Print Your Own Fabric {Part 1}

Sometimes you need a certain color fabric with a unique print design for a project and your fabric store doesn’t have anything near what you have in mind. Don’t despair, just print your own fabric!

I have been having fun trying out fabric printing with my own homemade stamps. A while back, Melinda and I were playing around with making our own stamps with craft foam. You might want to go back and read that post. One of the items we used for backers for our stamps was a clear CD case. We found that when you took apart the case it made a perfect surface on which to attach the foam for printing. CD cases work especially well when you want to print a pattern on fabric because you can see where you have already stamped and more easily line up where you will stamp next.

I drew out a couple of different designs on two pieces of adhesive craft foam with a ballpoint pen. The pen makes the foam indent to give you unique prints with either ink or paint. I attached each piece of foam to a part of the CD case. Before stamping, I made sure my fabric was pre-washed and dried. Using a foam brush, I brushed fabric paint onto the stamp. (If you get too much paint on the stamp, your indents in the foam get filled in with paint. You still get a design, but it may not be exactly what you want. Be sure to experiment on scrap fabric before using the “real fabric” you want to print on.) Then I positioned my stamp where I wanted it and pressed it with my fingers. I had paper and wax paper under my fabric to keep the paint from bleeding through the fabric onto something I don’t want to get paint on.Hand stamping fabricAs you can tell, in places where I had paint brushed on the stamp more heavily, it filled in the indents on the stamp. But it gives the fabric a unique, one of a kind look because no two stampings will look the same.Hand Printed FabricFinished printed fabric

After the paint dries for 24 hours, it is ready to be ironed to heat set the paint. Then the fabric is ready to be used. Now I am not quite ready to try hand printing enough fabric to make a dress (maybe later), but it’s fun to print small pieces that can be used for appliques, pillows, hair bows, accent on a garment, and so on. The possibilities are endless! If you want to transform a garment and don’t have the right color fabric to embellish the garment in the way you want, try printing your own fabric. Use your creativity to make one of a kind projects with your custom printed fabric. Who knows? You might find you really enjoy creating fabric designs and can start making a living with it!

Here’s another one I played with:Stamps for hand printed fabricHand Printed Green FabricHand Printed Fabric Green Pink

Do You Have a Creative Business?

We are getting ready for some more interviews with owners of creative businesses like we did with Kimberly of Cakes by Kimberly. We have a few scheduled but would like to ask if any of our readers have a creative business and would like to be interviewed and highlighted on In A Tickle.
If you are an owner of a creative business and would like to be interviewed contact us at Melinda at inatickle dot com or Jan at inatickle dot come.

Cute Book for Young Crafters

**Short update before we get into today’s post.**

We are changing how we do our posts from now on. Instead of the posts being a specific topic each day, we will be posting different topics. We will still keep the same categories, but we will post them on whatever day we choose. You’ll see some changes to the website here and there as we get things situated. Thanks for your faithful viewing! Now to the topic of the day. Read With Me.

My Princess reading craft book

Since My Princess got her sewing basket for her birthday, she is so excited to learn how to make stuff. We happened to go to the library on the day of her birthday and found the perfect book:

craftychloe

Crafty Chloe by Kelly DiPucchio

I love the description on the website, Chloe is “Fancy Nancy meets Martha Stewart.” It’s about a young girl who loves to make things and needs a birthday present for a good friend. After another girl already buys the “perfect” present for her, Chloe has to get crafty and make her something even better!

One thing I love about the book is that Chloe is given the opportunity to one up the other girl but chooses to push aside any rivalry and help her out. It’s a great message to young girls, and maybe it will spark some creativity in them after reading it.

There is a website that goes with the book and has craft ideas that young girls could do themselves. Check it out.

chloeheaderf2

Stop the Excuses!

Dr. Ben Carson

Dr. Ben Carson

Last week I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Ben Carson speak at our local college. His life story is fascinating. Even though he was raised in poverty in a single parent home by a mother who could not read with only a third grade education, she knew that her sons needed to read and get a good education. When they began struggling in school, she took away television privileges (which he thought was child abuse) and made them check out books from the library and write book reports on those books for her, in addition to their school work. (They did not know that she was unable to read their reports!) He found that reading the books gave him all kinds of interesting knowledge and motivation as he read about the lives of individuals who made a difference in the world, and he began to excel in his classes. He eventually went on to become a world famous pediatric neurosurgeon. If you have never read his story, Gifted Hands, I highly recommend it to you. There is also a DVD documenting his life story by the same title.

