Events

New York, NY @ BurdaStyle Book Party

Please join Megan Nicolay at Housing Works Bookstore this Thursday November 10, 2011 to help celebrate the launch of The Burdastyle Sewing Handbook by Nora Abousteit and Alison Kelly (co-founder and creative director at BurdaStyle/ former Project Runway contestant, respectively).

She’ll be without her trusty scissors and T-shirts, but instead representing iLoveToCreate and wielding a mean set of Tulip glitter tattoo materials — all the better to “ink” you with, my dears! But even if you don’t want the tattoo, come for to meet the BurdaStyle team, the book contributors (I bet they’ll even sign a book if you ask them nicely!), and some of your favorite DIY bloggers and craft personalities. But there’s more: Check out the Singer Make-and-Take Lounge, the photobooth, Spoonflower fabrics — or hey,  just enjoy the wine, beer, and hors d’oeuvres!

BurdaStyle Book Party
Housing Works Bookstore
126 Crosby Street, New York
(212) 334-3324

[ 2 Comments ]

T-shirt Projects

Caution: Speed Bump!

We here at Generation T hope everyone had a safe, boo-tiful, and bountiful Halloween last weekend! In addition to this bonus Halloween costume project below (okay, file it away for next year), you might notice that there’s some rather “big” news to share over here at Generation T headquarters: there’s a Baby T on the way! (And since we’ve taken to calling the inside-the-belly baby “Zombie,” it seemed only fitting that we get to make the announcement in costume.)

It can be tricky to come up with costume ideas when you’ve got a bun in the oven — besides the classic “Watermelon Smuggler” (make that a pumpkin smuggler), the obvious mummy (ha!), or a bathing beauty (get ready to dress in a bikini and paint the belly in the pattern of a beach ball). Go for the more literal, and get your partner in on the costume so you can have a chef and an oven (which I have to say held some appeal until I realized that I’m already feeling a tad large and awkward these days and dressing in a box would only serve to enhance my impressive girth).

So without further ado, here’s how I made my Speed Bump Halloween Costume (and yes, I do hear they’re called “speed humps” in Connecticut, but what can you do)…

Materials:
-Plain T-shirt
-Masking tape (to make stencil)
-Scissors
-Black fabric paint
-Foam brush
-Yellow card stock or paper
-Ruler, dowel, or chopsticks (to use as sign post)
-Pencil
-Black permanent marker

1. Cut and stick the masking tape across the front of the T-shirt in the pattern of two tire tread marks. Insert scrap paper in between the layers of the T-shirt to keep the paint from bleeding through. Then lightly paint over the masking tape.

2. Cover the taped area with paint and then let it dry completely.

3. While the paint’s drying, measure and cut an approximately 7 1/2″ x 10″ rectangle from the yellow card stock (round the corners for an authentic street-sign shape). Then use the pencil and marker to draw and color in the appropriate speed limit. Set it aside.

4. Peel off the tape from the T-shirt to reveal your painted tire treads!

5. Tape the ruler, centered, along the back of the street sign.

6. Now suit up!

P.S. Good luck to all of those folks running today in the ING New York City marathon — on this inspiring occasion, here’s to avoiding any speed bumps during the run!

[ 5 Comments | Posted on November 6th, 2011 ]

T-shirt Projects

10 Quick & Easy T-shirt Halloween Costumes!

Just in time for you last-minute Halloween revelers! Make a beeline for your T-shirt stash and pull together one of these costumes in mere minutes…. Last week, my friend Elan asked me to help her out with a student project for her journalism class (see Elan in action, right, who was willing to climb on top of tables to get the right shot!). Here’s a little video tutorial we came up with to show you 10 super quick-and-easy ideas for a T-shirt-based Halloween costume. Forgive the low sound, since we were working without a mic, but we hope you enjoy!

Top-10 Last Second Halloween Costumes from Elan Bird on Vimeo.

