A reminder for any of you in the Grand Rapids area: Here are more details about this Thursday’s Tee Party events at West Side Garage Store from an article by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood of Craft Sanity in the Grand Rapids Press. Hope to see you there! (P.S. And also, scroll down for details about a book giveaway via Jennifer’s site!)
Fashion old T-shirts into something ‘new’
Posted by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood | The Grand Rapids Press August 23, 2009 06:36AM
Megan Nicolay, author of “Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt” and her new follow-up book, “Generation T: Beyond Fashion, 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt” is coming to Grand Rapids to teach people how to give their old T-shirts a second wind. (That’s Nicolay on the covers of both books.)
Megan Nicolay changed the way I looked at T-shirts with her first “Generation T” book. She piled on even more great ideas in her follow-up book, “Generation T: Beyond Fashion, 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt.”
It is in this second book, Nicolay offers step-by-step instructions for more ways to turn T-shirts into “new” tops, skirts and dresses, with bonus project ideas ranging from housewares (oven mitts, place mats and even a ruffled apron) to baby projects (bibs, booties, hats, toddler dresses and stuffed mobiles) and a padded laptop sleeve.
T-shirt refashioning workshop
Who: Author Megan Nicolay
When: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: West Side Garage Store, 351 Summer Ave. NW
Cost: $20 fee includes a copy of “Generation T: Beyond Fashion” book, a T-shirt and pair of scissors.
Sign-up: Call 451-4215, ext. 113.
The best part is many of the projects don’t require a sewing machine, just T-shirts and a pair of scissors.
This simplified approach to fashion makes the projects accessible to DIY enthusiasts of all skill levels.
“It really doesn’t need to be so scary,” said Nicolay, who will teach T-shirt refashioning workshops Thursday in Grand Rapids. “I really do want people to feel the DIY high.”
Originally from New Hampshire, Nicolay, 30, of Brooklyn, N.Y., got into T-shirt refashioning as a kid when she started turning old tees into fitted tank tops with her sisters. She continued in college when friends would ask her to “fix” their T-shirts. She decided to write a book on the topic and teach her techniques after landing a job at Workman Publishing, where she works as a book editor.
“Jersey knit is such a forgiving fabric — which is one of the reasons that the standard T-shirt has become such an iconic garment,” she said. “T-shirts are the most versatile pieces we own. We play sports in them, rock out in them, sleep in them, hang out in them. And as a material, a T-shirt is just as inviting because it won’t fray when you cut it.”
And T-shirt refashioning is a great way for beginners to experiment with quick, no-sew options, said Nicolay, who estimates she has taken scissors to more than 1,000 shirts.
Nicolay draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including people on the street.
“Sometimes, I see a garment or accessory that I like, and think, ‘Hmm, could I make that out of T-shirts?’ Then, I go home and experiment. Sometimes, it leaves me with the project I intended; sometimes, it leads me to a new project altogether.
“I was on a photo shoot recently and liked the necklace that one of the stylists was wearing — it was chainlike and made out of sterling silver, but I, nonetheless, tried to make a softie version a few weeks later.” (Look for that tutorial on her Web site soon.)
Nicolay will be teaching how to whip old T-shirts into stylish fashions at West Side Garage Store, 351 Summer Ave. NW, in Grand Rapids, a youth-run thrift shop founded in 2008 by Steepletown Neighborhood Services.
Enter a random drawing to win a copy of Nicolay’s new book, “Generation T: Beyond Fashion.” Simply tell Jennifer about your favorite T-shirt craft. E-mail entries to jennifer@craftsanity.com.
“It’s going to be a tee party,” she said. “Folks who attend will learn a number of easy, no-sew techniques and how they can apply them to make a one-of-a-kind project to take home. It’s going to be fun — I can’t wait.”
I visited the West Side Garage Store for the first time about two weeks ago and was glad to find a selection of vintage sewing machines priced from $10 to $45 among the usual second-hand offerings. (Somehow, I managed to walk out without buying one, so you still have a chance.)
The thrift store is one of the city’s best-kept secrets, said Dick Bulkowski, director of Steepletown, Many have yet to discover it and all the refashioning possibilities contained inside. He’s hopeful Nicolay’s visit will help put the shop on the DIY map.
“The whole purpose is to market the store,” he said, adding it is not a typical second-hand store.
West Side Garage Store operates with a staff of five and teaches young people the skills necessary to run a business. Operational costs are offset by federal funding, and the store is stocked with donations from the community. Go check it out.
E-mail comments and story ideas to Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood at jennifer@craftsanity.com. Watch Jennifer on WZZM Channel 13’s “Take Five & Company” at 9 a.m. every Friday.
[ Posted on August 24th, 2009 ]