One thing he shared was that his mother would not accept excuses from him. He said, “And if we ever came up with an excuse, she always said do you have a brain? And if the answer was, ‘yes,’ then she said then you could have thought your way out of it … It was the most important thing she did for my brother and myself. Because if you don’t accept excuse, pretty soon people stop giving them, and they start looking for solutions. And that is a critical issue when it comes to success.”

It seems to be human nature to make excuses. I was late because…traffic was heavy, slow, lights all red, etc. I did not get that assignment done because I was not given enough time. I can’t…because…I was not able to…because…I am the way I am because…I am not creative because… the list can go on and on. As long as we are able to put the blame on someone or something other than ourselves, we don’t have to take responsibility for the way things turn out in our lives.

Stop and evaluate your life this week. How often do you find yourself making excuses? If you are not sure whether or not you do make excuses, make it a point for the next couple of days to be aware of what you are saying and thinking. Your excuses don’t always have to be voiced to other people. Probably more often you are thinking excuses in your head. If you need to, write down the excuses you find yourself thinking or voicing.

After you have written down the excuses you find yourself saying or thinking, look at the list. For each situation, what would be a solution instead? Write down that solution (or several possible solutions.) Then take your pen and cross out the excuses, leaving only the solutions. For instance, one possible solution to being late all the time might be to get up 15 minutes earlier and leave earlier. Maybe you need to take a different route. Maybe you need to find a better time in the day to check on emails, social media, news, etc. instead of before you leave.

Do you find yourself making excuses for why you can’t do creative projects? Is it because you don’t know how and need someone to teach you? Find someone! Is it because you think you don’t have enough time? What can you eliminate from your schedule to free up some time for pursuing creativity? Is it because you don’t have the right tools and supplies? Start with the basics needed and build up your resources as you can. (Maybe you really don’t need another outfit or pair of shoes and can use that money to buy supplies for a creative project.)

As Dr. Carson says, “The person who has the most to do with what happens to you in life is you. You make the decisions, and you decide how much energy you put behind those decisions.”

So stop making excuses and start living life to the fullest! If you don’t like the direction of your life, make steps to change it. If you wish you knew how to do something, make steps to learn it. Take responsibility for you.

Beginning with Baby Doll Clothes

Sewing at 4 years old

On the back, my grandma had written, “Following in her mommy’s footsteps?” (Almost 4 years old)

I have a secret…Shhh. I am not the best at sewing. I know, I know. You may think I am an expert. I mean I have a blog! I learned how to sew when I was a young girl. I have done projects off and on over the years, but it wasn’t until just recently that I have been able to sew regularly since we got mom’s craft room set up.

I am still learning. I often have to ask mom how to do certain things. I can follow a pattern pretty well, but one thing that I love to do is create my own. Those tend to be pretty basic as I learn new sewing skills.

If you are new to sewing, I want to encourage you to keep trying. You don’t have to do it perfect. You don’t always have to start with a pattern.

Last week I discovered an easy thing to start with–Baby doll clothes! You don’t have to worry about them being comfortable for the baby doll since, thankfully (well at least they shouldn’t), they don’t talk. You can learn on the baby doll clothes and work your way up to real clothes. Even if you don’t have kids of your own, I am sure you know somebody who does have some. Borrow a baby doll and get to work.

My daughters’ baby dolls spend half their time sleeping and being naked. They have some doll clothes, but a lot of the them are polyester. Since Miss Tickles is loving playing with baby dolls lately, I decided she needed some cotton clothes for her babies.

I started with some flannel pieces that I sewed together to make a larger piece. A peasant style dress seemed like an easy thing to start with so I looked up a tutorial online and found this one. Even though it is for a toddler girl size, I figured I would get the basic idea of what to do.

I made the top and knew she needed to have some bottoms to go with it to cover up the polyester cloth on the legs.

Making Doll Clothes

Now she has a whole outfit!

Baby Doll

The outfit was so easy to put together that I decided her baby doll friends needed clothes too.

Making doll clothes

Since the dolls are so lazy and sleep most of the day, a pair of pajamas were more than enough as far as outfit choices go.

Baby Dolls

Miss Tickles is a fan!

Miss Tickles with baby doll

If you are just getting started or haven’t sewn much, start with some baby doll clothes and help build your confidence.

Happy Birthday, My Princess!

It’s My Princess’ 4th birthday today! Where has the time gone?

