How To: Tie Dye Hearts from 101 Tees

I love hearts!  When I was a teenager, I would doodle them on my notebooks and paper-bag book covers with my Bic pen.  As an adult....I still doodle hearts but now I doodle them with embroidery stitches, sharpies and fabric dye.

You could be a winner! 101 Tees Giveaway!

101 Tees just released {{happy dance}} and to celebrate, I am giving-away signed copies, crafty goodies and Hot Glue Gun Helper finger caps.  Visit this link to view all the posts about the book!

sneak peek!

Can't wait to win the book?

You can find it here....

Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Target and Walmart!

This weeks loot is a $50 value!

Signed Copy of 101 Tees! Lark Crafts

Fiskars Designer Scissors and Sharpener

Folkart Fabric Paint

Plaid Stencils and Stencil Brushes

 Peacock Iron-ons

Bird Iron-ons

Sunshine Orange Rit Dye

Flower & Peace Sign Iron-on by Plaid

 Adtech Glue Gun

Hot Glue Gun Helper Finger Cap

What to do?

To enter: Leave a comment about your favorite t-shirt or a tee makeover that you have done!

For additional chances: Twitter this post, follow this blog or post to your facebook.

Contest Ends: August 21, 2011 at midnight! 

Contact Info: Be sure to leave your contact info!

101 Tees Giveaway! Lots of craft supplies and a signed book!

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!

Dale Anne Potter!

101 Tees hits the bookshelves TOMORROW! {{happy dance}}  To celebrate, I am giving-away signed copies, crafty goodies and Hot Glue Gun Helper finger caps.  Visit this link to view all the posts about the book!

sneak peek!

Can't wait for the book?

You can find it here....

Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Target and Walmart!

This weeks loot is a $100 value!

Signed Copy of 101 Tees! Lark Crafts

Mini Iron and Cover by Clover

 Simplicity 4" Snips

Flower Iron-on by Plaid

 Peacock Iron-ons

Bird Iron-ons

Blue Rit Dye

Flower Iron-on by Plaid

 Adtech Glue Gun

Hot Glue Gun Helper Finger Cap

What to do?

To enter: Leave a comment about your favorite t-shirt or a tee makeover that you have done!

For additional chances: Twitter this post, follow this blog or post to your facebook.

Contest Ends: August 7, 2011 at midnight! 

Contact Info: Be sure to leave your contact info!

Giveaway! 101 Tees and tons of Crafty Supplies!

We have a Winner!!! 

Corey said...

I love the purple one with the white ruffle!!

101 Tees hits the bookshelves on August 2nd!  To celebrate, I am giving-away signed copies, crafty goodies and Hot Glue Gun Helper finger caps.  Visit this link to view all the posts about the book!

 sneak peek!

Can't wait for the book?

You can find it here....

Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Target and Walmart!

This weeks loot is a $100 value!

Signed Copy of 101 Tees! Lark Crafts

 Simplicity Duckbill Scissors

Simplicity 4" Curved Blade Scissors

Simplicity 6" Blade Trimmers

 Peacock Iron-ons

Bird Iron-ons

 Fuchsia Rit Dye

Heart Iron-on

Peace Sign Iron-on

 Adtech Glue Gun

Hot Glue Gun Helper Finger Cap

This contest is closed

This one is for you pops - 101 Tees just arrived in the mail!

My next book, 101 Tees - Lark Crafts! 

Available for pre-order at Barnes and Noble, Amazon , Target and Walmart!

I would be a gazillionaire, if I could bottle the feeling I get when a years worth of work arrives at my doorstep in the form of a book!  It has been a long and hard journey....I made 178 designs for the book and 150+ made it to print....but for some reason we call it 101 Tees....???  LOL!

Some projects are harder than others....

This book was particularly difficult to design and write - I guess I should not say difficult since the projects are all easy to make.  A journey is probably a better way to explain it.  You see, when I was first chatting with my editor about the follow up concept to 101 Snappy Fashions and we decided on tees as the next canvas, I did not know the life changes that were around the corner for me and my family.

I had a few of the initial sample designs finished when my father-in-law became ill and was admitted into the hospital.  I was under a pretty aggressive deadline so I was borrowing time from the next day and then time stopped.  It was hard to feel creative.  It was hard to thread the needle.  It was hard to concentrate.  And then I thought about my father-in-law.....he was a successful tailor who had overcome more odds than any other person that I know.