And in case you missed the visuals, below are the 10 quick-and-easy T-shirt-based Halloween Costumes (all illustrations courtesy of Megan/Generation T):

1. Charlie Brown (a good man, indeed, from our pal Charles M. Schulz–add a black pair of shorts and a baseball cap for good measure)

2. Deviled Egg (love me some wordplay! just grab those devil horns and tail I know you have packed away somewhere)

3. Candy Corn (inspired by my friend Alexa (aka The Swell Designer)’s adorable tie-dyed onesie!)

4. Shooting Star (more nerding out with words, adapted from an idea in The Halloween Handbook PS: those are squirt guns, folks!)

5. Zombie (classic: blood, brains…nuff said; and here’s the perfect soundtrack to listen to while you craft)

6. True Blood Waitress (don’t forget to add some fang marks on the neck!)

7. Chick Magnet (ha. get it?… also adapted adapted from an idea in The Halloween Handbook)

8. Static Cling (you don’t even need paint for this one!)

9. Thing 1 and Thing 2 (These Dr. Suess characters are perfect for pairs costumes!)

10. Playing Card (Ace of Spades or Queen of Hearts–or recruit enough for a full 52-card deck! Then shuffle.)

And if you have a T-shirt left over, don’t forget to make check out the tutorial for a trick-or-treat tote!

[ 6 Comments | Posted on October 28th, 2011 ]

Other Projects

I Love to Create: Costume-on-a-Stick!

‘Twas the week before Halloween and all through the haunted house,
every creature was stirring–
the zombies, the mummies, the vampires, the flappers, the secret agents–
even the mouse.
But if you’re the one caught without a disguise,
make a costume-on-a-stick to cover your mouth or your eyes!

Materials:
-Pencil
-Paper (optional)
-Manila file folders
-Scissors
-Felt pieces in a variety of colors and patterns
–Aleene’s Super Thick Tacky Glue
–Aleene’s Jewel-It Embellishing Glue
-Fake jewels
–Tulip Beads in a Bottle
-Wooden chopsticks

Make it:

1. Draw the outline of a pair of glasses, a mustache, or other shape on a manila folder. Optional: Sketch it out on a piece of paper first to use as a template (this way, if it’s a symmetrical shape, you can fold it in half to make sure both sides match), then cut it out and trace it onto the folder.

2. Use scissors to completely cut out the shape(s).

3. Spread glue generously over the back of the folder shape.


4. Press it firmly onto a piece of the desired felt color. Let the glue dry.

5. Cut out the felt piece, using the folder edges as your guide.

6. Use jewelry adhesive to decorate the front with fake jewels…

…or use Beads in a Bottle to create 3D embellishments! Let the embellishments dry.

7. Flip the disguise over and squeeze a line of glue along one side. Press the top of one chopstick so it extends vertically from the bottom. Let it dry.

8. Repeat as many times as you like to make cat-eye glasses (shown), wayfarers, masquerade masks, vampire fangs, and mustaches galore. Now what are you waiting for? Go undercover!

Happy haunting from Generation T!




[ 3 Comments | Posted on October 25th, 2011 ]

More Fun

3 Winners = 3 Books to Be Signed & Delivered!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Generation T giveaway over the weekend!

Without further ado, the three winners are: Ginger, who especially loves the scarves. She volunteers for a thrift store that benefits victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes; they get so many T-shirts that aren’t claimed, so Ginger refashions them into scarves! Jessica, who loves the Mohawk Mo’ Rock hat (in Generation T: Beyond Fashion) and is raring to make some more! And last but not least, Dio, who’s been so obsessed with the Pinup Girl halter top that she’s made about four of them, and adores her Tie, Tie, Again convertible dress (both from Generation T: Beyond Fashion) that she constructed using three Paranormal Activity T-shirts and two plain black ones in honor of the approaching Halloween.

Ginger, Jessica, and Dio: Please email Megan (megan at generation-t.com) with your mailing address, which book you’d like to receive (Generation T or Generation T: Beyond Fashion), and, if you’d like to it to be signed, to whom it should be autographed (i.e. is it a gift or are you keeping it for yourself?).