  • She is the girliest tom boy I have ever met.
  • She is only two inches shorter than her big brother who is almost two years older than her.
  • She loves baby dolls, Barbies, princesses, and dancing.
  • She loves playing dress up, Legos, and bad guys with her brother. Sometimes they don’t fight.
  • Her favorite colors are pink and orange.
  • She will eat just about anything and like it.
  • She adores her little sister and causes all kinds of trouble with her, encouraging her to make Noah’s flood in the bathroom.
  • She loves sandwich hugs between mommy and daddy, especially if she sees mommy and daddy hugging each other without her.

My 4th birthday was memorable for me. We were living in a yellow house. I had cupcakes that were set out in the shape of a 4.4th Birthday I opened my presents at the coffee table in the living room with my friends and family. I got a jean Blossom style hat, jean shorts, and a blue t-shirt among other things. My mom gave me a sewing basket that she made the cover for.4th Birthday

Last year I found this basket at my parent’s house. I realized that this year my daughter would be turning four and was so excited to find it at the perfect time. I knew I wanted to fix it up to give it to her on her birthday.

I took the fabric cover apart and recreated it for My Princess. Since she loves pink and orange, I choose new fabric to give it some new life. Sewing Basket GiftSewing Basket

I will keep the top of the basket cover as a keepsake, but I love that I am able to give the basket new life and pass it on to her.

I am also giving her my old china tea set for her birthday. Grandma decided that she needed a tablecloth and napkins to go with it.Tea Set

I love turning keepsakes into gifts for my kids. It does no good for them to sit in a box or on a shelf collecting dust if my kids can play with them.

Labor Day Weekend


Word doodle rest

It’s Labor Day weekend, and we have decided to take a little break too! 

Enjoy time with your loved ones, and we will see you all next Tuesday.

We appreciate each one of you who stops by our blog. We are thankful for each view and comment we receive.

Much love,

 

Melinda & Jan

Make Your Own Hair Ties and Headbands

Thoroughly Thrifty ThursdayMy little girls are growing up! We are getting to where the tiny elastic hair ties break pretty easily and don’t hold all their hair up as well in a pony tail. I’ve seen these newer kind at the store several times but couldn’t bring myself to pay that much for them when my girls could easily lose them.

Hair Ties2

Hair Ties1

These kind are supposed to be kinder to your hair and can double as a cute bracelet.

While fabric shopping a few weeks ago, I saw this kind of a elastic for $1.79 a yard. It’s called fold over elastic. Depending on the size that I make them, I can get 8-10 hair ties out of one yard or 3-4 headbands.

Hair Ties6

You can find it in all different colors and styles. Some might be more expensive depending on the style, size, and where you find it. Find the elastic online or in your local fabric store.

How do you make them?

You just cut off the length that you want, make a knot at the end, then seal off the raw edge with heat/flame like you would ribbon (be careful!). It’s all ready for fixing a cute pony tail.

Hair Ties4

Hair Ties3Elastic Hair ties that don't damage hair

 

Colors Don’t Always Make Sense

Draw with me WednesdayRainbow trees? That doesn’t make sense. Or does it?

rainbow colored tree

Have you seen this?
star-paper

I will be completely honest and say that it makes me sick to my stomach every time I look at it. Why? The clear approval/disapproval of the faces for each picture. If your picture doesn’t look exactly like they want then you will make people unhappy. This is a creativity killer. Sometimes colors don’t make sense. Kids need to be able to learn and grow in their artistic abilities without having such clear cut lines on what is good and what is not.

To illustrate just how off that thought process is that color ALWAYS makes sense, take a look at these amazing trees!

trunk03

Rainbow Trees

Eucalyptus Deglupta

So if you want to color your tree multi-colored or you see a kid doing that, encourage them! Show them these trees and affirm their creativity. Just because you have never seen something that color doesn’t mean it’s not possible!

Rainbow trees in Savannah, GA

They really are real! My mom saw these on a trip with her mom and sisters in Savannah, Georgia.

Art Inspired Blankets

A very dear friend is having twins, and I wanted to make something special for her girls. She sent me a picture of the art she chose to put on the wall of the nursery. It’s not your typical nursery art, and I spent a lot of time looking at it trying to figure out what I wanted to make. Art for Nursery WallFinally inspiration hit me! I decided to make rag baby blankets and use some elements of designs from the artwork for the blankets. I am not going to tell you how to make rag blankets. You can do a search online and find all kinds of tutorials for rag blankets. The purpose of this post is to encourage you to keep your eyes open for inspiration from all kinds of sources for your creative endeavors. You never know what may inspire you!Rag Baby BlanketArt Inspired Blanket Rag Baby Blanket Art Inspired Blanket