetle, C is for Cat…. Here’s an easy way to turn old clothing scraps (in this case, T-shirts and jeans) into personalized decoration for a young (or young at heart) friend’s bedroom wall or door. Whether you stick with the animal theme, or go with fruits and veggies (A is for Apple, B is for Broccoli, C is for Carrot), geography (A is for Australia, B is for Belgium, C is for China), or a more random selection of words (A is for Astronaut, B is for Bubbles, C is for Castle), part of the fun is brainstorming the image that will represent the recipient’s initial. For my son, N is for Narwhal was a shoo-in. N is for Newt came second. What animal would you choose?

Materials:
-Paper
-Pen or pencil
-Scissors
-Fabric scraps (old T-shirts and denim pieces)
-2 sheets 8 1/2″ x 11″ medium-weight cardboard (often used as stiffener in a flat parcel)
–Aleene’s OK to Wash It or Aleene’s Fabric Fusion permanent fabric adhesive
-Ruler
–Fabric paints (optional, for additional embellishment)

1. Select a friend’s or child’s first initial and then choose an animal (or two) with a name that also begins with the letter: I chose to start with N for Narwhal (that fabulous sea mammal that looks like it was crossed with a unicorn) and N for Newt (an orange salamander. Draw an outline of each animal and the capital and lowercase letter. Cut them out and arrange them on the cardboard to make sure they’ll fit. Set them aside.

2. Spread fabric glue evenly over one side of one of the sheets of cardboard and press it onto fabric.

3. Fold and glue the edges to the back of the cardboard. (It’s okay if the edges are messy — they’ll be covered up.)

4. Trace one of the paper animal templates (in reverse) onto the wrong side of one of the fabric scraps. Repeat with different scraps with the letters and second animal.

5. Arrange and glue each of the elements onto the fabric-covered cardboard. Add background (like water!) and details (spiral on the horn, eyes!), making sure to layer the pieces appropriately. Let it dry and proceed to decorate the second piece of cardboard!

6. Cover the second piece of cardboard by following steps 1 and 2. Arrange and glue on the embellishments by following steps 4 and 5.

7. Flip one of the panels backside up and measure about 3″ in from each side. Mark each point.

8. Squeeze fabric glue at each mark, and press the length of a T-shirt cord into each line of glue.

9. Then spread glue across the entire backside of one of the panels and press it firmly to the back of the other, sandwiching the hanging strap ends between them. (This tidily covers any messy work and makes the sign reversible, whether you prefer caps or lowercase — or narwhals or newts.) Let it dry.

10. A, B, C, D, E, F, G…H, I, J, K, L, M, N is for Newt and Narwhal!

After it’s completely dry, choose a side to display and hang it up!

Variations:
-If you’re feeling ambitious, make multiple signs to spell out a person’s name. Arrange them in a row, a column, or rectangle.
-If you’re feeling really ambitious, make the whole alphabet, and line the edges of the room with A through Z animals!


[ 6 Comments | Posted on February 26th, 2013 ]

I Love to Create: “You Complete Me” T-shirts!

The sweetest thing to make for your best pal on Valentine’s day? The sweetest thing for your sweetie? I call it the “You Complete Me” Tee. Part friendship charm necklace, part Pinterest inspiration (these gloves!), each T-shirt in this pair appears, at first look, to be decorated with an abstract design when it’s without its match. When the two shirts are reunited, however, they form a heart. Awww…

Materials:
-2 plain T-shirts (preferably light in color)
-scissors
-empty file folder (or other large piece of card stock)
-marker
–Tulip Fabric Spray Paint (in red!)
-plenty of newsprint to protect your work surface

Make It:

1. Lay the folder flat and use the marker to draw half of a heart along one of the long edges. (Note: I had to make an adjustment later on to accomodate the dimensionality of the human body–so don’t be afraid to make a particularly bulbous heart in order for it to “read” when the shirts are side by side.)

2. Cut out the half-heart template and line it up along the side of the torso of one of the shirts (under the sleeve). Mask the rest of the T-shirt (and use newsprint to protect your work surface), and spray paint the half-heart.

3. Carefully remove the stencil from the T-shirt, let it dry, and then flip the template to paint the other side of the heart on the other T-shirt. Then, when both the T-shirts and the stencil have dried, repeat the process to complete each heart on the back of the shirt. (And don’t worry if the paint seeps under the stencil a bit — like relationships, it might get a bit messy at times!)

4. Let it dry completely, wear it, and go find your best bud. (And don’t forget to make sure you stand on the correct side–and bend your knees or stand on your tiptoes, if necessary!)

Thanks to my friends Michael and Helen (who thematically appropriately identify as members of Camp Friendship Basketball League!) for modeling.


[ 2 Comments | Posted on January 22nd, 2013 ]

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