A hearty congratulations to the winners of our Facebook giveaway, and thanks for continuing to spread the good T-shirt word! Stay tuned for another fun pre-Halloween giveaway later in the week!

[ Comments Off on 3 Winners = 3 Books to Be Signed & Delivered! | Posted on October 17th, 2011 ]

More Fun

In a Class of 3000! Celebration and Giveaway

It’s been less than a year since we celebrated the Generation T Facebook community growing to a whopping 2000 members (and slightly more than a year since we hit 1000 strong), and as of a Monday morning a couple of weeks ago in September, now we have some more nice round numbers to cheer for.

In honor of the milestone, and in thanks for your support of this growing community, I’m giving away one book per thousand Facebook fans (for the math-challenged that’s a total of three books from the Generation T library!). To enter, just share your favorite T-shirt refashion project in the comments either here on the blog or on the Generation T Facebook page before 12:00 noon (that’s EST) on Saturday October 15. Just one entry per person, please! I’ll randomly select the three winners and announce them over the weekend. (Winners will get to choose which book they receive as a prize!)

And please, keep spreading the T-shirt love by sending your DIY-minded friends to the Facebook page — there are many more milestone celebrations to be had!

xo,
Megan/Generation T

[ 13 Comments | Posted on October 14th, 2011 ]

Events

New York, NY @ The Duplex

Sharpen your scissors, folks! (Okay, don’t worry about the scissors, we’ll provide them — and sharpen them, too.) Just pack an old T-shirt that you want to freshen up, and come to the free T-shirt refashioning event at The Duplex in NYC’s West Village on Tuesday October 18, 2011 from 7 to 9 pm! Megan will teach two designs from her books Generation T and Generation T: Beyond Fashion (and if the time allows, a bonus look, too!). Scissors and any other necessary tools will be provided, books will be for sale (get them signed!), and drinks (also for sale!) will be served by the talented Matthew Fletcher. Hope to see you there.

The Duplex
61 Christopher Street (at 7th Avenue)
New York, NY 10014

[ 3 Comments ]

Other Projects

I Love to Create: Studded Leggings!

I spotted a pair of studded leggings in a magazine once, and though they were just for styling, not for sale (I would have snatched them in an instant!), perhaps it was actually a lovely DIY blessing so that that years later, when I unpacked my tubes of Beads in a Bottle for the first time, I’d know just what to do. I pulled the slightly wrinkled page from my “future inspirations” notebook and set to work!

Materials:
-leggings or footless tights
–Tulip Beads in a Bottle paint in desired colors
-chalk marker
-ruler or straightedge
-iron (optional)


1. Prewash the leggings and let them dry completely. Fold the leggings so the sides are facing out. Find the center line down each leg, from hip to ankle and use the ruler and chalk marker to mark dots 3/4″ to 1″ apart along that line. Optional: Set the iron to a low setting and press the leggings flat to make a crease along the outside of each leg before measuring the dots.

2. Select a Beads in a Bottle color to match or contrast the leggings (though you can’t tell from the late-night craft lighting in the photos, I was working with blue leggings, so I chose a light yellow for nice contrast). Make sure the leggings are on a flat surface, with your marked dots facing up. Hold the tip of the tube about 1/16″ above the first dot and gently squeeze out the paint to form a bead. Note that the beads shrink slightly when they dry, so be a little generous without going overboard.

3. Continue adding dots along the length of the legging until you reach the hip, making sure to lift the tip of the tube straight up after you’ve applied the bead to prevent smearing. Note: If plan to wear your leggings with that hot leotard you have hiding in the back of the closet, you may consider extending the line of dots waistband-high, but otherwise, you only need to squeeze beads up to the hemline of your skirt, shorts, or dress.


4. If you can lay the second leg flat without disturbing the wet beads on the first leg, do so, and repeat steps 2 and 3 to complete the look. Otherwise, let one side dry completely (about 4 hours) before dotting the other side.