Me and Hrant Filian my dear Father-in-Law

As I visualized his life, him stitching and sewing his way for survival while he was held as a prisoner of war, I was filled with his ambition, his love of the thread and his passion for creating.  I began designing anywhere I could.  The embroidered tee in the above picture I made in his hospital room.  I remember showing it to him and he had such a big smile and giggled when he looked at it.  He gave me a thumbs up.  After he passed away it was hard to make anything.  It was hard to glitter.  Hard to paint.  Hard to think about anything creative. I wish he was here to see the finished book - since it was his life story that got me through the process.

As I flip through the book I am so excited and I know Hrant would be so proud of it!!!!  It is nuts when you see it all put together.   So many talented hands and minds work to make a book, a book!  To celebrate this journey and my latest book, I am going to do a bunch of giveaways and eat a big piece of chocolate cake!

101 Tees: Irish You Were Beer

Irish Eyes are Smiling!

 St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner!  You still have time paint up tee and show off your Irish Pride!   For this design I made stencils using freezer paper, you could also use self-stick shelf liner.

Custom cut stencils are a snap to make!  For ease of cutting, always use a sharp craft knife and a self-healing mat.

Check out my T-shirt book....

101 Tees (Lark Crafts)

Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

Materials:
Paper Printed with an Irish saying
Green T-Shirt
Marker
Freezer Paper or self-stick shelf liner
Craft Knife
Self Healing Mat
Ruler
Iron
Stencil Brush
FolkArt White Fabric Paint

Steps:
1.  Begin by printing an Irish saying onto a piece of paper.  Chunky letters work best.  Re-size the letters as needed.

2. Make a stencil of the saying by laying freezer paper (wax side down) or shelf liner over the words.  Tape both pieces to the self-healing mat. Use the sharp craft knife to cut out the design leaving a border around the design.

3. Position the freezer paper stencil in the center of the tee. Use a warm iron to attach the wax side of the paper to the tee. For shelf liner, stick the cutout design to the tee. Stick the insides of the letters to the tee.  (this is for letters like o, a b)

4. Dab a stencil brush in white fabric paint. You want to work with a semi-dry brush, so tap off enough excess paint. Working up and down, tap the brush over the stencil.  Allow the paint to dry. Peel off the stencil and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to heat set the paint.

101 Tees: Lacy Tee Makeover

My lacy top makeover.

As an ex-costumer for film, I can't help but be obsessed with my outfits for filming.  I love shopping for them, altering them and choosing just the right accessories for them.  My sister helps me, I plan way in advance and I drive my hubby nuts with my makeshift fashion shows.

I fell in love with this lacy tee with ruffled sleeves but the color was so WRONG for me! The price was $14.99, so that was perfect.  I can't stand spending big bucks on clothes for filming because they always get ruined with paint and Mod Podge.  I guess ruined sounds harsh....lets just say they get enhanced with craft supplies.  :)

 

I had two options.

1. Return the shirt.

2. Dye the shirt.

 

As you can see, I whipped up a batch of hot water and wine colored RIT dye.  I soaked a my pre-washed tee for about 20 minutes in the dye bath.

Then I rinsed her clean, washed in cold and hung dry.  It turned out perfect!!!  I was jumping for joy!  My made-over tee and made it's TV debut today.  I wore it for the Kitschy Kitchen episode of  Plaid Craft TV.

101 Tees: Naughty or Nice Christmas Tees

Naughty or nice?

Are you a holiday vixen or a good little elf? Either way I have your covered. Whip up a "Naughty or Nice" Christmas tee with a few simple supplies.

Both designs are hand stitched and easy for beginners.  You can complete each one in about 1-hour!

Oh La La - i heart velvet buttons!

To make the naughty design begin with a long sleeve red T-shirt.  Cut way the neckline in a sweeping fashion to create an almost off the shoulder look.  Hand sew a strip of marabou feathers across the neckline. (This is a novelty design and not suited for machine washing.)  Stitch two velvet covered buttons to the top center of the tee.

 Pink Thread POPS!

Marabou not your speed? Try this buttoned up holiday design. Hand sew ten green buttons the form of a tree to the front of a red thermal. Add a larger black button to serve as the trunk. I like to use contrasting thread for extra pop!