Posts Tagged ‘Generation T: Beyond Fashion’

How to: Grill Mitts from Old T-shirts!

Before you fire up the grill this summer (Happy 4th of July! Happy belated Canada Day!), fire up that sewing machine to make a grill mitt or two from some old T-shirts that aren’t fit to see another season in the sun in their current form. I dipped into book 2 (Generation T: Beyond Fashion) to bring you this one!

Grill-Mitts-cred

Materials:

2 T-shirts (100% cotton)
pencil
paper
ruler
straight pins
½ yard batting
scissors
needle
thread

Make it:

1. First, make a paper pattern by tracing around your hand (with your thumb at a 45-degree angle). Leave a 1″ allowance, as shown. At the base of the palm, widen the tracing to 2″ and extend it 7″ down. Cut around the tracing. fig 1

2. Lay one T-shirt flat and fold it in half, bringing the bottom hem up to the neckband in the back. Lay the pattern on an angle on the front of the T-shirt and pin it through all four layers. Cut around the pattern. Repeat on the second T-shirt, reversing the pattern so that the thumb points in a different direction.

fig 2

 

3. Fold a portion of the batting in half and pin the pattern onto it through both layers. Cut around the pattern and remove it.

fig 3

 

4. Sandwich a layer of batting between the layers of the T-shirt (there should be two layers of T-shirt, one layer of batting, two layers of T-shirt) to create one half of the mitt. Pin in place. Take that mitt half and sew a series of running stitches in crisscross diagonal lines, through all layers, to create a quilted look, as shown. Repeat on the other piece of the mitt.

fig 4

 

5. Lay the two pieces (sides) of the mitt right sides together (meaning the pieces with the logos are facing). Making sure to go through all layers, sew a tight whipstitch or a running stitch around the perimeter of the mitt, leaving the bottom edge open.

fig 5

6. Carefully turn the mitt right side out (the thumb will be a little tricky—use a pencil to persuade it if necessary).
7. Measure the circumference of the bottom opening and add 1″ to get x”. Cut a 2″ by x” strip of fabric from one of the T-shirt remnants. Line up one long edge around the opening and pin, right sides together. Sew a running stitch about ½” from the edge, being sure to “catch” all layers. Remove the pins.
fig 6

8. Fold the edge down ½” and then wrap it tightly around the raw edge to the inside. Pin and carefully sew a whipstitch securing the edging in place. Remove the pins. Optional: Repeat steps 2–8 to make a second mitt.
fig 7

9. Ready to get all up in that grill? The (veggie) burgers are ready to be flipped and nothing’s too hot to handle!

up-in-my-grill

 

[ 1 Comment | Posted on July 2nd, 2015 ]

Generation T: Beyond Fashion, now in Russian!

There’s a new member of the Generation T family! Can you spot her, all the way off to the right there, standing with the really impressive posture? If you could hear her talk, you’d know she has a pretty hot accent, too.

This introduction is clearly the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Generation T: Beyond Fashion is now available in Russian — and in hardcover, no less. Добро пожаловать, русские читатели! (Welcome Russian readers!)

What do you think about the changes from the English-language cover? Do you like to see more projects pictured? Do you prefer the purple to blue on the spine? What about the halter top I’m wearing (do you prefer it in red or white)?

Head on over to the books section of the website to check out the full library of the Generation T and Generation T: Beyond Fashion editions (foreign and domestic) that have hit the shelves over the years.

[ 2 Comments | Posted on May 17th, 2013 ]

Jezebel.com’s Holiday Gift Guide!

Thank you to Jezebel.com where, under the heading “12 Days of Buying: Gifts for Crafty Types,” my second book Generation T: Beyond Fashion is one of the dozen featured ideas for folks who like making stuff! It’s described (accurately, I might add!) as including “new fashions, as well as baby clothes, home items (including a wine cozy!), apron, blankets, bags…the list goes on.”

…All of the projects are pretty accessible, so it’s appropriate for novices as well as sewing gurus. And most of the projects can be done without a machine.”

So if you have a crafty one on your holiday shopping list this year, consider a giving copy of Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt or the original Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt. And, hey, I’ll even show you how to wrap it up!

Also featured in the Jezebel round-up: an adorable sheep-shaped knitting needle gauge for your favorite stitcher, custom-designed fabrics from Spoonflower, a doodle-n-wash tablecloth, classes at Make Workshop in NYC, and more.

[ Comments Off on Jezebel.com’s Holiday Gift Guide! | Posted on December 10th, 2011 ]