5. Let both sides of the leggings dry and get ready to rock them! The beads dry three-dimensionally, so you do get a slightly studded effect that can be seen when silhouetted from the front. Cool, very cool.

Variations: Experiment with different patterns — zigzag your beads down your legs, cluster them around the ankles so they “explode” up the leg, or apply them in a nice line up the back of each leg–reminiscent of old-school seamed pantyhose.


[ 3 Comments | Posted on September 27th, 2011 ]

Media

Book Review & Project on Craft Test Dummies!

Check out the sweet review of Signature Styles by Jenny Doh (published earlier this year) by Vicki O’Dell (The Creative Goddess) over at the Craft Test Dummies site. I was one of twenty artists interviewed and invited to create a stitched project for the book–and I’m so flattered that Vicki was inspired to make my Rosette Necklace (from recycled T-shirt scraps, but of course!) in her review.

It’s a very simple yo-yo necklace that you can stitch by hand — but check out how Vicki put her own signature on it by painting the fabric first (high fives for personalization — I love that she took a yellow T-shirt she hated and made the colors so rich!) and adding some beading (seed beads, bugle beads, and some nice pearly centers) to the flowers! The finished photo is below (via The Creative Goddess herself), but click all the way so you can see her process!

As you all I know, I get positively giddy to see how other people interpret my projects — and I just love how Vicki’s version turned out! Have any of you tried making the necklace? Be sure to post the results over at the Generation T Facebook page!

[ 4 Comments | Posted on September 2nd, 2011 ]

T-shirt Projects

I Love to Create: Flower Power Picture Frame!

So often these days a photo album is an online click, and a frame may simply be the outer edges of a smart phone as you flick through those saved photos. Having just returned from vacation, I was inspired to make something a little less fleeting to display my memories of beach, sand, and snorkeling. And what better material to use to celebrate summer vacation than scraps from that all-time summer favorite: the T-shirt.

Materials:
-T-shirt scraps (in various colors)
-Circular object (about 2.5″ in diameter to use as a cutting template)
–Aleene’s Fabric Fusion fabric glue
-Fabric scissors
-Blank picture frame
–Aleene’s Tacky Line Runner (double-sided adhesive dispenser)
-Printed vacation photos to fit in the blank picture frame

1. Cut a series of circles from the T-shirt scraps. (I cut about 55 circles in order to cover a 4″ x 6″ frame.) Cut them all the same color or mix it up to add vibrant highlights to the frame — I was inspired by the colors of the corals (yellow, salmon, and raspberry hued) that we snorkeled near in Vieques.

2. Select one circle, fold it in half, then fold it in half again. Cut a scalloped edge into the open (arced) edge so the piece of folded fabric becomes heart-shaped.

3. Unfold the piece of fabric (it should slightly resemble a four-leaf clover) and squeeze a small amount of fabric glue into the center. Fold it in half, with the edges slightly askew (so the petals don’t line up exactly) and pinch.

4. Then apply a small dab of glue along the folded edge and fold it in half again to create a blossom.

5. Pinch the end and separate the petals and let dry. Repeat steps 2-4 for the remaining circles then set the blossoms aside.

6. Apply the double-stick adhesive liberally to the front of the frame. Be careful not to press your fingers into it since the oils will deplete the sticky qualities!

7. One by one, press the blossoms into the adhesive on the frame, angling and overlapping them to cover the frame and create a pleasing pattern.

8. Layer the flowers over the entire frame, and don’t hesitate to cut more if you find gaps in the coverage.

9. Now for the hard part! Select a photo to place in the frame.

Variations:
-Use strips of T-shirt scraps to make into coils to decorate the frame.
-Simply cover the photo frame with T-shirt fabric and then embellish with a small cluster of blossoms.
-Use a cluster of these flower power blossoms to embellish a headband, hair tie, or brooch!


[ 5 Comments | Posted on August 23rd, 2011 ]

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